Genealogy Honor

Arts & Crafts

Requirements

1. Define the following words:
   • Genealogy
   • Ancestor
   • Descendant
   • Spouse
   • Sibling

   Answer: 1) GENEALOGY: the study of family relationships and ancestral lineage; 2) ANCESTOR: a person from whom one descends (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents); 3) DESCENDANT: a person who descends from another (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren); 4) SPOUSE: husband or wife in relation to the other in marriage; 5) SIBLING: a person who has the same parents (or one of them) as another. Basic terms for building family trees. — Genealogy comes from the Greek 'genos' (family) + 'logia' (study). A family tree graphically represents family relationships — usually presented with the individual at the base and ancestors above. Adventist genealogy recovers the spiritual heritage of families — the Bible has important genealogies (Genesis 5, 1 Chronicles 1-9, Matthew 1, Luke 3) linking Adam to Christ.

2. Read the genealogy of Christ:
   • Be able to say where to find it in the New Testament.
   • Write the genealogy of Christ, starting with Adam.

   Answer: The genealogy of Christ appears in MATTHEW 1:1-17 (from Abraham to Christ, 42 generations in 3 groups of 14) and in LUKE 3:23-38 (from Christ back to Adam, in reverse order, 77 generations). Matthew emphasizes the royal lineage (David); Luke, the human ancestry back to Adam (son of God). From Adam to Christ: Adam → Seth → Enosh → ... → Noah → ... → Abraham → ... → David → ... → Joseph → Jesus. — Matthew wrote for Jews, highlighting Christ as the heir of David (the Messiah king). Luke wrote for Gentiles, showing Christ as the universal Savior (Son of Adam = Son of Man). The two lists diverge on Joseph's father (Jacob/Matthew, Heli/Luke) — the traditional explanation: Matthew follows the biological Joseph; Luke follows Mary (Heli would be Mary's father). The 77 generations in Luke correspond to the actual estimated biblical time.

3. List five ways to obtain information about a family's genealogy.

   Answer: 5 ways: 1) INTERVIEW ELDERLY RELATIVES — an extremely rich primary source; 2) FAMILY DOCUMENTS — birth, marriage, death certificates, old photos with captions; 3) CHURCHES — parish records (baptism, marriage, death) predating civil registration; 4) REGISTRY OFFICES — civil records from 1888 onward in Brazil; 5) GENEALOGY SITES — FamilySearch (free), Ancestry, MyHeritage, Geni for online trees. — FamilySearch (familysearch.org) is the largest genealogical database in the world (maintained by the LDS Church, free, 5+ billion records). In Brazil, civil registration began in 1888 (before that it was parish-based — the Catholic Church). DNA testing (23andMe, Ancestry DNA) added genetic information starting in 2010. Sites like Geni.com allow you to collaborate with distant relatives to build a family tree.

4. Get to know, in person or over the internet, at least three institutions that help with genealogical research.

   Answer: 3 institutions: 1) FAMILYSEARCH (familysearch.org) — the largest free worldwide database maintained by the LDS Church; 2) BRAZILIAN GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY — a college of Brazilian researchers; 3) ANCESTRY.com — a commercial database with worldwide records. Others: MyHeritage, Geni.com, Casa do Brasil, Brazilian National Archive. Present your research from 3 institutions to the instructor. — FamilySearch has 5+ billion free records online. Ancestry has the largest genealogical DNA database (20 million tests). MyHeritage stands out in AI-colored photos. The Brazilian Society of Genealogy (SBG) and the National Archive (Rio) have Brazilian physical collections. Casa do Brasil in Lisbon preserves colonial records. Cemeteries also count as an institutional source.

5. Study four important steps for genealogical research.

   Answer: 4 steps: 1) START WITH YOURSELF — collect your own data first; 2) INTERVIEW ELDERLY RELATIVES — a rich and finite source; 3) ORGANIZE DOCUMENTS — certificates, photos, records; 4) CONFIRM IN OFFICIAL SOURCES — registry offices, churches, reliable sites. Each step supports the next, ensuring an accurate and well-documented family tree chronologically. — Starting with yourself is a basic rule — you are the known point from which the tree expands. The elderly die (memory is lost) — interviewing them as a priority is a strategy. Organization (digital folders by generation) saves time. Confirmation in official sources separates fact from family legend. Universal principles used by professional and amateur genealogists all over the world today.

6. What is the purpose of documentation?

   Answer: PURPOSE of documentation: 1) PROVE each family relationship with verifiable sources; 2) ALLOW REVIEW by other researchers; 3) PRESERVE information for future generations; 4) AVOID ERRORS from family anecdotes; 5) SHARE discoveries reliably. Without documentation, genealogy becomes fiction. Each fact must have a cited source (certificate, photo, parish record). — Professional genealogists follow the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS) — it requires rigorous documentation of each conclusion. Family anecdotes (legends) frequently get names, dates, and places wrong — only documentation corrects them. On collaborative sites (FamilySearch), unsourced information is discarded. Documentation preserves research for future relatives — without it, years of work are lost with the death of the researcher.

7. Define a primary source versus a secondary source for documentation.

   Answer: PRIMARY SOURCE: created at the time of the event by a direct witness — birth certificate, baptismal record, contemporary photo, testimony of a relative who lived through the event. SECONDARY SOURCE: created later, based on primary sources — a biography written years later, a family history book made by another person. Primary sources are more reliable; secondary ones are useful for context. — A birth certificate (registered on the day/week of the event) is primary. A cemetery headstone is primary if contemporary. A letter from the person telling their own life is primary. Wikipedia, family history books from centuries later, and accounts from relatives telling what they heard are secondary. Good genealogists always give preference to primary sources and clearly cite the type of each source used.

8. Prepare a chart of your family's genealogy containing four generations, starting with you.

   Answer: You must prepare a genealogical chart with 4 generations starting with you: 1st generation — YOU; 2nd — PARENTS (2 people); 3rd — GRANDPARENTS (4); 4th — GREAT-GRANDPARENTS (8). A total of 15 people. Use an inverted pyramid format (you at the bottom) or an expanding tree (you in the center). Include full names, dates of birth (and death if applicable). Present it to the Adventist Pathfinders Honor instructor. — The number of ancestors doubles with each generation: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, etc. In 10 generations there are 1,024 people — in 20 generations, 1 million+. Complete genealogies require programs (Family Tree Maker, the free Gramps). For just 4 generations, paper or hand drawing works. Without complete information, mark 'unknown' — it encourages future research for the more distant relatives.

9. List the ways used to record your genealogical information.

   Answer: Ways to record: 1) A graphical FAMILY TREE (paper or digital); 2) FAMILY FORMS (FamilySearch, Ancestry); 3) Specific SOFTWARE (Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, the free Gramps); 4) Excel SPREADSHEETS; 5) SCANNED DOCUMENTS in an organized folder; 6) A research DIARY or NOTEBOOK with notes. Combine several formats for reliable preservation. — GEDCOM (.ged) is the universal exchange format among genealogical software — any program imports/exports it. Cloud backup (Google Drive, Dropbox) is essential — a fire at home can destroy decades of research. FamilySearch offers free unlimited backup for genealogical research. Combining formats (digital + printed) protects against technological obsolescence and physical disasters.

10. Research the history of your family through words or writings with your oldest relatives. Ask the following:
    • What is your earliest memory?
    • When and where were you born?
    • What is the first church you remember attending?
    • Name of schools, and their location, that you attended?
    • Where did you live when you were ten and fourteen years old?
    • From which country did your ancestors immigrate?
    • When and where were you when you got married?
    • If you have children, please share their names, place, and date of birth.
    • Write a thank-you to your relative for their time and include a photo of yourself, and ask whether they would be willing to share a copy of an old photo with you.

    Answer: You must interview elderly relatives with questions: their first memory, date and place of birth, first church, schools and locations, where they lived at ages 10/14, the country of origin of the ancestors, when and where they got married, the names/places/dates of the children. Write a thank-you note, include your photo, and ask for an old photo of them to keep. Present the report to the instructor. — Interviews with the elderly are extremely valuable PRIMARY SOURCES — they capture memories that would be lost with death. Use an audio recorder (smartphone) with permission. Ask open-ended questions — let the person speak freely. Visit frequently — one interview never exhausts everything. An old photo is a treasure: digitize it carefully. These records become a family heritage for future generations.

11. Make a history of your life including:
    • Genealogical chart
    • Records belonging to your life
    • Photographs
    • Stories
    • Share this with your group, club, and school friends

    Answer: You must make a history of your life including: 1) A GENEALOGICAL CHART; 2) Personal RECORDS (certificates, diplomas); 3) Notable PHOTOGRAPHS; 4) Personal STORIES (memories, achievements, experiences); 5) SHARING with a group, club, and school friends. It can be a physical notebook, a digital album, or a presentation. Present it to the Honor instructor. — A life history is a visual autobiography — it combines objective data (dates, certificates) with subjective ones (memories, feelings). Apps like Storyworth and MyHeritage make organization easier. Sharing with peers expands the spiritual and emotional support network — an Adventist principle of fraternal fellowship. For future generations, this document is a treasure: future relatives will know about you through it.

12. Have a copy of at least 7 civil records (ID, birth certificate, marriage, death, etc.) of members of your family. Note: Your own records and those of your siblings do not count.

    Answer: You must obtain a copy of at least 7 civil records (ID, birth certificate, marriage, death) of family members — they may NOT be your own nor your siblings'. Include parents, grandparents, uncles/aunts, cousins. You can request a copy at a registry office (free or a small fee) or use records already in the family's possession. Organize them in a folder and present them to the instructor. — Registry offices charge a small fee for copies (R$10-50). A second copy online via the electronic portal (registrocivil.org.br) makes requests easier without going to the registry office. The 7 records come from previous generations: parents (4 records — birth, marriage, perhaps ID and death), grandparents (4 or more per grandparent). Documents in a family album count if legible. Everything digitized in a digital folder + printed in a physical folder.

13. Visit a cemetery and read what was copied from the headstone:
    • The names of three different families.
    • The date of birth and death of the members of these families.
    • The average lifespan of the members of this family.

    Answer: You must visit a cemetery and copy from the headstones: 1) The NAME of 3 different families; 2) The DATE of birth and death of the members; 3) The AVERAGE LIFESPAN of each family (add up the ages at death and divide by the number of members). Cemeteries are rich sources — notes help local genealogical research. Present the report to the instructor. — Cemeteries are CAPS (Sacred Permanent Archive Cemeteries) — historical and cultural heritage. The Consolação Cemetery (SP), São João Batista (RJ), and the English Cemetery (RJ) have famous tombs of Brazil. Brazilians live an average of 76 years today — but family variation is large (some branches long-lived, others not). Sites like findagrave.com catalog tombs from all over the world for free.