Working with an awesome group of tenth graders during second project block. Building on the work kids did last year, they’ve set out to conduct interviews, record them, write about them, with the end goal of a website and conference.

It’s hard for kids to find interviewees/narrators so the project isn’t moving as quick as I would like. I would have preferred to have spent today’s time working on their documents, doing research, editing recordings, but it wasn’t to be.

Instead we had a glorious conversation on the principles one ought to use while doing oral history. After writing their own ideas for “rules” they should live by, we broke into groups to translate the principles laid out by the Oral History Association.

Here are their translations. Not perfect but pretty awesome for a Friday.

This is a solid lesson with important objectives. It’s also the last thing I thought would produce a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation. You never can tell (great Friday song).