2^nd Quarter Project: Doing History

Oral History:

We all have stories to tell, stories we have lived from the inside out.

Oral history is the systematic collection of living people’s testimony about their own experiences. In oral history projects, an interviewee recalls an event for an interviewer who records the recollections and creates a historical record.

In this project, you may use your family members to preserve unwritten family history using oral history techniques. An oral history is a primary source.

Other primary sources include documents, photos, letters, receipts, tickets and programs from events. All first hand information without interpretation. As the historian, you will gather the primary sources, do some research on the topics and tell the history, putting the pieces together.

Oral history is not folklore, gossip, hearsay, or rumor. Oral historians attempt to verify their findings, analyze them, and place them in an accurate historical context.

Your objective:

Find a subject whose story you can record on topics from the following time period:

WWI to WWII.

The topics you can interview subjects about in this time period include, but are not limited to:

Social Events & What was life like?	World Events, Moments in History & Their Impact on People"
School Life at home How children played Cars Dating Dances Working The military Getting drafted, transported Training for a war The Depression Early Radio The Movies Hoovervilles- whiskey flats, kingsbury run Early airplanes Vaudeville Marathon Dances Mah Jongg Euclid Beach Park E. OH Gas Explosion Cleveland May Day Riots, 1919	Elections Death of FDR Stock Market Crash Battles of WWI Battles of WWII Pearl Harbor Spanish Flu Bonus Army March Prohibition Speakeasies The New Deal The CCC Other New Deal Programs Hiroshima D Day V-E Day Spanish Civil War Lindberg's flight Lindberg Baby kidnapping Scopes Trial The Holocaust The Dust Bowl

Your interviewee can be a family member or family friend. If you have more than one person to interview, you may cover more than one topic. Also you may find one interviewee who would like to talk about more than one topic. That is fine, too.

You may also wish to interview a person about their spouse or parent’s experiences, in which case you are getting the information second hand. Only do this in the event you have access to an exceptional set of experiences.

Or for special circumstances, such as to honor a recently passed great grandparent.

Required Components of the Project: (Checklist)

1. One or more Interview (s)
2. 5 – 7 Primary Sources related to topics your subject brings up
3. Supporting Information (Research of events described by the subject)Tying your subject’s story in with history
4. Trifold Poster board
5. 10-15 minute presentation

The Rubric:

An “A” Project has:

• An interview of 3+ pages, typed, 12 font, single spacing, 1 inch margins.
• The interview is question and answer format or narrative. Mostly answers and Narrative. The interview is loosely attached to the Trifold and turned in after the presentation.
• 7 + Primary sources, photocopies of originals, in addition to the interview.
• Each source has a typed label under it, explaining what it is, date, relevance.
• Research of 1-2 pages, typed, 12 font, single spaced, 1 inch margins on the topics covered by the interviewee. Also turned in after the presentation.
• All of the above are affixed to a Trifold poster board. The arrangement shows time and effort. Neatness counts.
• A presentation of the story of your interviewee, their topic and what you learned in addition in your research and an explanation of your primary sources. The presentation lasts no less than 10 minutes and no longer than 15 minutes. The presenter is dressed nicely for the presentation.

A “B” Project has:

• An interview of 2+ pages, typed, 12 font, s.s., 1 inch margins.
• The interview is Q & A format or narrative, mostly information from the interviewee. It is turned in after the presentation.
• 6 primary sources, photocopies of originals in addition to the interview, with labels explaining what each is.
• Research of 1+ pages, typed, 12 font, SS, 1 inch margins on topics covered by interviewee and turned in after the presentation.
• All attached to a Trifold Poster board, with evident effort.
• A presentation of the story of your interviewee, their topic as you researched it and an explanation of your additional primary sources. Your presentation lasts no less than 8 minutes and no longer than 15. You are dressed nicely.

A “C” Project has:

• An interview of 1+ pages, typed, 12 font, SS, 1 inch margins.
• The interview is Q & A or Narrative and turned in after the presentation.
• 4-5 primary sources, photocopies of originals, in addition to the interview, with labels.
• Research of 1 full page, typed, 12 font, SS, 1 inch margins, on topics related to interview, turned in after presentation with interview.
• Attached to Poster board, neatly.
• Presentation of the story of your interviewee, their topic as you researched it and explanation of your additional sources. Your presentation lasts no less than 5 minutes and no longer than 15. You are dressed for a presentation.

A “D” Project has:

• An interview of at least half a page, typed.
• The interview is Q & A or Narrative and turned in after the presentation.
• 2 - 3 primary sources, photocopies of originals, in addition to the interview, with or without labels.
• Research of at least half a page, typed, on topics related to interview, turned in after presentation with interview.
• Attached to Poster board.
• Presentation of the story of your interviewee, their topic as you researched it and explanation of your additional sources. Your presentation lasts no less than 3 minutes and no longer than 15.

A “D-“ or “F” Project has:

• Little or no interview, hand written.
• Few or no primary sources.
• Little or no research.
• Messy poster board; appears to be a last minute pasting job.
• Presentation of under 3 minutes.

Due: January ___ 2010.

All students must be ready to present by this date.
If called and you are not ready, expect to loose 1 full letter grade for each day you are late in presenting.