Two-Minute Video
Reflect on what you have learned about your ancestors, your parents, yourself by doing this project. Share some interesting facts or anecdotes. What forces brought your family to this country? What conclusions have you come to about your family’s place in the history of this country? What surprised you most? How has the project enhanced your appreciation of the past and influenced your feelings about the future?
1) Look nice–“snappy casual.”
2) Be prepared–notes may be used, but do NOT plan to read your speech.
3) Bring props–artifacts, heirlooms, photographs, census records, birth and death certificates, maps of migration trails, deeds, time lines, obituaries, letters, etc.
Sample Two-Minute Video Speech
Hello, my name is Jeanette Marks, the daughter of John and Sarah Marks, and I was born on March 24, 1985, in Nashville, Tennessee. My family history project has helped me create a window into my past and a mirror into my future. I have learned interesting stories about ancestors on the paternal and maternal sides of my family and have been able to spend valuable family time with my parents and grandparents while I have compiled this information.
On the paternal side of my family, we were able to trace our ancestors back to the Campbells of Argyle in Scotland in the year 800. Colin, the leader of the clan, got his name because he rang the camp bell during invasions. He became known as Colin with the camp bell, later Colin Campbell. In this document (hold up copy of original land purchases diagram), you can see the lot of land purchased by my ancestors in New York in 1693. During this project I also heard an interesting story about my great-grandfather. He had the first Goodyear franchise in Nashville and had a small “fleet” of repair trucks that did roadside service. Tires back then did not last long, so he had lots of business. He was known to pull all kinds of publicity stunts to get business. Here (hold up picture) you can see a picture of one of these promotional stunts. He pulled the front of a Model T car up on the courthouse steps and changed the oil to show how easy roadside service was. The picture was used in car advertisements in the 1960's and 1970's.
On my maternal side of the family, we were able to trace our ancestors back to England and Germany in the 1600's. Some of my famous American ancestors include Robert E. Lee and Daniel Boone. My family stills owns a patriotic trapunto quilt (hold up quilt) with an eagle pattern (white on white) that one of my ancestors purchased for $100 at an auction at the Hermitage in 1920. It originally belonged to Andrew Jackson. We also still possess a patent application (hold up a copy) and blue print design for a mile meter submitted by my ancestor Hiram Tyler in 1905. The mile meter was later to be used as a street car fare register. My ancestors learned to make do with what they had during the Depression. I found several unique recipes, such as Tomato Soup Cake. Spices were scarce, so the ever popular and cheap Campbell’s tomato soup was used in this spice cake recipe to add color and flavor. The cake is actually very tasty–I have tried it.
The Family History project helped me to reflect on the place of my family in American history and showed me that we all have common bonds: we all have family; we all come from somewhere; and we all have stories. I would not trade anything for the time that I spent with my grandparents hearing “their stories.” I now see my family members in a new light. As John Keats once wrote, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.”
Two-Minute Video
