Workshop for Students

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Are you looking for primary source material for your history or social science project? Would you like to hear the stories of people who witnessed your topic firsthand? Then, oral history might be the answer!

Part 1: WHAT IS ORAL HISTORY?
Here you will discover what oral history is and why it is useful for understanding the past. Visit Web sites that show the kinds of oral history projects students across the continent are doing.

Part 2: WHERE DO I START?
In this part, you will learn how to choose a living history topic to study. You will find out how and where to do research on the topic and how to prepare an outline for questions to ask in the oral history interview. Here, too, are suggestions for making your sound and video recordings of high enough quality to last for a long time. Discover, too, how to find people to interview.

Part 3: HOW DO I INTERVIEW?
Here are practical tips for becoming a champion interviewer and ideas for protecting your one-of-a-kind oral history recording.

Part 4: WHAT DO I DO WITH THE HISTORY IN MY ORAL HISTORY?
This part explains what to do after the interview to make the information in your oral history useful so that you can share it with others in your school and community.

Part 5: QUIZ: WHO WANTS TO BE AN ORAL HISTORIAN?
Answer these 25 questions to find out if you are ready for your first oral history interview.