Got Roots? Doing an Oral History Project

Final Project

Create a multimedia presentation based on your interview with your family member. This presentation will enable you to become "a producer of historical knowledge, rather than a passive absorber of historical information." (Glen Whitman, http://www.doingoralhistory.org/)

Through this project you will record feelings and impressions and will give a vivid picture of our past, a "living history" of family and community.

Your presentation should include:

The story highlights of the person you interview (in text)
Illustrations of that person's life and the changing world in which he/she lives. Include primary source items — digital and/or scanned
    • photographs
    • birth/death certificates
    • other related artifacts
Audio and/or video clips of your actual interview
A timeline of important events in your interviewee's life and the changing world in which he/she lives.
Other items you deem important/necessary.

In addition to your multimedia presentation you will also be required to turn in the following:

Copy of letter/script written to set up interview
Release form signed by interviewee
Interview notes, including questions asked
Video and audio tapes of your interview
Transcriptions of the highlights of your tapes
Copy of Thank You letter sent after the interview
Hard copy of all multimedia slides

Important dates: (This is listed to give you an idea of the timeline Mr. Hughes used in his classroom.)

Interview completed by Tuesday, October 16, 2001
Interview videotaped at Ameritech should be scheduled for Monday, October 15th or Tuesday, October 16th between 8:10 AM and 9:50 AM. Make arrangements with Mr. Hughes before leaving the Ameritech classroom on Thursday.
Create multimedia presentation between Monday, October 15th and Wednesday, October 24th.
Final Presentation to the class on Thursday, October 25th and Friday, October 26th.