Mrs. Peyton/US History
Oral History Interviews
Before you conduct the interview,
Plan and WRITE OUT the questions you want to ask.
Things to keep in mind:
•Do the questions require more than a yes or no answer? They should! Be prepared with follow up
questions.
•Are the questions clear and easy to understand?
•Do the questions lead into stories/conversation from which you will learn information?
You may want to record the interview, with the permission of your interview subject!
Pointers for conducting the interview:
•Be on time! Even if you’re related to them
•Be prepared—have your questions and equipment ready.
•Be polite—say please and thank you!
•Be patient. Allow them sufficient time to answer the question.
•Do not argue with or correct your interviewee!
•End your interview by thanking your subject. It would be even better to send a thank you note
later that week.
Getting started at the interview:
•Describe the research that you are looking for—the purpose of this assignment, which is:
We are attempting to get an understanding of what was going on in America from the 1940’s-1970’s. We
want to learn from those who experienced this history.
•Begin by asking where and when the subject was born. Start off with introductory and background
information, and then get into the open-ended questions. If your subject strays from the topic, try
to refocus by asking one of your prepared questions.
•Listen carefully while your subject is talking. You may come up with other questions as they speak.
•Write down follow-up questions as your subject speaks. That way, you can ask the follow-up
questions at a pause in the interview without interrupting.
•If you are not recording, then you need to carefully transcribe the answers.
Some possible questions to ask:
(You are not limited to these and some of them might not be relevant to your subject.)
1. State your full name.
2. Where and when were you born?
3. Did you have siblings? If so, how many and how old are/were they?
4. Where were your parents born? Where did you grow up?
5. Do you know from where your ancestors immigrated? How long have they been in Kentucky?
Do you know why your ancestors came to America or to Kentucky?
6. What vivid memories do you have about your childhood?
7. Please tell me about the chores you had to do as a child.
8. What did you do for entertainment as a child?
9. What is your educational background? Please describe your school days.
10. Has anyone in our (your) family attended college? If so, whom?
11. What memories do you have of your grandparents?
12. What recollections do you have of World War II? (ask as many follow up questions as possible.)
13. What recollections do you have about the 1950’s? (Or, describe life in the 1950’s) What about
the Korean War? Elvis? Rock ‘n roll? Segregation?
14. What recollections do you have about the 1960’s? Kennedy’s assassination? The Civil Rights
Movement? King’s assassination? The moon landing?
15. What is the best thing about growing up in the decade in which you were child?
16. What recollections do you have about the 1970’s? Vietnam? Watergate? The Iran hostage
situation?
It is very important to accurately reflect what your subject told you!
You will need to transcribe the interviews:
For example,
Question: What is your full name?
Answer: Sara Heather Peyton
Question: Where and when were you born?
Answer: Miami, Florida, August 7th, 1930.
So it is imperative that you keep track of everything you ask and everything that is said.
You will turn in the transcript of the interview.
In class, you will write a short essay about what you learned from your subject and why it is
important that we take the time to conduct oral histories.
Have fun with this!! Some day, you’ll be a 75 year old who young students want to interview to talk
about things like what life was like before everyone had smart phones or tablets or what life was like
before the invention of…..who knows??
Be respectful of their time and really give this your best effort. This is the best way to learn about
history!!