Electronic Field Trips
Ellis Island Unit

Lesson Three
Oral Histories

  • Brief Description
  • Objectives
  • Materials and Resources
  • Activity Description

  • Brief Description

        Using the criteria they developed in lesson two, students begin to conduct oral histories of family members to learn about their cultural and ethnic heritage. Prior to starting, students and teachers together develop a list of questions that students will use in their interviews and research. Up to Contents of this Page
    Objectives

        In conducting their oral histories students will:

    Up to Contents of this Page
    Materials and Resources Needed

        None. Up to Contents of this Page
    Activity Description

        Below are some sample questions that you might consider using with your students to guide their oral history interviews.

        Students may be interviewing family members who immigrated, or they may interview family members to find out what they know of their ancestors' and why and when they immigrated. These questions have been designed to work with people who themselves immigrated. They can be easily reworded to work in the latter case.

    1. What was the primary reason you immigrated to this country?
    2. When did you come to the United States?
    3. Where was your home before you moved to the United States?
    4. What did you do in your homeland before you moved here?
    5. Where did you first settle when you came to this country?
    6. Did you know English when you came here? What other languages did you speak?
    7. What was the trip to the US like? Did you come over land, by boat, by plane, etc? Was the trip hard or easy? Were you ever worried or frightened?
    8. What were your first impressions about the United States? Did your first experiences live up to what you had hoped for?
    9. Did you experience any racism or prejudice when you moved to this country?
    Up to Contents of this Page

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