Journey Through History

After we finished reading To Kill a Mockingbird, my students did character sketches, which served a dual purpose. First, they delved more deeply into the character that they were assigned, but they also collectively reviewed key points in the novel. I began by demonstrating presentation skills for the students by modeling the PowerPoint I created on the character of Braxton Bragg Underwood. Then, I gave students time to work in pairs to complete their own PowerPoint and present them to the class.

This assignment worked well for To Kill a Mockingbird, but could certainly be adapted to any piece of literature.

The Oral History Project is a semester-long project that I do with an advanced college-prep 20th Century History Class. Students research a major event of the 20th Century, find an interview subject, write questions, conduct an interview, and transcribe the interview.

The project allows students to gain practice in a number of social studies skills and life skills. Students become “experts” in a particular area of history, and they serve a very important function of documenting someone’s history, which might not have been done otherwise. They write for a variety of audiences in a variety of modes including: letters to their subjects, annotated bibliographies, and a reflective journal. Perhaps even more importantly, they work on interpersonal skills and make a connection with an older person in the community.

The project can be used in its entirety, or individual pieces may be useful to different teachers. It can also be modified to suit many grade levels. For example, teachers of younger students might bring interview subjects into the classroom or students might interview family members. Please click to download the complete Word Document.