What is an oral history interview? What goes into the planning and what should be said? Why is it important that we know and learn from oral history? This is an excellent activity to support your young historians as they conduct...

Young scholars reach out into the community and learn about different environmental science careers in this inquiry-based instructional activity. Beginning with a short research assignment, children gain background knowledge about...

Students create and perform Corridos which are oral tradition ballads. In this Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition instructional activity, students interview family members using a predetermined list of questions. In...

Encourage effective internet research and e-mail correspondence as scholars investigate a US capital city they've never visited to find pertinent and relevant information. They begin by picking a city, then visit that city's chamber of...

Integrate geography with literature in this interdisciplinary activity. Begin by reading a poem such as The Time We Climbed Snake Mountain by Leslie Marmon Silko. On a large map, place push pins in the cities or states mentioned. An...

Young scholars act as historians by, first, reading and analyzing oral histories of professional baseball players to become familiar with baseball figures. Then, they proceed to interview family members, relatives, or neighbors who have...

Seventh graders demonstrate their ability to identify interview skills that lead to success in the job-seeking process by participating in and observing an interview with an employer. Students also use a checklist to validate their...

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s marched to its own beat—literally. Using songs from the era, as well as other primary sources such as King's "I Have a Dream" speech, class members analyze lyrics to discover how music and protest...

Students develop interview skills and learn about US history at the same time. Students research an event from local history. Students prepare a list of questions based on the research. They create a list of interview questions and...

Sixth graders interview community members associated with the lobstering industry. In this interview lesson, 6th graders carry out interview of members of the lobstering community to determine the folklore and workings of the lobster...

Learners investigate the history of Las Vegas through conducting interviews.  In this oral history lesson, students locate and speak with older residents of Las Vegas in order to gain a better understanding of the city....

Students interview a veteran or he/her family to gather information about the person's life. They produce an iMovie that describes the veteran's military experience.

Mexican folk songs offer an authentic look at WWII immigrant workers. This study of the U.S. Bracero Program sets historians up with context information so they can write their own corrido. The class reviews themes and formulas of...

Students discover the value of oral history by creating their own audio recordings.  In this traditions and customs lesson, students listen to a local historian discuss the idea of preserving history through oral traditions....

Students examine the time period of the Great Depression. Using primary source documents, they read excerpts of interviews done by author Studs Terkel for one of his books. They practice interviewing their partner in front of the class...

Young scholars explore the field of meteorology. In this meteorology activity, students explore weather-related careers as they research the field of study as well as various weather concepts. Young scholars interview meteorologists,...

Students investigate their own family's genealogy by conducting oral interviews and doing Internet research. In a series of activities, students acquire inquiry and research skills, develop an appreciation of their heritage, and classify...

Tenth graders read an article about the migration of Puerto Ricans to Chicago. As a class, they identify the barriers the immigrants faced regarding employment and separation from family members. To end the lesson, they work with a...

Students conduct interviews, analyze primary sources including docuements and images to gain an inderstanding of the causes and effects of he Great Depression and immigration.

Students describe the Mexican culture and relate it to their own culture. They investigate the Mexican culture through internet research, textbooks, and class discussions. Students create a mural of their school culture. They interview...

Students brainstorm a list of items needed to have a successful career. Individually, they complete a webquest in which they identify positions they might be interested in. They also practice the interview process and how to complete...

Students examine the racial inequality that existed in the United States before the Civil Rights Movement. After listening to song lyrics and viewing photographs, they discover the importance of the movement in helping society move...

Pupils use the processes of oral history and the latest technology to engage in historical inquiry and the preservation of the past. The work in cooperative groups or individually to discover and capture the past by interviewing family...

Students research a nonprofit organization of their choice. They interview a member of the organization and present to the class their findings. They list the job opportunities found there and volunteer for the organization.