Voices of feminism oral history project, sophia smith collection. Each year, the musical is written, created, and acted by students and is based on the past memories of their ancestors. Sample oral history narrative my name is carmelita santos lopez. Larry mahan interview for the rodeo historical society oral history project. Lufts oral history project, remembering 911, was featured on a special edition of the cbs news program 60 minutes, aired on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the world trade center. Because oral history papers can vary a great deal according to their aims, make sure to develop a clear sense of your purpose. Includes resources for methodology, generally, as well as lists of texts based on oral historical projects, organized by topic e. Some interviewees may speak more openly in oneonone interviews but other people may be equally open speaking to a group of students in a classroom. Principles and best practices oral history association. The assignment itself may specify quite clearly what kind of an oral history project you may do or leave many of the choices up to you. At the end of an oral history project you will understand the oral historians challenges from the insideout, and you will forever after look at historical documents of any kind with a wider eye. Example questions the smithsonian folklife and oral history interviewing guide developed a list of questions concerning several areas that are very helpful and a good place to start. You can schedule another session at a later date if you want to continue recording the oral history. In oral history projects, an interviewee recalls an event for an interviewer who records the recollections and creates a historical record.
Oral history of the eleventh president of dartmouth college 19161945, dartmouth college oral history project, interviewed by edward connery lathem over a period of years from 1958 to 1964. For example, will the oral history recordings be used as the basis of a print publication, an online presentation, or an oral presentation at a family gathering. Current offerings include the university history series focusing on the free speech movement, the suffragists oral history project, including the words of twelve women active in the suffrage movement, disability rights and independent living movement, the earl warren oral history project, and health care, science, and technology. It is a great privilege to record someones life story and a great responsibility to care for that story in a. Are there options for integrating this type of oral history project into the. It also requires a solid grounding in the principles and protocols of. Documentary filmmakers lance warren and hannah ayers discuss tips for oral history interviews for more on the filmmakers and their latest film, visit. Since 1974, we have collected more than 5,000 interviews with southerners from all walks of life, from politicians to activists, business owners to millworkers, educators to artists. Conducting an oral history may be done both in class as a group project, or at home, as homework. Share the sample rubric or adapt it into a checklist for students.
Oral history office attachment i sample questions the purpose of these sample questions is to provide a guide for you, the interviewer. Designing an oral history project oral history in the. My father graduated from the university of the philippines with a ba in accounting, and my mother has a nursing degree. Make sure this person is in reasonable health for their age, with a good memory and has. The important point is to gather recollections of the same time period. If storycorps has ever made you laugh, cry, or feel more connected to others, please consider a gift today.
Recording an oral history should be fun, not hard work. The subject that i have chosen to write the oral history essay on is my dad, mr mohamed ali. Ppt oral history project powerpoint presentation free. Original sound recordings available in rauner library. Your donation today will directly support this simple act of listening and honoring each other. In oral history projects, an interviewee recalls an event for an interviewer who. She travels regularly offering workshops on the philosophy of oral history and critical community pedagogy. For example, will the oral history recordings be used as the basis of a print publication, an online presentation.
An oral history project does not necessarily entail the collection of new oral histories. It is up to you to decide which questions are appropriate and how to phrase them for your interview. Some people have been involved in momentous historical events like the second world. The goals of these fields affect the ways they use this kind of project. Sample questions to conduct an oral history interview please tell me your name, your birthdate, our relationship, and where we are. The meaning and implication of oral history the meaning and implication of oral history in the united states the institutional beginnings of oral history can be traced back to allan nevinss oral history project at columbia university in 1948. Oral historians or others responsible for planning the oral history project should choose potential narrators based on the relevance of their experiences to the subject at hand. Identify your narratorwho can tell interesting stories, who has lived through a unique time period, who can document an era for which little other information exists.
At the outset of your project, ask yourself the following questions. Its objective was to provide department of the army da oral history guidance for the growing number of historians tasked with conducting interviews. He carried the bessemer housing authority to court in 1954 to keep them from taking his property for a housing project. Oral history projects are a powerful tool for meaningful learning about a member of ones. Oral history as an educational experience nehedsitement. An aesthetic philosopher and oral historian who composes work in narrative, media and textiles, brooke is a practitioner of critical and digital pedagogies. Allow students three to four hours of class time and seven to eight hours of homework time to conduct and write up the oral history. Oral history definition is a recording containing information about the past obtained from indepth interviews concerning personal experiences, recollections, and reflections.
This step requires you to make some decisions about how you. When students conduct oral history research with members of their families or community they are participating in active learning rooted in the students own experience. What products, if any, will result from the project. Here are some straightforward strategies for integrating oral histories into any lesson plan. History matters provides examples of projects that history students, from high school to graduate school, have done on the internet.
Geraldine miller, interview by loretta ross, transcript of video recording, october 14, 2004, voices of feminism oral history project, sophia smith collection, pp. Example of an oral history interview school of advanced study. The problem with that, obviously, is the happy embellishment of the storyteller, who had heard the tale and pass. About oral history oral history research and resources. Oral history and readers theater project sometimes great projects are unplanned. Storycorps stories from people of all backgrounds and. Usually ask questions open enough to get essay answers unless you are. First a topic or research question must be chosen then you can choose a name for the project for example. I was born in balayan, batangas on march 8, 1965 to carlos and lolita santos.
Here is the oral history project handout in a ms word file format size. Also discover topics, titles, outlines, thesis statements, and conclusions for your oral history essay. Usually, the project consists of taking raw material from an interview and shaping it into an essay. Proceed stepbystep, discover the problems, and work through to the solutions. At hlf we welcome applications that enable access to, engage with and reinterpret oral history material that is already available in archives across the uk.
Oral history project guidelines minnesota historical society. A great way to uncover clues to your family history or to get great quotes for journaling in a heritage scrapbook is a family interview. The distinguished flying cross society example oral history videos with dfc recipients who served in vietnam. Planning a project 3 oral history projects may be carried out by one person or by a group of people and may result in a collection of interviews with an individual or with several people. Immigration oral history assignment guiding questions for oral history interview oral history. By asking the right, openended questions, youre sure to collect a wealth of family tales. This essay will analyse the oral history interview transcript and will also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of oral history when compared with other forms of historical material.
The mental health experience and history in arkansas. The ones nobody wrote down, but carried on by way of telling. The purpose of these sample questions is to provide a guide for you, the interviewer. To prepare to ask informed questions, interviewers should conduct background research on the person, topic, and larger context in both primary and secondary sources. What are the most important lessons youve learned in life. Managing an oral history project requires the qualities of any good manager. It is a great feeling when you commit yourself, your organization or your community to an oral history project. Its primary mission is to explore the nature and significance of oral history and advance understanding of the field among scholars, educators, practitioners, and. This oral history, in which florio reminisces about his days as an illini athlete and student, was taken as part of a project of the uiuc student life and culture archives to preserve the recollections of students who attended uiuc just before and during the great depression. Vietnam center and archive a leading source of oral history interviews with vietnam veterans.
Below are some sample topics and questions that you can use when you record oral histories. The southern oral history program in the center for the study of the american south conducts original research on the history and culture of the american south. Or, are the recordings being made simply to have a family archival record. Review and cite oral history protocol, troubleshooting and other methodology information contact experts in oral history to get answers. Oral history definition of oral history by merriamwebster. Designing an oral history project phmc oral history. It is a great privilege to record someones life story and a great responsibility to care for that story in a preservation environment.
We are completing a citywide oral history of the lives of worcester women, aiming to collect stories about a broad range of experiences. When a key volunteer for the friends of georgetown history fogh oral history project was unable to conduct interviews that had been identified as part of the deliverables of a department of neighborhoods small and. A release usually includes the interviewees name and signature, the interviewers name, the date, a statement. An oral history curriculum for high schools and middle schools involving students with their family and community. Oral history is a method to learn about past events from the spoken stories of people who lived through them. Based on the goals of the 1850 national womens rights convention in worcester, we are focusing on the areas of womens health education, work, and politics and community involvement. Heritage is a musical conceived and compiled by ali mandelbaum, drama and music teacher. Fields in which you might be assigned an oral history paper include history, anthropology, and other disciplines that study the experiences of specific social groups such as women or ethnic groups.
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