th
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Using Oral History in the
Classroom

• When during the year and how much do you teach the history of Indians in your classroom?
• How do you teach Native American history? What materials and/or activities do you use?
• Do you have Indian children in your classes?
• Have you had a chance to talk with a Native
American person about his or her heritage?
• What goals do you have when you teach Indian history? (e.g. cover curriculum, cultural awareness, etc.)

Native American History in the 4 th grade
• 4.2 Major nations of California Indians
& lifeways; Interactions among Indians, explorers, Spanish missionaries, and rancheros
• 4.5 Systems of California governance including Indian rancherias

Native American History in the 5 th grade
• 5.1 Describe major pre-Columbian settlements & lifeways
• 5.3 Conflict & cooperation among Indian nations and between Indian nations and
European settlers, including competition to control North America, fur trade, cultural interchanges, broken treaties, resistance to encroachments & assimilation, and significant leaders
• 5.6 Impact of early U.S. land policies on
Indian lands

• “Vanishing Indian” myth
– Physical destruction (disease, warfare, etc.)
– Cultural destruction
• Lack of Good Information & Resources
– See handout
• Not enough time/not covered in standards

• Who are Native Americans today?
Where do they live? What do they do for a living? Where do they go to school? In what ways do their cultural traditions shape their lives? How do
Indian tribes govern themselves? What is their relationship with state & federal governments? What do Native
Americans today think about their history in the U.S. and the way in which that history is taught in the classroom?

• The recollections & reminiscences of living persons about their past;
• Historical inquiry that is undertaken by interviewing individuals about the events they have personally experienced;
• A collaboration between the interviewer
(who asks the questions) and the person being interviewed (who tells the stories).

• Role-playing (answering questions in the personal of a historical character);
• Oral tradition (carefully handed down stories & traditions, according to strict rules, within an oral culture).

• Brings the social studies curriculum alive
• Involves active learning
• Builds critical thinking skills
• Suited to non-native English learners and young children
• Develops strong oral language skills

• Group Interview
• Individual Interviews
• Survey Sent Home
• “Object” Interview
• Field Trip Interview

• Be on your best behavior
– Be polite and friendly
– Be on time
– Be respectful
– Make the interview a pleasant experience
• Do not argue with the person you interview
• Listen, listen, listen

• Come well prepared; know your subject and your equipment
• Be polite & friendly
• Begin with simple, comfortable questions
• Ask questions one at a time
• Allow silences; give interviewee time to think
• Speak clearly so the narrator can understand and hear you
• Ask clear, brief questions
• Ask open-ended questions, not yes-or-no questions
• Listen actively and ask follow-up questions
• Do not contradict or correct the narrator; keep personal opinions to yourself
• Avoid asking leading questions
• Do not rush the end of the interview. End on a positive note.

• Choose one of the items on the dos and don’ts handout
• Interview a partner doing the opposite of what you should do.
– For example, ask only yes-or-no questions, OR argue with the speaker

Practicing Oral Interviews: Mock
Interviews
• Each take 3-5 minutes to interview the other on one of the following subjects.
Practice as many good interviewing techniques as possible, especially — active listening and follow up questions
• Topics:
– Why you became a teacher
– Your first work experience
– Your dream trip or vacation

Generating Questions for the Group Interview
• Big Question: Who are Native
Americans today? How does their cultural heritage shape their lives?
• What do we know about Charlie
Toledo? (Handouts)

Generating Questions for the Group Interview
• In your group:
– What is your goal —the main topic you want to cover?
– Generate 1 question you want to have answered for sure;
– Generate 2-3 questions you would like to have answered if there is time;
– Imagine kinds of follow up questions you might ask
– Decide: Who will ask the first question? Who will ask follow up questions? Who will take notes?

Assign Roles for the Group Interview
• Greeters: Greet our guest, escort her to her seat, provide her with water and anything she needs
• Consent Form: Go over the consent form with our guest and ask her to sign it
• Recorders: Operate the tape recorder, make sure it is working, make sure to flip the tape in the middle
• Time Keepers: Make sure each group gets a turn to ask questions; make sure interview ends on time
• Escorts: Thank our guest, escort her to lunch

Follow Up Options with Oral Interviews
• Writing —e.g. essays, research papers
• Math exercise —tally and graph findings
• Poetry —e.g. found poem
• Visual Arts —portraits, maps, posters
• Theater —monologues, dramatizations, vignettes
• Music/Dance
• Class Book
• And More!

• In your group:
– Divide into 3 working teams
– Team 1: Using the handout, create a page on the early history of the Indian community you have been assigned.
– Team 2: Using the handout, create a page on the more recent history of the Indian community.
– Team 3: Choose one question and one quote from your table’s section of today’s interview to include in the book and copy it onto the book paper.