Numerous research and scholarly articles have been written on the Korean War. Yet in many K-12 history classrooms, the war and its legacy are still "forgotten" and are only addressed with a paragraph or two in a textbook. The Korean War Legacy and World History Digital Education foundations are changing this situation by honoring…

The use of testimony in teaching about the Holocaust has long been a practice, relying on resources such as memoirs, diaries, and audio recordings. Having first-person accounts provides a window into the experience of those who lived the historical events that now fill the pages of text. As we mark the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II…

The Arizona Heritage Project began in 2003 when the Salt River Project (SRP) celebrated its centennial. This Arizona utility sponsored five student groups engaged in documenting Arizona history. Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Arizona--an old cowboy town about 20 miles north of Phoenix--was one of the recipients of a $3,000 grant to…

A typical U.S. high school student today might be able to recite some milestones of civil rights history--the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955-56; the Freedom Rides of 1961; and (some would add) the election of the first African American president in 2008. But how many students understand that these events, which historians call out as milestones,…

Oral histories are an exciting way to directly involve students in the act of historical inquiry. They assist students in personalizing history and relating to the actual lives behind major events, names, and dates in history. This article discusses the benefits of using oral histories in the classroom. It describes how to use "Oral Histories…

For many of the students in the author's American history class, early twentieth-century American history seems far removed from their daily lives. Being first and second-generation American citizens, many of the students do not have the luxury of hearing grandparents and great-grandparents telling stories about FDR and Henry Ford. More…

Discusses how oral history can motivate elementary students in the social studies. Suggests oral history learning activities and procedures to help students recreate events from the past. (CK)

In 1942, less than four months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent United States entry into World War II , nearly 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry living along the west coast of the United States were ordered to evacuate their homes and sent to internment camps. The evacuees, separated from their extended families, former…

Contains learning activities dealing with child labor around 1908 and utilizing primary source documents for secondary U.S. history classes. Students read and discuss two oral accounts and analyze three photographs depicting child labor and working conditions in 1908. (AM)

Oral history can be done without sophisticated technology, involves students actively in history, and generates enthusiasm and tangible products. Eleven projects are suggested, ranging from classroom to interdisciplinary community research. A bibliography cites 19 books about oral history programs for social studies classes. (AV)

States that because of the lack of depth in history texts, the oral history of Vietnam veterans is a valuable teaching alternative. Provides details for preparing students and veterans for interviews. Concludes that this method helps students understand complex issues by placing them in the middle of historical inquiry. (GEA)

This guide was designed to help secondary teachers use a series of radio programs based on the book, "First-Person America," an oral history collection derived in turn from a massive body of first-person accounts originally collected during the 1930's by the Federal Writer's Project. The series dramatizes the texture of everyday life in…

Oral history is a valuable teaching technique to use with elementary students because it provides a sense of self-identity; nurtures a concept of neighborhood; develops research and writing skills; and encourages a sense of curiosity, wonder, and excitement about history. Suggestions for beginning an elementary oral history project are presented.…

Presents a strategy for using oral history in the classroom and includes steps involved in an oral history project. Provides examples of an oral history project about discrimination focusing on the experiences of Latin American women. Includes teaching suggestions. (CMK)

Brings together ideas on teaching about immigration from a number of elementary-school teachers in New Jersey and summarizes common themes. Outlines three specific projects based on the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, family history, and children's fiction. Includes a brief list of children's literature and other teaching resources. (DSK)