Last updated: February 13, 2021
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Primarily Me 2: Oral Histories
The Primarily Me Challenge
How do we know about the past? Most of what we know comes from what people left behind. Everything from what they wrote to what they created is a record of life lived. Each record, or primary source, tells a story about people, how they lived, and the environment they lived in. What will people in the future know about how we live today? That depends on what we leave behind!
You can find each challenge and response by following along on social media using #WMNHSPrimarilyMe!
What is an Oral History?
An oral history is what you get when you ask someone questions about their own experience to learn more about history or culture. Stories can last a very long time when they are passed down from one person to another, so you can even use oral histories to learn about things that happened hundreds of years ago. A lot of what we know about Cayuse history and culture comes from oral histories.
Activity 2: Plan an Oral History Project
The next challenge is to think of someone who knows a lot about something you want to learn about and come up with five questions you would ask them! Below are some basic tips for getting started and writing your questions.If you want to dig deeper or take the next step and interview someone, check out the oral history interviewing guide created by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. You might decide you want to use what you learn about oral histories when you do other Primarily Me challenges!
Before you think of questions, you need to decide what it is that you want to learn about! Once you have a topic, think about who you could ask that might be able to teach you more. Even if you don't ask them your questions, it will be easier to write them if you have an idea of who you would ask. You might want to learn about:
- Your family history. Do you know someone in your family who could tell you about other family members, where your family is from, or things that are special to your family?
- What it is like to live somewhere else. Do you know someone who has lived in another place?
- What it was like living in a different time. Do you know someone who is older than you who could tell you about life during a different time in history?
- How to make or do something. Do you know someone who has a skill that you want to learn about? Maybe they know how to cook, fix something, create a type of art, play a game or sport, or do another activity you are interested in.
Think about...
- Why you want to learn about the topic you have picked
- How the person might answer. What follow-up questions could you ask?
- What questions could lead to stories or longer answers
- What questions you would want to be asked if someone was interviewing you
Ready for the next challenge? Go to Primarily Me 3: Spending Time Outside.