Fifth-graders hoped to snare visiting relatives during Thanksgiving holiday for oral history project.
By: Gwen McNamara
It’s that time of year again when family and friends gather together for the holidays and the perfect time, according to two teachers in the West Windsor-Plainsboro School District, to learn a little about your family’s history.
As part of an oral history project, about 20 fifth-grade students at Village School in West Windsor were assigned to sit down and interview a parent or grandparent on Thanksgiving.
Teachers Joyce Benson and Alice Eckel say the project not only improves the students’ communication skills, but also can show them something about their family they never knew before.
"I think Alice and myself have more of an appreciation of this project’s importance," Ms. Benson said. "We’ve both lost our mothers and fathers and thinking back on our history, there’s a lot we’re probably missing because it was never recorded.
"With this project, our students have the chance, when Aunt Agatha is telling the same story for the 100th time over Thanksgiving dinner, to capture it for posterity," she continued. "When they get older they’ll have a greater appreciation for the past and know something about their roots."
The students were to use tape recorders to record their interviews and were aided by a list of more than 90 potential questions, which ask for information on all stages of a person’s life.
On Tuesday, the students practiced their interviewing skills with Assistant Principal Shari Goldberg. They peppered her with questions about her childhood, her parents, her husband and favorite times and activities.
Many of the students said they were excited about the oral history project and hope to learn more about their relatives.
"You think you know a lot already," said fifth-grader Andrew Newman. "But maybe they haven’t told you everything and by asking our questions we’ll get to learn more, like if they have been in a war or were married before."
"After our generation we could pass the information on to our kids, too," said Anushka Sindkar, fellow fifth-grader.
"We can learn what they were like as children and what they liked to do," added Dominic Flesch.
Most of the students said they’d feel comfortable interviewing their relatives, given all the practice they’ve had in class.
"The students have been working on this since the beginning of the year and have been practicing in groups," Ms. Eckel said.
She and Ms. Benson have assigned the oral history project for several years now.
"We believe in the need to teach kids good facilitating skills," Ms. Eckel said. "To know the difference between open-ended and closed questions, how to be good listeners, active listeners these are all good life skills.
"This project also has a lot to do with self-esteem," she continued. "By learning things about their families they’ve never heard before, the students gain insight into themselves. I can be a real eye opener."