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What is an ancestor? |
by Kate Simmons >> more about the author
Wouldn’t it be fun if we could travel back in time and meet our ancestors from years past? Some families have portraits of their ancestors on the walls, and others tell stories of these special people who lived before us. But what makes an ancestor different from any person who was alive before you were born?
Your ancestors are the close relatives who came before you—your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great grandparents, and so on. When many people mention their ancestors, they are talking about people who are older than their parents and grandparents—people like great-great grandparents who may have lived many years ago.
Ancestors connect people in special ways. In fact, if you share an ancestor with another person, you two are relatives, maybe distant ones!
Now it’s time to make a family tree by celebrating your ancestors!
Start by drawing the outline of a tree. Next, find a good spot to write
your name—you may want to write it on the tree trunk!
Now
draw a large “V” coming from your name and stretching upwards! At the
top of one of the V’s arms, write the name of your mother. At the top of
the second arm, write the name of your father. Now draw V’s coming from
each of your parents’ names. Write the names of their parents!
You
can continue to draw V’s and write in the names of your ancestors. Ask
your parents to help you fill in the names. They may even enjoy telling
you stories about your relatives. Soon you’ll see that the names and
V’s you’ve created have become the tree’s branches and greenery, but
this is a tree like no other!
