| Objectives | After completing
this lesson, students will be able to:
- Define social history and formulate questions about social history topics.
- Analyze, interpret, and conduct research using oral histories.
- Use oral history interview techniques to gather information about social history.
- Interpret changes in 20th century social life in the United States using existing
oral histories and by conducting original oral history interviews.
|
| Time Required | Five or six 45-minute class periods,
plus time to conduct oral history interviews outside of class. |
| Target Level | Grades 7-12 |
| Grouping | Small groups for computer-based activities
(Introduction, Analysis, Background Research, and Group Presentations);
Individuals
or pairs for oral history interviews.
|
| Curriculum Fit | to introduce the concept of oral history
to classes studying U.S. History, or as part of a unit on the Great Depression. Classes
wishing to do more advanced work in oral history will find a useful guide,
"Folklife and Fieldwork: A Layman's Introduction
to Field Techniques," on-line at the American Folklife
Center of the Library of Congress Web Site. |
| Standards |
McREL 4th Edition Standards & Benchmarks
Historical Understanding
Standard 2. Understands the historical perspective
Language Arts
Standard 4. Gathers and uses information for research purposes
Standard 7. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts
Standard 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes
Standard 9. Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media |
