Oral History: Telling the story of the past
Goal: To learn about history through people's memories
"Spoken History" is an important way to learn about the past. Another name for spoken history is "Oral History." People who have lived during important historical events have memories about these events. Most of these memories are not written down in books. "Spoken History" gives you the chance to preserve them.
The memories may be about life during World War II or growing up in the 1920's. Your mother or father might have a memory about President Kennedy's assassination or the Civil Rights Movement.
Working on the "Spoken History" project is a lot of fun. It's like being a reporter. First, you have to decide who you are going to interview. Grandparents and other elders have memories about the past that may surprise you! Your Girl Scout troop leader and your parents may be able to help you find someone you'd like to interview for this project.
You can use a tape recorder or simply take notes with pencil and paper. (Directions for recording an "Oral History" with a tape recorder are on this site.)
Before you start, write down some of your questions so you won't forget what you wanted to ask.
When you begin, write down the name of the person you are interviewing. What event or time will you be asking about? What year did his or her memory take place? By keeping track of the dates, historians and reporters can fit individual stories into a bigger story -- history!
Take careful notes and keep in mind that sometimes you may have to ask the person you are interviewing to slow down.
When you have finished your interview, you should have enough notes to complete your "Spoken History" project. What will you do with all this information?
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