Creating Oral Histories: Difference between revisions

''• Ask the class to respond to the question “What keeps me from interviewing my family members?” Make a list of the responses, and then as a class discuss ways to overcome the identified obstacles.''  

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'''Open-Ended Questions'''  

• What is your earliest memory? <br>• What were some of your family’s traditions?<br>• What was the happiest day of your life?<br>• Tell a story your mother or father told you when you were young. <br>• What places have you visited?<br>• What family heirlooms do you have? <br>• What childhood games did you play? <br>• Tell about a childhood hiding place.<br>• What were Sundays like when you were growing up? <br>• Describe your feelings or testimony of Jesus Christ. How did you gain that knowledge?<br>• What prayers have you had answered?<br>• Describe the most serious illness or accident that you have had.<br>• Do you remember any of your grandparents? Any great-grandparents? What were their names? What were they like? <br>• What were your siblings like?<br>• What trips or vacations do you remember? <br>• What special events took place in your neighborhood while you were growing up? <br>• What was your hometown like?<br>• What were politics like there?<br>• How many people were in your family? Describe each family member.<br>• What kinds of household chores did you do as a child? Which did you enjoy? Not enjoy? <br>• What aunts, uncles, or cousins do you remember? What were they like? <br>• Tell about family traditions for holidays and birthdays.<br>• Did you belong to any clubs or social groups? What were they like? <br>• What were your favorite childhood activities?<br>• Did you serve in the military? If so, where and when? What was it like?<br>• What special school memories do you have? Who were your favorite teachers? <br>• What challenges did you face as a child?<br>• What challenges have you faced as an adult? <br>• How did you first meet your spouse?<br>• How did your father spend his time?<br>• How did your mother spend her time? <br>• Tell about ancestors you know about—names and dates and any stories about them. <br>• What are the names of your children? What are their birth dates, where were they born, and what were the circumstances of their births, and their lives? <br>• Tell about some of the most notable people in your hometown. <br>• Tell about some of your neighbors as a child, as a youth, and as an adult. <br>• What changes have you seen in your lifetime in technology, society, politics, and so on? <br>• Tell about the house in which you live. Where else have you lived?<br>• Tell about the house you lived in during your childhood. Do you remember addresses or phone numbers?  

When recording an interview, regardless of the format being used, it is important to respect the person’s personal rights of privacy. Most people will not mind you sharing the content of their interview with you. However, it is always good to make sure that you have the interviewee’s permission to share their comments with others.