| Overview
The
Crucible
Research
Paper
Scavenger Hunts
1950's
1960's
Oral History
Project
Rubric
Links |
When many people think about history,
they think about textbooks and encyclopedias, dusty documents, archives
and libraries. In fact history is all around us, in our own families and
communities, in the living memories and the experiences of older people.
We have only to ask them and they can tell us enough stories to fill a
library of books. This kind of history -- that we all gather as we go through
life -- is called ORAL HISTORY.
As part of your study of the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s,
you will gather some of these stories by conducting one or more interviews,
and you will write an oral history. Your oral history will either be an
element in your final project for this unit, or it will stand alone, but
in either case, you should keep in mind the essential questions developed
by the class: What was it like to be an American during the 50’s, 60’s
or 70’s? and What ideas, people and events influenced American
life during the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s?
To complete this assignment:
1. Carefully read: “How
to Do Oral History” and “Do’s
and Dont’s" for oral history interviewing.
2. Make a list of possible interviewees. Consider family,
neighbors, and people you know from church or work or sports. Your subject(s)
should be at least 45-50 years old. Choose your subject and make an appointment.
You should plan around one hour for your interview.
3. Make a list of questions you want to ask. These websites
contain lists of questions which may be useful:
Or visit The Boomer
Years to find timelines of the era. Plan some questions about specific
events.
4. Conduct and tape your interview.
5. Transcribe the tape. (Write down, word for word, what
your subject has said) This will probably take 3-4 times as long as the
interview itself.
6. Write a first person narrative based on your interview.
-
categorize your subject’s comments (comments that go together
to form basic ideas)
-
organize these categories into a logical sequence
-
organize your subject’s comments into a logical sequence
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write your subject’s experience, using his/her own words.
Add transitions, delete repetitious comments, delete extraneous language
(ums, uhs, etc...).
The overall goal is to have an organized, descriptive story
of this person’s experience, in his/her own words. Do not add many words
of your own, other than those needed for transitions, or to combine sentences,
or other grammatical needs.
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