Extra Credit Opportunity
Students choosing this extra credit opportunity will receive up to 10 points added to their grade.
The requirements are as follow.
Everyone has a personal history. Even people who say, “there is nothing interesting to
tell about my life” have something from their past worth sharing. From an obvious historical
event or role, such as a military veteran, politician, or civil rights movement member, to a less
obvious memory of 9/11, living through a major disaster, or recalling a presidential
assassination, everyone is made of history.
Be it family history for genealogical purposes, wanting to know more about grandpa’s
military service, or asking mom what it was like seeing the Beatles on television for the first
time, history shapes us. Studying the past connects us to our family, friends, and community.
We can all have a conversation about where we were on 9/11. Most of us can talk about the
outfit in which mom looked most stunning. We can tell the family stories we’ve heard from
relatives at holiday tables. People LOVE hearing these stories. We love sharing our human
nature with those who do not share our blood. And better yet, we desire to know from what
our own blood is made.
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write a personal history report
about a family member, friend, or community member.
Your subject can be anyone alive discussing any topic within history. If you want to
interview grandma about her childhood, excellent. If your dad lived through a natural disaster
during college, and you want to record this portion of his personal history, great. Maybe you
know a Vietnam veteran. Perhaps your elderly neighbor worked the same postal beat for 40
years before retiring. Whatever it is, I want you to write about it!
Parameters:
-Cover page including: Your name, interviewee’s name, date, topic (grandma’s childhood, etc.),
date of birth of interviewee, place of interviewee’s birth, and names of their parents. (If this is a
relative, it would be a great time to obtain your family tree.)
-12 pt. font, Times New Roman, double-spaced.
-5 pages of interview written as a narrative of the story you received.
-Include at the end of the paper: a copy of your notes, a photo of this person, and 2 pages of
reflection on this experience.
-Speak with me before you start.
*You may also complete this assignment in a video format if you’re technology savvy