Caveat Academy course · Grades 9 to 12 and adult learners

Genealogy and Family History Research

Research a family’s past the way careful genealogists do. You number a pedigree, interview a relative, read census, immigration and probate records, weigh a baptism against a death certificate, name a second cousin once removed, learn what a DNA match can and cannot prove, and write a cited family story that protects the living, at your own pace, with a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Getting started

    Begin research from known facts, number ancestors with the Ahnentafel system, plan an oral history interview, and record names, dates, places and citations by genealogical conventions.

    • What genealogy is and where to begin
    • Interviewing relatives
    • Organizing and citing research
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: The records genealogists use

    Choose and interpret vital, church, census, immigration, military, land and probate records, judging who supplied each piece of information.

    • Vital and church records
    • The census
    • Immigration, military and land records
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Weighing evidence

    Classify sources, information and evidence, resolve conflicting evidence with the Genealogical Proof Standard and avoid same-name and copying errors.

    • Sources, information and evidence
    • Resolving conflicting evidence
    • Common pitfalls
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Relationships, dates and generations

    Name cousin relationships, calculate birth dates from ages and calendar changes, and test pedigrees with generation math.

    • Cousins and removed
    • Dates, ages and calendars
    • Generations and ancestors
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: DNA and family history

    Explain how each type of DNA is inherited, interpret shared centimorgans and ethnicity estimates, and handle privacy and unexpected discoveries responsibly.

    • How DNA is inherited
    • Using DNA matches
    • Privacy, consent and surprises
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Heritage, writing and preservation

    Identify record strategies for diverse family histories, write a cited family narrative that respects the living, and preserve and share materials safely.

    • Researching diverse family histories
    • Writing a family history
    • Preserving and sharing
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 3 · Resolving conflicting evidence

Worked example: resolving a birth year

  1. Evidence 1: baptism record, written by the priest within days of birth: baptized 14 Jun 1871.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in genealogy: you can number a pedigree, plan and conduct an oral history interview, record and cite facts by genealogical conventions, choose and read vital, census, immigration, military, land and probate records, classify evidence and resolve conflicts with the Genealogical Proof Standard, name cousin relationships, calculate dates across calendar changes, explain what each kind of DNA shows, handle DNA discoveries with care, and write and preserve a cited family history. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 9 to 12 who want a research-driven history elective or a family history project, adults beginning their own family research, and anyone who wants to check a family story against the records. Examples use fictional families; the course never asks anyone to share personal or family information, and any decision about DNA testing belongs to the person and family involved.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. U.S. National Archives, resources for genealogists: census, immigration, naturalization, military and Freedmen's Bureau records: archives.gov
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, the 72-year rule and history of census questions: census.gov
  3. Board for Certification of Genealogists, the Genealogical Proof Standard: bcgcertification.org
  4. National Human Genome Research Institute, genetic discrimination and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act: genome.gov
  5. Library of Congress, preservation guidance for photographs and paper: loc.gov

Genealogy and Family History Research is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. Its example families, records and DNA results are fictional and written for practice; record availability differs by place and time, and DNA figures are approximate averages. It does not replace a school course and awards no credit. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.