Course Curriculum: Genealogy Intensive
Course Overview
This course introduces the foundations of genealogical research, from understanding the personal and cultural significance of ancestry, to practical strategies for building a family tree, analyzing historical records, and overcoming research challenges. Participants will leave with the tools, methods, and resources needed to continue researching and preserving their family history.
Note: The curriculum serves as a framework to guide our session; however, our time together remains flexible and may be adjusted to slow the pace, expand, or move beyond the outlined topics to meet Client’s individual needs and align with their experience level, pace, interests and research goals.
The curriculum outline provided is a summarized version intended for public viewing. The complete instructional content constitutes proprietary material owned by Reigning Trinity LLC and is available only to registered participants. All rights reserved.
Module 1: Why Genealogy Matters
-Discussion - Why individuals begin family trees and the importance/significance.
Activity: Reflection exercise – “Why do I want to build my family tree?”
Module 2: Getting Started – Research Do’s & Don’ts
- Best practices for planning, family interviews and note-taking.
- Discretion in managing family secrets and sensitive discoveries.
- Avoiding overwhelm and misinformation.
Activity: Where do you want to begin? What are your research goals and things you want to discover?
Module 3: Tree-Building Tools & Platforms
- Choosing tree-building platforms and databases.
- Pros and cons of each tool. Choosing the right platform for your needs.
Activity: Hands-on demo – setting up a starter family tree.
Module 4: Types of Records
- Understanding research jargon.
-What are different types of records we can view online?
Activity: Identifying what records would be available and how to locate for a specific ancestor.
Module 5: Online Research Resources
-What free/paid resources are available and how to evaluate online sources.
Activity: Guided exploration of an online database.
Module 6: Locating and Using Vital Records
- How to extract and cross-reference information.
Activity: Case study – analyzing a sample record.
Module 7: The U.S. Census in Genealogical Research
- What is a census and how does it play a role in my research? What are the limitations?
Activity: Analyzing and Interpreting a historical census schedule.
Module 8: Overcoming the “Brick Wall of 1870” (If applicable)
- Challenges in African American ancestry research if applicable.
- Methods for connecting records before emancipation.
- Regional and collateral research strategies.
Activity: Q&A with sample “brick wall” problems.
Module 9: Research Tips, Tricks & Troubleshooting
- Filtering searches effectively.
- Tools & techniques for language translations hard-to-read records.
- Handling naming customs, name variations, and transcription errors.
Activity: Practice session – extract information from a handwritten record.
Module 10: Building a Sustainable Genealogy Practice
- Keeping organized research notes.
- Setting achievable goals & avoiding research fatigue.
- Passing knowledge and records on to future generations.
Activity: Create a personal genealogy research plan with the goals outlined from beginning of the session.
Final Project
Participants will:
- Review their family tree for accuracy or identify next steps for moving forward in research.
- Review their personal resource guide (Google folder/wiki).
- Discuss takeaways and next steps.
Ready to begin your ancestry journey? Simply fill out the contact form to start the process. Once I receive your inquiry, I’ll follow up with your brief pre-session survey and scheduling options. Once confirmed you will receive a contract followed by a link to log on to your scheduled session.
Your family story is waiting to be discovered—let’s uncover it together.
