What Is Oral History?

What Is Oral History? book cover — LET'S FIND OUT SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS WHAT IS ORAL HISTORY XINA M UHL Britannica Educational Publishing IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROSEN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

What Is Oral History? — page 1 — the searCh for history What happens when there is no written history about a time or an event How can you find out what occurred Scientists may be able to make guesses by studying artifacts left behind But artifacts may not tell the whole story What if there is a lot written about a time or event but not about certain groups Such groups can include common people servants slaves those in poverty minorities and women What kind of history do they This early photograph shows enslaved African Americans on Edisto Island South Carolina in 1862 4

What Is Oral History? — page 2 — A young woman tells an African tale Her performance was part of a youth storytelling program during Kwanzaa Vocabulary Artifacts are usually simple objects such as tools or ornaments that show human work These objects represent a culture or a stage in the development of a culture have All groups of people have personal stories memories myths beliefs and more But their history may not be written down Instead it may be in spoken words tales told around campfires at ceremonies and at other events This knowledge is passed down through the generations Oral or spoken history is another way to learn information about the past Let’s explore further 5

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