US History II
Oral History Project
Purpose:
Textbooks are often survey in nature, broadly covering events, movements, and people others have determined to be most
relevant. But we live history every day. And our “elders” lived history yesterday! Oral history interviews allow us to gain
insight into the unique and personal experiences about the big events and not so big events that happened in our lives. The
goal of this assignment is to interview people who have actually lived the years that we are studying.
Task:
You will be conducting a series of interviews to gain greater personal insight into our time period of study. You will focus on
two areas of information. The first area is traditional textbook material. In this part of the interview, you must ask each
person about his/her notion of the American Dream for both the individual as well as the nation. You must ask about the
relevant presidents and their administrations. Finally, you must ask the interviewee to indicate specific events that define our
time period of study. The second area allows you to discuss other things that sometimes are not found in the textbook. First,
you must ask each person about two developments in the field of technology. You must also inquire about social activities,
including dating, driving, and typical activities for teenagers; a trip down memory lane if you will.
Participants:
Identify two (2) people of different generations who you believe will be of value to you in this assignment. Interviewees do
not need to be family members. However, it is a convenient and often interesting way to complete this assignment.
1. Third Generation - You
2. Second Generation (born no later than 1975).
3. First Generation (born no later than 1955).
Audience: Teacher, classmates, family & friends, future students
Integrity Expectations: Your teachers expect that you are prompt, polite, and courteous in conducting your interviews. You
are to interview real people, not read books and make it up (this has happened before)! All work is to be completed
independently and should conform to the school integrity policy.
Elements of final product:
A. Participant Identification Sheet: Three individuals – student, parent gen (30-55/60?), grandparent gen (56+/60+?). Will be
handed in early for confirmation and returned (signed) to be handed in with final project.
B. Question Organizers with Interview Notes. You must craft interview questions that allow you to meet paper requirements.
We will begin work on these in class together. You will hand in your questions and notes you take during interviews with
your final paper. I will look for evidence of research into individual’s lifetime and follow up questions.
C. Final typed paper (~15-20pages) with cover page and works pages ALL submitted to turnitin.com
US History II
Oral History Project
Participant Identification Sheet
Part I of this project asks you to identify two (2) different generations who you believe will be of value to you in this
assignment. While desirable, it will NOT be necessary to maintain the same two individuals for the remaining segments
of this activity, but you must notify the teacher of any changes. PRINT ALL INFORMATION CLEARLY. (25 Points)
Person 1 – Third Generation (You)
Age:
DOB:
Person 2 – Second Generation (formerly known as Parent Generation), born no later than 1975.
Age:
DOB:
Selection Justification:
Person 3 – First Generation (formerly known as Grandparent Generation), born no later than 1955.
Age:
Selection Justification:
DOB:
Oral History Components for Each Individual – Organization for Final Paper
Part I: American Dream (~2-3 pgs)
A. How would you define the American Dream at the following points in your life: As an individual in your teens, twenties and
thirties, forties-sixties, in your later years? In what years were you those ages? (I want them to assess how their goals may
have changed at various points in their lifetime – if they can identify specific shifts in thought & action and it’s outside these
decade parameters, that is okay). How has your Dream evolved? Do you feel you’ve accomplished your Dream? If you
have children/grandchildren, what is your vision of the Dream for them?
B.
How have the goals for the nation changed throughout your adulthood? How has our role in the world and global
perception of us changed? Expand (why, how, etc.)
Part II: “When I Was Your Age…”- A brief trip down memory lane. (~2-3 pgs)
A. What was life like for you when you were my age (family roles & routines, dating & driving practices, food & dress, school &
entertainment)? In what time frame were you my age?
Part III: Oral History – This part should demonstrate evidence and knowledge of historical events detailed by first-person
perspective. Be sure to provide background that explains the event (you will need to find and cite background sources to better
understand) and use quotes from the interview to identify their personal experience with it (involvement, feeling, significance)?
These pages should institute the bulk of the project (~8-10 pgs) as it is oral history.
A. What have been the 3 most significant political events, social events, and military events of your lifetime? Why do you
identify these 9 events in particular? How have they impacted the American Dream?
B.
How has technology changed over your lifespan? What have been the two biggest technological advancements of your
lifetime, and why? How does technology impact the American Dream?
Part IV: Citizenship (~2-3 pgs)
A. Have you been an active voter – why or why not? Who do you think has been the best president of your lifetime and why?
Who has been the worst and why? How have each of their actions impacted the American Dream and nation? How has the
political process and landscape of American democracy changed during your lifetime?
Part V: Reflection (~1 pg)
A. Why is oral history important and what have you learned from this process? This is to be answered only by the student,
although student may discuss relevance with interviewees to gain insight.
Works Cited/Consulted – Anything you used to create questions or to better understand events outside your lifetime. If you quote
information in your paper or used a source to identify background for an event or person, cite it in your paper. What you read for
background will be consulted. Don’t forget to do proper citations for interviews! Alphabetize all sources.
Ex: Eickhoff, Alan. Personal interview. 4 July 2012.
Student Name: ______________________________________
Block: _________
Springfield Township High School
US History II—Oral History Scoring Guide
Category
Product
Components
Content
Writing Skills
Conventions
Documentation
Criteria
Product includes the following components:
___cover page
___completed organizer
___works cited
___interview notes
___completed paper
___ turn-it-in submission
(typed, double-spaced)
Notes
*Paper will be rejected if any
Score
component is missing – 10%
deduction/day will apply!
/5
Explores development of American Dream for
individuals and nation
Discusses changes in social behaviors and culture
since individuals were adolescents.
Discusses significant events from all categories and
evaluates their impact on the American Dream.
Discusses technological innovations and evaluates
the impact of these changes on the American Dream
for individuals or nation.
Discusses citizenship and American democracy and
evaluates presidential administrations from
individuals lifetime, including impact on American
Dream.
Reflection assesses importance of project and
impact on student.
/15
/15
/25
/15
/15
/10
Synthesis
Author effectively synthesizes information and
structures in narrative format
Evaluation
Author effectively evaluates information gathered in
interviews and demonstrates ability to choose
information necessary to tell a meaningful story
Organization
Author communicates information with organization
and clarity.
/10
/10
/10
Conventions
Product contains no grammar, spelling, or
punctuation mistakes, and demonstrates evident
control of usage and sentence formation.
/10
Documentation
Information is documented in MLA format and
visible to the audience. Works cited is properly
formatted and included in product.
/10
Total Points
/150