History has previously been learned as a long parade; making it wider, not just a single file of great men, is certainly an improvement. But whole areas of life reflect patterns of change that are apart from the major concerns of political leaders. Humanizing history makes it memorable and gives children a sense of connection. (MT)

When Studs Terkel published "Working" in 1974, it quickly found its way into high school and college classrooms across the country. Not surprisingly, in the past 30 years, "Working" has sold over one million copies. This teaching guide for "Working" helps teachers to introduce their students not only to a great text,…

Elementary and secondary school teachers interested in developing a local history unit can adapt this fourth grade program created for three school districts in Cortland County, New York. Material is divided into 13 chapters. Chapter 1 charts the New York fourth grade curriculum by concept and content and outlines specific community study…

Describes the creation of Black history programing at the Missouri Historical Society. Delineates the historical resources utilized for the exhibit, stressing that there is a paucity of materials available in St. Louis on the Black experience. Reports on the project's usefulness and success with students of all grade levels. Recounts the museum's…

Describes oral history interviewing techniques that the author used to research his biography of Joseph McCarthy before the American Historical Association (AHA) issued its seven guidelines on interview use. These guidelines focus on taping sessions, signed releases, written transcripts, respecting human dignity, and placing materials in archive…

Discusses a field trip to Lucan, Ontario to research the story of the Donnelly family murders of 1880. Describes sites visited, student activities, and contacts made with local individuals familiar with the story. Includes class follow-up activities. Provides an activity on cemeteries and examines educational benefits. (RW)

This manual provides a general introduction to folklore and folklife. Certain articles herein may be used in a basic activity-oriented approach to the study of folklore, beginning at the fourth grade level. Other articles proved a more in-depth study of folklife and of the means by which folk culture is preserved and shared. The teacher must…

This document discusses oral history and the use of active learning to make classroom teaching interesting and exciting. Oral history is an effective teaching tool that requires students to become active participants in their own learning process. It invites inquiry, stimulates discussion, and transforms abstract concepts into concrete reality.…

From Cajun bayou country to Creole New Orleans, gumbo is a culinary tradition in south Louisiana, a gift from the state's rich, multicultural heritage. There are as many recipes for gumbo as there are households that make it, and every family has its own "secret" recipe. This teaching guide suggests that incorporating oral history into…

In these lessons students gather information from pictures and by listening to recordings from radio shows of the 1930s and 1940s. Students predict how radio changed people's behaviors and survey older adults about their radio listening habits. Students conclude that radio had a big impact on the lives of people in the past and that it lay the…

This document consists of the printed components only of a PBS curriculum package intended to be used with the 9-videotape PBS documentary series entitled "The West." The complete curriculum package includes a teacher's guide, lesson plans, a student guide, audio tapes, a video index, and promotional poster. The teacher's guide and…

Maintains that hundreds of books are being published to commemorate the end of World War II. Asserts that the books will change certain thinking about the world of the 1930s and 1940s and the ways to teach about the war. Provides a bibliographic essay of some of the new books, particularly those that incorporate oral history. (CFR)

This digest addresses the uses of oral history projects in the secondary U.S. history classroom. The document advocates that oral history is a stimulating classroom process designed to increase student involvement in a United States history class and improve student understanding of a relatively recent historical period. Oral history also involves…

This book encourages the use of cultural biographies as a way to understand various cultures. The volume is a collection of stories about the teachers and students in New York (New York) schools who have made family studies central to the curriculum. The book emphasizes the everyday lives of families, their social histories, and cultural…

Discusses the role of oral history in the documentation and interpretation of family history. Gives information for constructing and managing information in interviews. Stresses that oral history permits analysis of materials in terms of shared conceptions. Emphasizes ways family histories can be used in research projects and classroom teaching.…