Making Connections:

How Oral Histories Connect Us to the Past, Present and Future

A WebQuest for 5th -8th Grade Social Studies

Jeanne Williams © 2006

Last updated June 20, 2006

#1 Introduction

What do you think of when you hear the word “History”? You may think of studying your Social Studies book to learn about national leaders, historical events, dates and places. If you do, you are right, most people think of history in this way. However, Oral Historians think about history in a different way. Oral Historians gather, interpret and preserve the memories of everyday people. Why is this important? It is important because oral histories of everyday people are valuable as sources of new knowledge about the past. They balance out and give a human side to what you may learn in your Social Studies textbook. In this way, everyone contributes to history!

You may have never thought about how the people in your life fit into history. In this project you will find out just that – you will become an Oral Historian!

#2 Task

Your task is to design, conduct, preserve and present an oral history interview.

• You will work both individually and in groups of four.
• You will design your oral history interview by researching and gathering information individually.
• You will then come together in your group to compile, critique and select questions to be used in your oral history interview.You will conduct and record your oral history interview on a digital recording device. Include a photograph of your interviewee.
• After interviews are completed, the general subject matter of each interview will determine what group you will be in to complete your final project and presentation.
• As a group you will develop a Windows Movie Maker presentation that compiles the oral histories conducted by the group members. Include in your presentation a photograph and digital recording of yourself answering your WebQuest question: “How does learning about someone's life experiences connect you to them, to your family and to your community?”

#3 Process

This section describes how you will go about accomplishing your task. Remember that through completing this task, you will be answering your WebQuest question: “How does learning about someone's life experiences connect you to them, to your family and to your community?” The following questions may help you focus and reflect on your task:

How have the hardships, rewards, world and everyday events this person has experienced:

1. affected him or her?
2. affected his or her descendents?
3. changed his view of the world?
4. connected him or her to family?
5. connected him or her to their community?

How does knowing about the hardships, rewards, world and everyday events this person has experienced:

1. affected you?
2. changed your view of the world?
3. connected you to family?
4. connected you to your community?

1. You will be assigned to a group of four students.
2. Each group will explore oral history websites in order to gain an understanding of how an oral history is conducted. Make note of questions and protocol.

Using Oral History Student Lesson
Story Corp Do-It-Yourself Guide
Step by Step Guide to Oral History
History Matters
Grandparents/Elders Project

3. Each group member will listen to at least two audio oral accounts and read at least one transcribed account. You will find links to those accounts below in "Related Links".

Related Links

4. After listening and reading your chosen accounts, ask yourself:

• What questions came to mind about the person being interviewed as you listened to or read their account?
• What questions do you wish the interviewer had asked?
• Do you have a burning desire to ask this person a question about their life?

5. Make a list of your questions.
6. Using these lists, the information obtained from the oral history websites and keeping in mind your WebQuest question, group members will work together to compile a list of interview questions. Your group's list should have at least 10 questions in addition to basic information questions.
Complete a Group Evaluation now! Each groups member will click on the link and print out one evaluation form for each group member. Mark them "Evaluation # 1". Complete one for each group member and turn them in to your teacher.
7. Choose an interviewee. The person you choose to interview:

• must be a resident in your community (neighborhood, town, school district, county).
• can be a family member, friend or neighbor.
• must be someone you admire.
• must be at least 25 years older than you.

8. Conduct and record your interview on a digital recording device. Take or borrow a photo of this person. You may request to borrow a photo of your interviewee as a child or other time in their life (Hint:the event shown in the photo might be a source of questions for your interview).
9. The class will survey the general topics of their interviews to find similarities. Based on those similarities the class will form new groups to begin work on their Word Movie Maker presentations.
10. Decide on your group roles:

• Artist: This person will choose photographs from the Library of Congress that appropriately represent the interviewee’s topics of discussion.
• Technician: This person will create the actual Movie Maker presentation.
• Librarian: This person will insure that all sources are cited correctly.
• Reporter: This person will present the project to the class by writing an introduction that accurately gives an overview of the project. In addition, the reporter will write script that will be used in the transition from one interview to the next.

Prepare your group's presentation using selections from all interviews. All group members must work together to insure that they are representing other group members interviews appropriately.

Complete a Group Evaluation now! Each group member will click on the link and print out one evaluation form for each group member. Mark them "Evaluation # 2 ". Complete one for each of your group members and turn them in to your teacher.

11. Prepare your individual answer to your WebQuest question. Record and include it in your Word Movie Maker presentation along with a photograph of yourself.

#4 Evaluation

You will receive an evaluation from your teacher and from group members as well. Group members will evaluate their peers twice during the project by clicking on the group evaluation form link in the Process section of this WebQuest. The comments on these forms will be anonymous, so you may feel free to provide constructive criticism.

In addition, each person will receive an evaluation for the various steps within this WebQuest. The links to the Rubrics for each step are below. Keep these rubrics in mind as you work on your task. They will help you focus on what is expected from you as you work.

Rubrics

Interview Rubric

Digital Storytelling Rubric

Answering Your WebQuest Question

Letter to Future Self Rubric

Group Evaluation

#5 Conclusion

Compose a letter to your “future self” describing how you feel about the hardships, rewards, world and everyday events you have experienced and how you think they will affect your future. Be sure to include the insights you have gained through your task.

#6 Credits and References

Designed by Jeanne M. Williams © 2006, Elementary Teacher at West Greene School District in partnership with An Adventure of the American Mind at Waynesburg College. Last updated June 20, 2006.

Template created April 2006 by Amy Martin, An Adventure of the American Mind at Waynesburg based on a template designed by Lisa Bradshaw, An Adventure of the American Mind - Colorado.

Many ideas for webquest content and worksheets were adapted by permission from An Adventure of the American Mind - Northern Virginia Partnership, Dr. Rhonda Clevenson, Director.