We had to work hard, but it was fun too. I learned how to talk with older people, how to do an oral interview and how to organize the information afterwards. I also learned a lot about World War II in Europe. We should do more projects like this one in the future. Doing an oral history project is a great learning tool.
Students realize history is made every day by real people.
All people are actors in history. Oral history gives a voice to people who are not often heard in the history textbooks. Oral history projects give meaning and substance to history class and break down stereotypes between generations. They teach kids to look for inconsistencies and bias. Oral history is learning by doing.