Oral+History+Project+Step+by+Step

What is Oral History? "Oral history is the systematic collection of living people's testimony about their own experiences. Oral history is not folklore, gossip, hearsay, or rumor. Oral historians attempt to verify their findings, analyze them, and place them in an accurate historical context. Oral historians are also concerned with storage of their findings for use by later scholars. In oral history projects, an interviewee recalls an event for an interviewer who records the recollections and creates a historical record.


 * Event > Interviewee > Interviewer > Historical record **

Oral history depends upon human memory and the spoken word. The means of collection can vary from taking notes by hand to elaborate electronic aural and video recordings. Oral history, well done, gives one a sense of accomplishment. Collecting oral history, we have a sense of catching and holding something valuable from the receding tide of the past." //- Do History: Step-by-Step Guide to Oral History//


 * Types of Oral Histories **
 * Autobiographical: A person telling their own life story.
 * Biographical: A person telling the story of another person.

Step 1: Watch and Analyze Oral Histories
 * PBS, The New Americans: Explores the immigrant experience through the personal stories of immigrants to the United States.
 * United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Personal histories of holocaust survivors.
 * United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Eyewitness Testimony : Eyewitness accounts of genocide from survivors, human rights advocates, humanitarian aid workers, rescuers, journalists, activists and others


 * Questions to consider: **
 * 1) Is the oral history autobiographical or biographical?
 * 2) How does the interviewer "settle in" to the conversation? How does he/she get the conversation going?
 * 3) What types of questions does the interviewer ask?
 * 4) Does the interviewer has follow-up questions?
 * 5) Does the interviewer use wait time effectively?
 * 6) How does the interviewer show respect for the interviewee?
 * 7) How does the interviewer end the conversation?
 * 8) Does the order of the questions follow a logical sequence/flow?
 * 9) Does the video include photos? How do the photos enhance/detract from the story? Music? Video techniques?

Step 2: Formulate a Research Question & Brainstorm Possible Interviewees
 * **Research Question:** //What Historical, Political, Economic, or Social Factors led my family to leave their home and immigrate the United States?//

Step 3: Pick a Narrator


 * Tips **
 * Make sure that your narrator is willing and able to be interviewed.
 * Discuss your ideas with your parents or other family matters to avoid any awkwardness. Consider having an alternate person in mind.
 * Planning ahead increases the likelihood of this being an enjoyable experience for all involved.
 * Obtain consent. Be sure the narrator understands they will be recorded and you will make a copy of the conversation. Have your narrator sign a written consent form.

Step 3: Conduct Background Research Using reference sources, such as The World Book Encyclopedia and ABC-CLIO: World Geography look up information on your family's country of origin. Narrow your focus to the time period that your family immigrated to the U.S. and locate information on the historical circumstances that precipitated their move.
 * The World Book Encyclopedia
 * ABC-CLIO: World Geography
 * ABC - CLIO: World History, The Modern Era
 * Gale: World History in Context


 * NOTE: Don't forget to cite your sources! **
 * Creating a New Account on NoodleTools
 * Re-validating Your Noodle Tools Account Creating and Sharing a Project in NoodleTools
 * **Username** - technology
 * **Password** - contact your library teacher: library


 * Retrieving your NoodleTools Password

Step 4: Prepare for the Interview

Step 5: Conduct the Interview (see handout for Instructions)

Step 6: Learn about Copyright & Cite Your Sources
 * **Copyright:** Am I allowed to use images and music that I find online for my project? Visit the Copyright for Studentspage to find out.
 * **Citing sources:** Use the Oral HistoryCredits handout (below) to document every image, sound effect, video, and song that you plan to use in your Oral History Video. You must include the Oral History Credits at the end of your video.

Step 7: Search for Images, Music, & Sound Effects

**Creative Commons (CC) Image Resources**
 * Flickr Creative Commons: Blue Mountains (START HERE!)
 * Creative Commons Search Tool:
 * Wikimedia Images
 * Public Domain Images
 * Cepolina: Travel and Nature Free Photo Archive
 * Stockvault
 * Stock xchng (you might have to create a free account)
 * Open Photo
 * http://images.google.com (choose "labeled for reuse")
 * Pics 4 Learning
 * Photobucket

**NOTE!** Search for images that are bigger than 640 X 480. Anything smaller will look grainy and pixelated in your trailer. Using the Creative Commons Google Image Search,conduct a search for ONLY large images (see pic below).



**Creative Commons (CC) Music Resources**
 * Creative Commons Music: Contains a list of websites to search for Creative Commons licensed music.
 * Vimeo Music Store: Contains a sizable collection of songs that can be freely downloaded and used in video projects. Make sure to click on Advanced Options and then select Creative Commons License.
 * Free Music Archive:Contains a large collection of music that can be freely downloaded and used in video projects. Search by curator or genre.
 * DigCCMixter: Contains a large collection of music that can be freely downloaded and used in video projects
 * Jamendo:Creative Commons music that can be freely downloaded and used in video projects.

**Creative Commons Sound Effects**
 * Audio Micro :In order to download sounds, you will need to sign-in using the following info:
 * Username: walthamlibrary
 * Password: Ask your library teacher: library
 * Free Sound:In order to download sounds, you will need to sign-in using the following info:
 * Username: walthamlibrary
 * Password: Ask your library teacher: library

Step 8: Watch Window's Movie Maker Tutorials & Start Making Your Video
 * Step 1: Finding Windows Movie Maker on your computer:
 * Go to the Start Menu
 * Click on All Programs
 * Click on Entertainment
 * Click on Windows Movie Maker
 * Step 2: Windows Movie Maker Basics
 * Step 3: Saving a Project NOTE: SAVE EVERYTHING TO YOUR H DRIVE OR A FLASH DRIVE!! Save frequently.
 * Step 4: Capturing Video NOTE: SAVE EVERYTHING TO YOUR H DRIVE OR A FLASH DRIVE!! Save frequently.
 * Step 5: Importing Content
 * Step 6: Using the Storyboard
 * Step 7: Changing Default Settings (picture duration, transitions, etc.)
 * Step 8: Editing with the Timeline
 * Step 9: Adding Titles and Credits
 * Step 10: Adding a Music/Audio Track
 * Step 11: Adding Narration
 * Step 12: Exporting the Movie


 * File Converters **
 * Zamzar
 * Online-Convert

=**iMovie Tutorials**=
 * iMovie Find Out How (Scroll down the page to see all of the tutorials available)

Step 9: Share Your Video with the World The WHS Library has a subscription to School Tube. You can login to the library's School Tube account by using the username and password below. If you've never uploaded anything to School Tube before watch the Uploading Videos to School Tube tutorial (below).

School Tube media type="custom" key="13589262"
 * Username: walthamlibrary
 * Password: contact your library teacher: library

Oral History Projects
 * Meg P. Oral HIS Project
 * Victoria M. Oral HIS Project
 * Domenic D. Oral HIS Project
 * Peter C. Oral HIS Project
 * Orlando Oral HIS Project
 * Mikayla B. Oral HIS Project
 * Robert Oral HIS Project
 * Olivia Oral HIS Project