Oral history is a way to to collect information about the past from observers and participants in that past. DOVE offers the resources in this kit to teachers and historians who want to document the history of school desegregation in Virginia by interviewing those who lived it. If you use this kit's process and forms, the histories you collect may be added to the historic record through the online DOVE Collection of oral histories.

If your students will conduct the interviews, lead them through mock sessions so they can practice completing required forms, using the recording equipment, and asking open-ended questions. Show them how to pose follow-up questions that help the storyteller offer details.

PLANNING THE INTERVIEW

1. Gather background information
   • Learn about school desegregation in Virginia and in your local area.
   • Learn about the people you will interview.
2. Formulate questions
   • Use open-ended questions that begin "why, how, where, what kind of" -- avoid yes/no answers.
   • Avoid leading or prejudicial questions.
   • Sample questions are available on the "Cue Card for Facilitator" form [link]
   • Practice asking the questions. Plan for possible follow-up questions that will help the storyteller tell a more complete story.
3. Plan interview
   • Contact storyteller. Ask permission to conduct the interview and explain its purpose. Agree on location and time.
   • Send confirmation letter with Intake Form and Release Form.
   • Make sure you have the appropriate recording equipment (see Equipment tab) and that it is in working order. It is best to use two means of recording with audio and/or video. This ensures that at least one recording will be complete and audible.

CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW

Qualities of a good interviewer include empathy, flexibility, respect, and objectivity. Careful listening is critical.

"In order to handle the problem of interview bias, you must explore your own assumptions, values, and attitudes. An interview does not call for an impossible neutrality. It does demand special self-awareness and self-discipline." (UNC Southern Oral History Program, A Practical Guide to Oral History, page 6)

Before Recording

1. Put the storyteller at ease by ensuring him or her that there are no "wrong" responses.
2. Remind the storyteller of the purpose of the interview and the procedure you will follow.
3. Assist the storyteller with completing the Intake Form if they haven't already done so. Be sure both storyteller and facilitator sign the Release Form.
4. Make an effort to minimize all extraneous noise and distractions.

Recording

1. Once the recorder is running, read the introduction statement on the Cue Card so that the recording includes the context for the interview -- mentioning DOVE, the date and place of the interview, and your name as facilitator.
2. During the interview, focus only on the storyteller.
3. State your questions as directly as possible.
4. Don't let periods of silence fluster you.
5. Avoid interrupting the storyteller. Rather, jot down a quick note that will remind you to ask follow-up questions at an opportune moment.
6. You may need to stimulate the storyteller's memory or supply key facts or dates learned from your background research.
7. Be respectful of the interviewee. Use body language [rather than verbal cues] to show you are interested in what he or she has to say. Remember, the interviewee is giving you the gift of his or her memories and experiences.
8. At the end of the interview, thank the storyteller for sharing his or her experiences.

(adapted from 10 Tips for Interviewers UNC Southern Oral History Program)

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

1. Send a thank-you to the storyteller.
2. Transcribe audio if possible, typing the exact words of the interview into a document.
3. Make a copy of the recording, transcription, and Intake and Release forms.
4. Send audio/video file, transcription, audio file, original Intake Form, and original Release Form/Deed of Gift to:

FORMS

EQUIPMENT

It is always a good idea to have an experienced technician available to record the interview. Using two means of recording with audio and/or video will ensure that at least one recording will be complete and audible. Be sure to test the interview equipment long before the interview, so that any adjustments can be made.

Make sure you have fresh, extra batteries or a place to plug in equipment.

Good sound is essential to a good listening experience and a good transcription. Minimize extraneous sounds during the interview. A good external mic can greatly improve sound quality.

RESOURCES

• Principles and Best Practices (Oral History Association)
• Southern Oral History Program - SOHP How To Guide (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
• Introduction to Oral History Manual (Baylor University Institute for Oral History)
• Oral History Philosophy, Procedures and Evaluation (Columbia University)
• Oral History Workshop (University of Florida)

PDF copy of this Tool Kit

LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEARNING STANDARDS

• Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL): Standards of Learning Documents for History & Social Science - Adopted 2015 ... "comprises the history and social science content that teachers in Virginia are expected to teach and students are expected to learn."
  • SOLs: Connections between Massive Resistance and VA Standards of Learning - A guide for teachers developed by Denise Trombino, Old Dominion University, in 2008.

• Common Core: State Standards Initiative ... "a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA).... Forty-two states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) have voluntarily adopted and are moving forward with the Common Core."

• C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History ... based on the Common Core, this Framework provides states with voluntary guidance for upgrading existing social studies standards.

SAMPLE TEACHER-FOCUSED RESOURCES

• Brown vs. Board of Education and School Desegregation Teaching Resources (NEA). Lesson plans, activities, background information and other curriculum resources

• Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation's children. They provide free educational materials to teachers and other school practitioners in the U.S. and Canada.
  • Segregation Forever? The story of Ruby Bridges, with New Orleans as a case study. Presents highlights from a study (Reece and O'Connell) that shows how the history of slavery shapes present-day patterns of school segregation. Offers a student activity.
  • Perspectives for a Diverse America. A literacy-based curriculum that marries anti-bias social justice content with the rigor of the Common Core State Standards.

• TeachArchives.org. An innovative resource for teachers, administrators, librarians, archivists, and museum educators. It offers sample exercises and informative articles based on a new approach to teaching in the archives.

• Library of Congress - Teaching with Primary Sources. Offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching. Find Library of Congress lesson plans and more that meet Common Core standards, state content standards, and the standards of national organizations.
  • Documenting the American South. Classroom Resources. Highlights the rich educational resources available through DocSouth.

• TeachingHistory.org (National History Education Clearinghouse). Designed to help K-12 history teachers access resources and materials to improve U.S. history education in the classroom.
  • Massive Resistance through Political Cartoons.
  • Television News of the Civil Rights Era. View contemporary coverage of the Civil Rights Movement from two Roanoke, VA television stations.

• Teaching for Change. Provides teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where students learn to read, write and change the world. Includes section on Civil Rights Teaching.

• Civil Rights Teaching. Provides handouts, news, and resources for teaching about the role of everyday people in the Civil Rights Movement. Section on Teaching Resources.

SAMPLE LESSON PLANS & CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Featured: Lesson plans and curriculum projects produced from the Summer 2015 NEH summer institute "The Long Road from Brown: School Desegregation in Virginia."

• Desegregation: Past, Present, and Future. Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Lesson #9, from the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

• Little Rock 9: Integration 0? Collaborative WebQuest on Racial Desegregation in Schools

• Historical Thinking Matters: Teacher Materials and Strategies. Provides resources and guidance for teachers who want to use materials from their site of four investigations

• Lesson Ideas from the School Desegregation in Norfolk, Virginia Collection. Guides developed for use with the School Desegregation in Norfolk, Virginia digital collection by Denise Trombino in fulfillment of an internship she completed at Old Dominon University, 2008.

• School Desegregation: A Community's Response. Class activities (from "For Virginians: Government Matters")

MORE RESOURCES ABOUT SCHOOL DESEGREGATION

• BROWN V. BOARD: Timeline of School Integration in the U.S.

• Timeline of School Desegregation in Virginia (DOVE)

• Timeline of School Desegregation in Norfolk, Virginia (Old Dominion University's School Desegregation in Norfolk, Virginia digital collection)

• This American Life: The Problem We All Live With, Part 1 and Part 2. In this radio show/podcast, New York Times Magazine Reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones makes the case that only one kind of school reform has worked to close the achievement gap between white and non-white students - school integration.

• Resources for Further Study of Virginia School Desegregation (DOVE project)

ARTICLES

• Manfra, M.M. (2009). Authentic intellectual work on school desegregation: The digital history of massive resistance in Norfolk, Virginia. Social Education, 73(3), 131-135. (Access for NCSS members.)