Contributed by Kim Leegan
The Memory Project is an idea that was inspired by a guest speaker that visited my two AP US History II classes. Tova Friedman, one of the youngest survivors of Auschwitz, spoke with my classes at Union Catholic Regional High School in Scotch Plains, NJ on January 23, 2013. In her powerful presentation on surviving the Holocaust, Ms. Friedman explained that in a few more years, there will no longer be any living Holocaust survivors. Her powerful message was that my students must continue to tell her story of survival long after she is gone. They must preserve the story of the Holocaust when there are no longer any survivors left to tell the story.Her message sparked an important reminder . . . oral history plays a significant role in shaping our understanding and attitudes about historical events. It is the stories of people, shared from generation to generation, that give us the deepest insights into the events that have impacted our world.
If the goal of AP US History (or indeed any history course) is to provide students with a deeper understanding of the events that have shaped this country, then oral history must be a part of that effort.
This project challenges students to uncover the oral history that surrounds the many topics we cover in the course.
The students are the investigators, authors and historians. They have interviewed, spoken with, recorded and written about, the people in their lives who have some insight, experience or perspective of history. The students have used technology to preserve history and in so doing, left a legacy for generations to come.
For all of us working on this project, we discovered that incredible insights of history are often just a conversation away.
On behalf of the AP US History II Classes at UC, enjoy our memories of history!
These narratives remind us that history is, in fact, a lived and often personally meaningful experience. Loved the videos and photographs. A very impressive assignment, Mrs. Leegan, and a job well done, students!
ReplyDeleteMr. Gottilla
Such a beautiful project! Congratulations to all the students involved. You, the students, are so blessed to have been a part of this assignment. Thank you Mrs. Leegan for inviting us to read these rich and wonderful stories, and thank you to your students and those interviewed for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Schroppe
What a wonderful experience for both "listener" and "story teller". Thank you for sharing, Mrs. Leegan and AP US II students. I know many people( especially those with a few years behind them)wish they had asked more questions and recorded more personal recollections from family and friends who had so much to tell. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThe Memory Project is AWESOME! Thank you so much to all of the authors and to all who shared their stories. You truly made history come alive.
ReplyDelete