Telling Lives Curriculum Guide - Incite at Columbia University

The Telling Lives Curriculum Guide is a practical resource designed to help educators integrate oral history into their teaching, focusing particularly on middle school settings.

Developed from a pilot project in Manhattan's Chinatown in 2004 by Columbia University's Oral History Research Office, the guide equips educators with tools to teach students professional oral history interviewing skills. The project involved 7th and 8th graders and spanned 18 sessions over nine weeks, where students learned to conduct interviews, use audio equipment, and interpret community stories. They worked with the Museum of Chinese in the Americas to create multimedia exhibits and oral history books that captured the stories of fascinating individuals from their communities.

This guide includes detailed lesson plans and supports both group and individual interviews, encouraging students to see oral history as a combination of historical evidence and storytelling. It also guides the creation of public projects, like multimedia exhibits, ensuring students can present their findings creatively.

While the curriculum is aimed at middle schools, the guide is flexible and adaptable for different age groups and project lengths. It includes sample interviews, lesson plans, tips, and essays from participants including educators and students. This curriculum intends to provide a structured approach to teaching oral history, allowing educators to build a program that suits their classroom needs while fostering a deeper understanding of community narratives.