How to Teach Family Tree Maker V16

Teach people how to create their own family tree.

Many people are interested in discovering more about their family history. Many software packages can help with this task. One piece of software that has been popular over the years is Family Tree Maker. While version 16 is no longer available, there are lots of people still using it. Therefore, learning how to create a lesson plan to teach Family Tree Maker v16 to students will help you introduce more people to the exciting hobby of genealogy.

Instructions

Planting the Seeds

1. Decide how you want to break the course into teaching segments. It typically takes three stages to prepare a family tree using Family Tree Maker v16: entering information into the software, organizing the information into a family tree and sharing the information. Structuring a course around these three sections will be an effective way of teaching.

2. Decide how hands-on you want students to be. Advise students in advance of any material that they should bring to the class. This may include documents or photos in paper or electronic form.

3. Create demonstrations on each of the three stages of creating a family tree using Family Tree Maker v16 based on your own family history and experience. This will help to show students how the software's different features work and bring the class alive.

4. Create handouts for the class. This could include a glossary of useful terms used in Family Tree Maker.

5. Run through your lesson plan before presenting it to the class. Time different segments to make sure that you have enough material or that the class doesn't run over.

6. Engage students when you are teaching the class by asking questions and soliciting feedback. Remember to make eye contact and smile. Keeping the class relaxed and friendly will help to create the right atmosphere for your students to learn how to use Family Tree Maker v16. Share anecdotes from your own experience, as this helps the students to relate to you and to the software.

Tips & Warnings

• Be clear about what level of experience you want students to have. Be clear about whether you are just teaching the software or whether you expect students to have an understanding of basic genealogy.

• Students may want to complete research during the class. Decide early on how much time you want to allow for this, as this can quickly alter the direction of the class.

• Check the key differences between Family Tree Maker v16 and the latest release. Students may be interested in learning more about the latest version.

References

• University of Oregon: How to make a lesson plan
• Microsoft: Lesson plan template

Resources

• Family Tree Maker: Manufacturer's website with useful tutorials
• Family Search: Useful recource for research