Sophs- Oral History Research

Now that you have chosen a topic within 1940-1979, you will conduct research to collect background information. Read the following directions carefully.

In the computer lab you will use the internet to find useful websites about your topic. Only use websites that end in .edu,gov,org. Wikipedia is NOT an acceptable source. You must find at least 3 internet sources.

Students will submit a total of 30 facts about their chosen topic. Number each fact. Put the source (website) above the facts from that particular source. The facts must be in your own words and should be one to two sentences in length. Do not plagiarize or you will receive a 0 for a grade. See the September 11 example below that shows you how to set up your response.

At the end of the period, make sure you click on name/url, enter your name and click “publish.” (do this even if you aren’t finished!) Finish for homework.

9/11 Example:

Website: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/

1. The first plane hit the North tower of the World Trade Center on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 at 8:46 am.

2. A second plane hit the South Tower at 9:03 am. Both towers collapsed about 90 minutes later.

3. At 9:37 a third plane crashed into the west side of the Pentagon.

4. At 10:03 a fourth plane crashed in a field in southern Pennsylvania, which was originally aimed at the Capitol building or White House. It was brought down by several heroic passengers.

5. Over 2,600 people died at the World Trade Center. 125 died at the Pentagon; and 256 died on all 4 planes.

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Use the above format to collect 30 total facts from at least 3 different websites. (You do not need to have an equal number of facts from each site. For example, you may have more from one site than the others)

Sophs- John Adams- Part 1 (Extra Credit)

Sophomores, we spent 2 days watching part one of HBO's John Adams series. Not only did it re-emphasize most of the notes from class, but hopefully it also was neat for you to see a modern day re-enactment of significant events that shaped our country. As your extra credit option, respond to ONE of the following topics. Your response should be detailed and at least 20 lines in length.

1. Describe what the court house was like throughout the trial. Be specific. Who was there? Where did the witnesses speak? How is it similar to or different than modern court scenes?

2. Explain the importance of Abigail Adams as seen in the film. What was John's and Abigail's relationship like? Be specific by referring to particular scenes or event from the film. Provide details/

3. Be a critic of the film by writing your own review. Explain why you liked or disliked the film. Be specific and honest in your answer. Do you think it portrayed Massachusetts in the Revolutionary era in an effective way? Was it an accurate depiction of the pre-Revolution events that took place in Massachusetts? Why or why not?

Value: Up to 5 points

Sophs- Oral History Project

622- American History

Oral History Project- 1^st quarter requirements

What is oral history?

Oral history is an interview that records a person’s recollection of experiences, thoughts, and feelings about a specific event or a period of time. By showing how national events affected the lives of individuals, oral history adds a personal dimension to our study of the past. Members of your family and community can surprise you with a wealth of information and insights into major events of their time.

Objective: Students will analyze primary accounts of 3 ordinary American people who experienced a significant event in America history. You will have requirements each quarter to collect the information needed for your final paper, which will be due at the end of the 4^th quarter.

Timeframe of event: 1940s-1979

1^st quarter requirements:

1. Choose a topic. Due: Friday, Sept. 25

a. Choose a topic that interests you. Brainstorm. Ask your parents for advice. The topic can relate to any historical, political, economic, social, or cultural event in American history.

b. Think about what family member, friends of family, neighbors, etc. who have experienced a significant part of American history.

2. Research the topic using secondary sources. Due: TBA

Submit a one page report with background information and sources. You will be provided with a handout for this section.

a. Your textbook is a good place to start.

b. Use our library to check out books.

c. Obviously the Internet is another good source.

3. Create a list of 20 interview questions about the event. Due: TBA (this will most likely be due in the 2nd quarter)

a. When thinking about questions to ask, remember that you are trying to re-tell the individual’s story. Therefore, get as much detail as possible.

b. These questions must be typed and numbered.

The following are only ideas. You may choose to do a different topic. These are only ideas, I encourage you to do a unique topic.

- Civil Rights Movement- Martin Luther King Jr. - Watergate scandal

- Assassination of John F. Kennedy - Vietnam protests

- The counterculture movement - Steel Pier

- The moon landing - 1970s oil crisis

- The Vietnam War - Pearl Harbor bombing

- Beatle-mania - World War II

- The Korean War

- Cuban Missile Crisis

Sophs- Oral History 9/11 Example

The following example is the story that a student could create after interviewing me about September 11, 2001. Obviously, you cannot choose this topic because it is not in the time frame required, but hopefully it will give you a clearer idea of an oral history account.

Oral History Example
Topic: Sept. 11th, 2001 (remember your topic must be in the range of 1950-1979)

September 11, 2001 is a day in history that Miss Albanese will always remember. She was eighteen years old and had just recently settled into her freshman year of college at Bloomsburg University. That particular Tuesday morning has forever left an imprint in her heart and mind. She recalls waking up in her dorm room around 10:15. Her roommate, Meggi Rothermel, had already left to attend class. Miss Albanese was the lucky one who didn’t have class until 11:00 am. She went through her normal morning routine. She walked down the hall to the bathroom to brush her teeth, checked her computer for any new instant messages, and listened to music while she got ready for class. In the meantime, Albanese had no idea that two planes had attacked the World Trade Center. Just as she was finished packing her bag for class Katie, a friend who lived in the room across the hall, had just turned on her television. She frantically ran into her room yelling, “Oh my God, we got attacked! Turn on your tv!” At first Albanese thought she was just kidding around. She had no idea what she was about to see. She turned on her small thirteen-inch television that sat atop her roommate’s closet and watched in disbelief. How and why did this happen? Who did this? Was this an accident? So many thoughts, questions, and emotions came at once. She then questioned whether or not she should go to class. After all, it was some German Cultures and Civilization class that was so boring to attend, but Albanese needed the general credit requirement. After pondering for a couple of minutes, she decided to go to class just in case. At this point she still didn’t fully understand what was happening in New York City. When she got to class her teacher was obviously upset. In a chaotic way and with tears in her eyes, the professor told everyone in class to go home and watch the news because an important part of history was unfolding. At this point the severity and urgency of the situation began to sink in. Albanese and her roommate went back to the dorm and watched the news for the rest of the day. The images have stuck forever in her mind. Did she really just see someone jump from a window thirty stories high? A few girls that lived on her dorm room floor had family or friends that worked in the trade center area. The girls couldn’t reach their loved ones on their cell phones. All the lines were busy. After hours or worry and fear, their friends and family members were okay. Albanese doesn’t remember exactly everything from that day, just bits and pieces. For comfort, she called home to talk to her family. She and the girls in the dorm stayed up and talked until late in the night. No one wanted to be alone. For the first time in her life, Albanese felt that America was vulnerable. An attack on our own soil was once something that seemed so unlikely. She was scared, confused, angry, upset, and homesick all at once. Albanese knew the world would never be the same. Whenever she thinks back to her college experience, that Tuesday morning in Lycoming dorm will always be remembered. Since then all of Ms. Albanese’s dorm friends from Bloomsburg have gone their separate ways in life, but they are forever bonded by the 9/11 experience.

Seniors- nature vs. nurture

See Baby Discriminate
By Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

Your class assignment today is to read the Newsweek article, See Baby Discriminate. Only read the first 3 1/2 pages. (Stop after this sentence- 'It's possible that by third grade, when parents usually recognize it's safe to start talking a little about race, the developmental window has already been closed.')

This article fits into the nature/nurture debate of chapter 3. After reading the article, answer the following questions...(Directions on how to respond are below the questions)

Value: 10 points total

1. Identify Birgitte Vittrup's 3 methods to test the multicultural home environments of the families in the study. What were the results?

2. What do child development researchers say about 'in-group preferences?'

3. What is Rebecca Bigler's recommended age for talking to children about race?

4. Answer this question from the article... "We all want out children to be unintimidated by differences and have the social skills necessary for a diverse world. The questions is, do we make it worse, or do we make it better, by calling attention to race?"

5. How does this article fit into the nurture side of the debate from chapter 3? In general, do you agree or disagree with the content? Explain.


To respond...

1. Click on the comments link at the bottom of the page.

2. Type your answers into the box provided. Be sure to number your answers. (You might want to open a 2nd window in your browser so you can see both the article and your answers)

3. Click the name/url option. Where it says name type your first name and last initial.

4. Click publish. Your response should automatically appear on the site.