Lesson Plan
Teaching with Oral History: High School
Students explore how multiple perspectives are integral to understanding history. They examine television news coverage of a current event and analyze how different perspectives are used to tell the story of the event. Students then conduct their own investigation of another event from the recent past and interview each other to get the full story.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Understand that oral history is a way of gathering detailed information that helps us understand a specific time, place, person, or event.
- Understand that history is made up of many perspectives.
- Integrate multiple points‐of‐view in the retelling of one story.
Grade Levels
High School | Grades 9-12
Duration
1‐3 class periods
Related Programs
All
Essential Questions
- How do historians learn about the past?
- What is the role of journalism in sharing information about events?
- How can oral histories help us to understand the past?
Materials
- News story video or copies of news story article
- Paper
- Pencils
- Loose leaf paper
Vocabulary
- Oral History
- Triangle Fire
- Journalism
Questions on lessons and activities?
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