You do not need a museum to find history. History lives right in your own family! Your parents were once kids like you. Your grandparents were kids even longer ago. Their memories are pieces of the past.
When your grandparents were young, many things were different. There were no smartphones or tablets. Music played on records and tapes. Kids mailed letters instead of sending messages. Photos took days to be ready — you could not see them right away!
Every family has stories: how people met, where they lived, and adventures they had. When someone tells you a story from their life, you are hearing oral history — history that is spoken out loud and passed down.
1. Where can you find history without going to a museum?
2. Name one thing that was different when your grandparents were kids.
3. What is oral history?
Write THEN if it belongs to the past, or NOW if it belongs to today.
| Item | THEN or NOW? |
|---|---|
| Watching videos on a tablet | |
| Playing music on a record player | |
| Sending a message that arrives instantly | |
| Waiting days to see your photos | |
| Mailing a handwritten letter to a friend | |
| Video-calling family far away |
Write T for true or F for false in each circle.
You need: a parent, grandparent, or older family member.
Ask these questions and write down what they say. You are collecting oral history!
| Question | Their answer |
|---|---|
| What was your favorite toy as a kid? | |
| How did you listen to music? | |
| What is one family story you love? |
1. What surprised you most from your interview?
2. What story from YOUR life would you like to tell your own kids someday?