History Interview
Who? You will be in groups of 2, and each group will have the opportunity to conduct one
interview. You can interview a veteran, women at home who helped with the war effort, or
anyone you think might add to your understanding of American History through their
experiences (from the period of 1930s-1975). Your interview can address the Great Depression,
World War II, the Cold War, Civil Rights, the Dust Bowl, or anything else you think would be
interesting. Ms. Dietzschold will provide you with a brief biography and contact information for
the person that has volunteered to be interviewed; each group will be assigned a different person.
What? You will interview someone who has a unique story about history to share. Your group
will turn in a rough draft of 20 questions to ask your person. Ask open ended questions, rather
than closed ones. Your questions should not be answered by simply saying “yes” or “no”, rather
each question should allow the person to share a story or memory with you. This will be due on
March 7th. Out of these questions you will pick 15 of them to ask. During the interview use a
tape recorder or video camera to record your interview. This will be turned in. Make sure every
person in your group can be present at the interview, and participates by asking questions. If
your interviewee is able to bring pictures or items, ask them to do so! You can take pictures or
record shots of these items and include them in your interview. The taped interview is due on
April 4th. After the interview, each person will be responsible for a paper due April 7th,
reflecting on what you have learned and what you thought of the experience overall (more
information on this in the next section). After the interview is turned in, you will be required to
write a brief thank you note to your interviewee (this will be done in class, we will provide the
card and postage!).
Reflection Paper You will need to write a reflection paper at the end of your interview.
Address the following topics in your paper, “None” is not an acceptable answer for any of the
following questions:
 What topics did you research in order to prepare for the interview?
 What expectations did you have going into the interview?
 What was your overall experience in the interview?
 How did the interview meet/not meet your expectations?
 What surprised you about the stories your interviewee shared?
 What do you think you gained from this experience?
 Would you recommend future students do this project? Why or why not?
Your paper should be 1 ½ to 2 pages long, double spaced, Times New Roman, size 12 font, with
one inch margins NO EXCEPTIONS!
Where? You will be asked to go to your interviewee’s home, or meet them in a place that is
convenient for them. Some of them may have trouble getting around town, so it is your
responsibility to accommodate for that by meeting them either at their house or somewhere
convenient for them (their local American Legion chapter, a quiet coffee house, etc.)
How? Make sure your questions are appropriate for the person you are interviewing. If you are
interviewing a veteran, research the war they were in and ask relevant questions. If you are
interviewing someone who was alive during the Cold War, ask them how the Cold War affected
his/her life. During the interview, always be respectful of the person you are interviewing.
Some questions they may refuse to answer, if they are too personal or do not feel like talking
about that subject. Don’t pressure them to answer, just move on to the next question. Dress
appropriately and use proper language and manners. Imagine you are visiting your future
spouse’s grandma. Dress in a way that would make her proud!
When? The schedule below will help you keep track of what items are due when. Write these
down in your planner, and mark them off as you complete each step. You may turn anything in
early!
Timeline
March 7th: List of questions to ask your interviewee is due
March 14th: Contact the person you are going to interview and set up a date and time to meet
March 21st: By now you should have set up a time to meet your person and interview them
April 4th: Videotape or audio tape of your interview is due
April 7th: Reflection due
April 8th: Thank you note is due
What am I responsible for? You will need to be present at the interview! Each individual is
responsible for turning in a one page reflection of this experience. In addition, each
person will be responsible for participating with the group and contributing ideas.
What is the group responsible for? As a group, you will be responsible for a list of questions
to ask the person you are interviewing, conducting the interview, and writing a thank you note.
How many points is this worth?
List of questions: 20 points
Tape/Audio recording of interview: 50 points
One page reflection: 40 points
Thank you note: 15 points
TOTAL: 125 points
PARENT PERMISSION FORM FOR HISTORY INTERVIEW
Ms. Dietzschold/Mr. Hubbell
Dear Parent,
Your student will be participating in a project soon, and will need your permission to
complete part of it. This project will consist of a video or audio taped interview with a person
who has a unique historical experience to share. The project will be done in small groups of 2-3
students. Some of the people selected to be interviewed are in nursing homes, while others live
at home and are unable to leave the house. Therefore, your student would need to visit the
interviewee at his or her house, or the nursing home they reside in.
The purpose of this project is to have students meet and interview people that have
unique stories to share. It is my hope that they will gain a better understanding of American
history through this assignment, and will recognize some of the struggles that these individuals
went through in order to preserve America’s freedom.
If you do not feel comfortable with your son or daughter visiting either someone else’s
home or a nursing home in order to do this assignment, please indicate so below. The student
will be given an alternative assignment that does not involve interviewing another person, but
will be required to meet similar standards laid out in this assignment. You are welcome to attend
the interview with your son or daughter.
Name of student: _______________________________________________
 I give my student permission to conduct the interview at either the house the interviewee
lives in or in the nursing home the person lives in.
 I give my student permission to ONLY interview someone who lives in a nursing home.
 I do not give my student permission to conduct an interview in either a nursing home or
the interviewee’s house. Please give him/her an alternative assignment.
Signature of Parent: __________________________________________
Date: ___________________
Ms. Dietzschold
Mr. Hubbell