What is Oral History?


What you're doing:

For this project, you will be using a multitude of resources and researching skills. First, you will do a brief search on your own nationality. Ask parents, grandparents, or other relatives what they know about your family's origin; go as far back as you can to find your country of origin/heritage. Once you have found this answer, it will serve as the starting point for your search of oral history interviews. We will spend a day in class researching oral history interviews related to your own nationality and/or heritage. While you are listening to and watching these interviews related to your heritage, you will be listening for a connection to a historical event. Did the person being interviewed escape Germany during WWII? Is the person a Native American who was displaced from his land? Find a connection of the person being interviewed to a historic event that he or she went through or experienced. Research this particular historical event (using the oral history as a source plus TWO more reputable sources) and write your essay combining everything you have learned.

Your essay will be 4-5 pages, and it will include biographical information on the person being interviewed, historical information and context of the event the interviewee witnessed, compare/contrast information of the interviewee and your other sources of the historical event, and your reaction to everything you learned.

References and Resources:

"Southern Oral History Program" http://sohp.org/
"Voice/Vision Holocaust Oral History Archive" http://holocaust.umd.umich.edu/
Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov
"History Matters" http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/oral/online.html#exemp






Post your essay here:


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