Start a family-history question

Prepare a respectful story prompt, record what is known and uncertain, and label a memory for future readers.

About 20 minutes

Read the example, try the task, then open the self-check. No purchase or AI generation required.

Practice with fictional examples or historical and deceased people. The private Roots workspace does not collect living people’s or children’s identifiers. Keep a living storyteller’s contact details and sensitive family information out of notes submitted here.

LESSON 01

Ask for a story and a boundary

Begin by explaining why you would like to hear the story and asking whether the person wants to share it. Use an open question that invites their own words. Ask separately before recording, photographing, or passing the story to others. The storyteller can skip a topic or stop. A short, comfortable conversation often gives you more useful detail than a long list of demands.

Ask an open question and let the storyteller choose whether to answer or stop.
Ask separately about recording their words and sharing them with others.

A worked example

'Would you like to tell me about a meal you remember from childhood? I can take notes if that is comfortable. Would you prefer those notes to stay with us, or may I share them with the family?'

Now you tryWrite two open questions about a place, celebration, skill, or everyday routine. Add a sentence asking how the storyteller wants their words recorded and shared.

Check your practice

Possible questions: “What do you remember about that place?” and “How was that skill taught?” Ask permission to take notes and separately ask who may read them. No one has to answer.

LESSON 02

Keep memory and certainty distinct

A remembered story and a document can offer different kinds of information. Record what the person says without silently turning an estimate into an exact date. Mark uncertainty in plain words, and keep conflicting accounts alongside their sources. You can ask a follow-up question or compare another record, while allowing the story to retain meaning even when every detail cannot be confirmed.

Keep approximate dates approximate and name the source of each detail.
Preserve conflicting accounts with their sources instead of inventing a single precise answer.

A worked example

A relative remembers moving 'around 1985.' A photograph is labeled 'summer 1986.' Write both observations with their sources; do not change the move to a precise day or assume the photograph proves the moving date.

Now you tryLabel these sample details as exact, approximate, or unknown: 'the card says 12 June 1992'; 'probably in the late 1970s'; 'the photographer is not identified.'

Check your practice

“12 June 1992” is an exact date written on a card; “late 1970s” is approximate; the photographer is unknown. A written date still needs its source and context.

LESSON 03

Leave a useful label for the next reader

A saved story is more useful when its label explains who shared it, when you recorded it, what it concerns, and any sharing limits. Keep the original wording separate from your later notes. For a photograph, identify only the people, place, and date you actually know. Store a clearly named copy where you can find it again, and review access before sharing it.

Label the story with its source, recording date, subject, uncertainties, and sharing limits.
Keep original words separate from later notes and leave unknown photograph details unidentified.

A worked example

Sample label: 'Kitchen memories — interview with Aunt Lee — recorded 13 September 2026 — notes by Morgan — childhood dates approximate — family sharing only.' A later correction can be added as a dated note.

Now you tryCreate a label for an imaginary photograph with two known people and one unidentified person. Include a place if known, an approximate date, the source of the information, and a sharing preference.

Check your practice

Use fictional or deceased people for this exercise. Mark the unknown person “unidentified,” keep the date approximate, and identify the record that supplies the details. Do not invent a name to fill the gap.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

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Original Junction practice lessons, assisted by AI and reviewed for this page. Examples are illustrative. Self-reported progress is not a grade, certificate or professional qualification. External resources have their own terms.