Gordon Rule Paper Warning! This is the most important assignment of the class. This assignment fulfills the State of Florida Gordon Rule requirement under the state’s General Education guidelines....

Gordon Rule Paper Warning! This is the most important assignment of the class. This assignment fulfills the State of Florida Gordon Rule requirement under the state’s General Education guidelines. Students must earn a C or better on the assignment to fulfill the Gordon Rule requirement.If a student does not complete this assignment or earn a grade of C or better, then he/she cannot earn a final grade above a D in the course and the course will be counted as an elective.

Given that we are living in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, please use phone calls, Facetime, or another safe meeting platform.Please inform the person whom you are interviewing that the interview contents will be kept private. Only you and the instructor will be made aware of the interview contents.

Objective:The goal of this assignment is to conduct an oral history interview with one of your grandparents, another older relative, or the oldest person whom you know (someone who is at least 40 years older than you) so that you can learn more about them, and how their life intersected with the past. Students will be required to establish contact and set up an interview, create interview questions (using guidelines established within the class), record their interview, review interview, and write a biographical essay using the data collected.

Project Guidelines: Students will be expected to conduct an interview with their relative/friend. Use what you already know about your relative/friend to draft a set of interview questions. It is a good idea to record or film the interview. Once you have conducted your interview, you will then write a 3-5 page biographical essay detailing 3-4 of the most significant events that shaped your interviewee’s life. Essays should draw relevant connections between historical events/topics/themes that have been discussed in class (examples might be WWII, the Vietnam war, immigration, Jim Crow, segregation, the Civil Rights movement, etc). Essays should include biographical information about the person, and some of their responses to your questions. In addition, you might reflect on what aspects of the interview most surprised you? What did you learn from this experience that you did not know before? Did the interview change or maintain your views? Why, or why? Feel free to include any information that you feel significant in the summary. Essays must be between 3-5 pages in length, typed, double-spaced, 12 pt font, and attach your final interview questions (not counted toward the page count). This assignment must be uploaded into the Canvas link bySunday, November 28, by 11:59 pm. (The assignment cannot be submitted late.) The assignment is worth 20% of the final grade.

Oral History Project Grading Rubric

Original Answer 100-90 points Meets the assignment guidelines with minor grammatical or organizational errors.

89-80 Fails to address historical context, does not include questions (and answers) used in the essay, has some organizational and grammatical errors.

79-70 points-Contains errors in organization and grammar, fails to provide historical context, does not provide questions (and answers used), or provides limited information on interviewee.

69-0 Contains plagiarized content, does not contain college level grammar, poorly organized, lacks historical context and information on the interviewee.

Pre-Interview Preparation: Make contact with your interviewee. Explain the class project, and make sure they are comfortable with the assignment. Make sure to set guidelines on what they feel comfortable sharing and/or not sharing for the assignment. It is also a good idea to ask some pre-interview questions (if you don’t already know the answer). For example, ask what year they were born. What city etc? So that you can ask them specific questions about the era/place they were living.

Interview Guidelines: You should come up with a list of at least 10-15 questions.Feel free to use questions that are included below underPossible Interview Questions. You will turn in your interview questions.Some suggestions follow, but remember, this is YOUR relative and you should direct your questions using what you already know about them, and also what you’d like to learn about their life.

Possible Interview Questions

1. 
   In what year were you born? In what city/state were you born?


2. 
   Is it ok if I record/film our conversation?


3. 
   How has the city/state where you grew up changed?


4. 
   Can you tell me about your childhood? Your early family life?


5. 
   What are some of your earliest memories growing up in_______________?


6. 
   Growing up what school did you attend? Did you attend a segregated school? (If yes, you might ask these follow up questions)
   
   
   1. 
      Can you describe when you began to realize what segregation was?
   
   
   2. 
      How did you feel about the system of segregation?
   
   
   
   

• 
  What did you think about integration?

1. 
   What was your experience with integration? Did you encounter problems?


2. 
   In what year was your school integrated?


3. 
   How often did you have interactions with people of the opposite race while you were growing up?

• 
  How would you describe some of these interactions?


• 
  Do you recall any violent episodes in _______ between whites or blacks?

1. 
   Do you recall any civil right demonstrations in ___________ ? Did you participate? What did you think about the Civil Rights movement? Etc.

7. 
   What are your fondest memories of your childhood?


8. 
   Are there any historical events that stick out in your memory from your childhood that were personally significant to you?


9. 
   In what ways did your upbringing affect the rest of your life? Are there any particular events that stand out to you?


10. 
    Can you tell me more about your life after you left home? Your first job?


11. 
    How/when did you meet your spouse? What did you think when you first saw them?


12. 
    At the time you were growing up what was expected of a young man/young woman? How do you think this has changed today?


13. 
    When you were growing up did you feel that you could be or do anything? Did you feel that you had limitations on what you could do based on your ethnicity, race, gender, etc?


14. 
    Did you participate in any Civil Rights activities or other demonstrations during the 1950s-1960s?


15. 
    How was your life affected by WWII? The Vietnam War? Other wars? Did these wars affect your life or the way you viewed things? Please explain.


16. 
    Are there any ideas that you had when you were young that have changed now that you are older? Why and when did they change? Please explain.


17. 
    What is one thing you’d most like for me to know about you?


18. 
    What are the most important things that you’d like people to remember about you?


19. 
    Do you have a motto that you live by? What influenced this motto?


20. 
    If you had to select a few moments in your life that were the most personally significant that you feel represent a catalyst for growth and maturity, or the development of a personal philosophy or a revelation, what would they be?

Here are additional questions that you can consider asking. Please ask your interview subject to elaborate on their answers.

21. Did you grow up in a small or large family?


22. Did you grow up with both your parents?


23. Did you have siblings?


24. Did you grow up with your grandparents around?


25. Did you move frequently during the years that you were growing up (between birth and 18 years old)?


26. Did you always live in the same place?


27. Did you grow up in an apartment, house, farm setting, city, military base, etc.?


28. Did you grow up in a city or small town?


29. Did you know your neighbors?


30. What were your favorite things to do as a child?


31. Did you have a favorite toy or game that you play with?


32. Did you have hobbies? Did you play sports when you were growing up?


33. Did you play with your siblings or kids in the neighborhood?


34. Did you play outside?


35. Did you have a best friend?


36. Do you remember any big events that happened to you as a child (for example, more siblings, moving, parents divorced, death in the family, theft, weather related, health problems)?


37. Do you remember who the president was when you were growing up?


38. Do you remember any big events happening in America or the world when you were growing up?


39. Did you work when you were growing up (under 18)? Did you help support yourself or your family?


40. Did you date before you reached 18? Did you cook? Did you have household responsibilities?


41. Who was your role model? Did you have a famous person whom you admired?


42. Did you have a crush on anyone when you were growing up?


43. Did you win awards when you were growing up? Did you get in trouble (at home, school, frequently)?


44. Did you watch television when you were growing up? What was your favorite television show? What was your favorite restaurant?


45. What was your favorite meal?


46. What was your favorite movie?


47. Did you attend college?


48. What did you do for a living?


49. Did you stay with the same employer or did you work for multiple companies?


50. Did you establish your own business?


51. Did you serve in the military?


52. Did you get married?


53. Have you been married more than once?


54. How many children do you have?


55. How has the pandemic changed your life?

Interview Day: On the day of the interview have your questions and materials (phone, notes, writing utensils, computer, etc.) ready. Remember that your interviewee may feel a little bit uncomfortable or nervous so remember to be professional and sensitive during the interview process.

After the interview, use your recording or notes to draft your essay.