Oral History
Other
Requirements
Pick any person to interview who is at least 15 years older than you. Set up at least one interview, either in person or over the phone. If you have the technology to do so, I encourage you to record your interview so you can go back to it when writing your interpretive essay. If you do not have the ability to record the interview, be sure you take very good notes. You want to be able to provide direct quotes in your essay and not just paraphrasing of someone else’s voice.
Your project will result in a 4 to 5 page interpretive essay. You are not handing in just a transcript of the interview. You will use the information you collect in the interview to write an essay that explains what the oral history teaches you about American history. In a section below titled “Interpreting Your Oral History,” I have listed some questions to consider when writing your essay, so read on.
