Making Connections:
How Oral Histories Connect Us to the Past, Present and Future
A WebQuest for 5th -8th Grade Social Studies
Jeanne Williams 2006
June 20, 2006
Ben Burnside pointing himself out in a historic photo of forest fire wardens.
Designed by Jeanne M. Williams.
Last updated June 20, 2006.
This lesson was developed as part of An Adventure of the American Mind at Waynesburg College, a federally funded professional development program to assist educators in using Library of Congress primary resources to support student learning. This WebQuest was designed as an introduction to a unit on Greene County History, a requirement in some grade levels within the West Greene School District. It is designed to assist students in finding historical value in and therefore a connection to their community. It could easily be used as part of any History class to demonstrate History on a personal level. To introduce this WebQuest, you may want to show the class the photogragh at the top of this Web page. Ask the students to brainstorm a list of things that it represents to them.
List the following information:
School District and State: West Greene School District, Pennsylvania
Textbook Publisher/Title/Date/Level: Greene County History is a required course of study in West Greene School District although a specific textbook is not used.
This WebQuest is designed for fifth through eighth grade social studies classes and addresses several language arts objectives as well. In addition, it includes technology skills objectives. By reducing or increasing the number of primary source documents analyzed and the number of interview questions used, it could be adapted for higher or lower grades. Additional teacher assistance may be needed in third and fourth grade.
Students will need to be instructed in the use of a digital recording device and Word Movie Maker.
Students of different ability levels may be more suited to a particular group role. Group members should be assigned to a task appropriate to their ability level.
#9 Pennsylvania Academic Standards
The student will:
1. Classify the components of effective
teamwork and leadership. (Family and Consumer Science 11.2.6 C)
2. Understand chronological thinking and distinguish between past, present and future time.
• Calendar time
• Time lines
• Continuity and change
• Events (time and place) (History 8.1.3 A)
3. Develop an understanding of historical
sources.
• Data in historical maps
• Visual data from maps and tables
• Mathematical data from graphs and tables
• Author or historical source (History 8.1.3.B)
4. Understand fundamentals of historical
interpretation.
• Difference between fact and opinion
• The existence of multiple points of
view
• Illustrations in historical stories
• Causes and results (History 8.1.3 C)
5. Understand historical research.
• Event (time and place)
• Facts, folklore and fiction
• Formation of a historical question
• Primary sources
• Secondary sources
• Conclusions (e.g., storytelling, role
playing, diorama) (History 8.1.3 D)
6. Demonstrate after reading understanding and interpretation of both fiction and nonfiction text.
•Retell or summarize the major
ideas, themes or procedures of the
text.
•Connect the new information or
ideas in the text to known
information.
•Clarify ideas and understandings
through rereading and discussion.
•Make responsible assertions about
the text by citing evidence from
the text (Reading, Writing, Listening Speaking 1.1.3.G)
Key Vocabulary: Oral History, community, experience
Instructions for teachers are found after each section.
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:
- affected him or her?
- affected his or her descendents?
- changed his view of the world?
- connected him or her to family?
- connected him or her to their community?
How does knowing about the hardships, rewards, world and everyday events this person has experienced:
- affected you?
- changed your view of the world?
- connected you to family?
connected you to your community?
The first section is designed to focus students on their task. You may want read it out loud to the class.
1. You will be assigned to a group of four students.
Create heterogeneous groups of mixed gender and ability.
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
Group members will work together to explore the websites.
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".
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.
Students will work individually.
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.
Students will work in their groups.
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).
Students will work individually.
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.
Have a class meeting. List the general topics of the interviews. Form new groups according to topic.
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.
Students work together on their Movie Maker project.
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.
Students work individually.
In lower grade levels you may want to modify the WebQuest by having students scan and paste photos into a document and presenting it orally.
Additional websites:
Using Oral History Teachers Page
Story Corp Do-It-Yourself Guide
Step by Step Guide to Oral History
History Matters
Grandparents/Elders Project Overview
Materials needed:
Digital recording devices, Word Movie Maker, possible digital cameraStudents will receive 2 grades for this project. The first grade is based on their group participation. It combines the the Rubric scores from group member evaluations and teacher evaluation.
The second grade is based on individual work. It combines the Rubric scores from the following evaluations.
Answering Your WebQuest Question
Letter to Future Self Rubric
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.
This concluding task is designed to help students sum up their experience working on this project. It is hoped that through this process the students have found new value and therefore a connection to their community. This should be reflected in the letter to your "future self".
An optional activity may be for the class to put together a time capsule to be opened upon the classes imminent graduation.
Designed by Jeanne M. Williams, 2006, with West Greene School District 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.