AML Oral History AssignmentEven though all of us live in time, and thus in history, we often don’t think of our own memories as history. To most of us our memories are quite simply . . . memories. Many of you may have had trouble even thinking of your own autobiography as valuable. However, to your children and grandchildren who might read these projects, your words may fill them with wonder as you recall bygone eras, recall towns and streets, trains and cars, friends and family who are no more.This assignment asks you to record the memories of a person, place, concept, or event. For this project you will be researching a moment in history, conducting interview(s) and reflecting on this historical moment. The interview(s) you conduct should be with A source related in some way to your chosen moment in history. It would be best if you could interview this individual in person rather than over the phone, though this may not be an option.You will need to include the following steps as you work on this project:Identify a topic in which you are interested. Consider what kinds of people to whom you have access.The topic should be narrowed down (such as working in a particular place or living through a particular decade or studying at a particular university some decades before). The topic should also have cultural interest both to your peers and to other possible readers outside of the academic exercise. Your topic does NOT need to be on a negative event, such as memories of a war, depression or disaster. However, you may want to write on such topics, which is fine. But you are not required to. Happy topics are always welcome.Research this event or period in time taking notes from at least 2 academic sources.Write a list of interview questionsConduct an interview. You may use a recording device, such as your mobile phone. In the U.S. it is unlawful to record someone without their permission, so remember to ask first and then recordOnce you have collected your information, compose a first draft. The draft should contain:An overview about the event or era that is the topic of your project. This section of the assignment should include your research.An introduction to the person whom you interviewed and a brief discussion of how this person is related to the overall topic of the project.A summary of what you learned from the interview.An account or description of the interview(s) itself in which you should include when and where the interview(s) took place, and direct quotations or summaries of what this person said.A reflection on your feelings and thoughts in response to the person(s) you interviewed and what you learned from them.Each academic source should be cited on the Reference page (APA does not require the citation of interviews on the Reference page.
