How is your own personal story and that of your family connected with world history? This is the topic you are to explore. You shall take on the role of historian and tell the story of your family, its origins and evolution through multiple generations. To help guide you, choose one or more of the following questions to answer. Make it clear in your introduction which question or questions you are answering.

For this paper, you may use first person. But do not use contractions in formal writing. You must cite your sources for the paper. List persons interviewed, materials and persons consulted, books used, etc.

1. Can you relate any aspect of your personal history or the history of your family to world history? Did an ancestor or relative emigrate to America from another country? For what reasons? Did someone in your family take part in a war or other historically significant event ? What does that person’s experiences mean to you? Make reference to specific historical events.

2. In your opinion, what is the most important or interesting aspect of your family’s history? How does this aspect relate to world history? Make reference to specific historical events.

3. Is there some aspect of your family history that remains undocumented? This could be a relative who fought in a war, an ancestor who was a slave, or a grandparent who emigrated to the United States from a foreign country. How would you find out about that individual’s story? What sources could be used?

4. Families, like nations, create myths about the past. At the same time, it has been argued that myths and stories are as important as the truth. The history of some societies is known to us only through stories, songs, and legends. Are there any myths or stories in your family’s history that you suspect are not entirely true? Or, have you ever discovered that a piece of your family’s history was not true? What does the gap between the myth and the truth tell you about the historical experience of your family? What function did the myth serve?

5. What role has gender or class played in your family history? Has your family been shaped by economic forces or factors? What occupations have your ancestors followed? Do you have any legendary "rags to riches" stories? Are there any outstanding or distinctive personalities who have shaped your family? Were they male or female? What role have women played in your family history?