Oral History: 1968

The oral histories contained in the site, The Whole Word was Watching: An Oral History of 1968, are an amazing glimpse into the 1960s. As a child born in the mid 1970s, the decade before me seems an anomaly. I really cannot connect with many of the ‘mysterious’ ways of that generation. My own mother, who graduated from high school in 1968, was sheltered from much of the chaos by her parents. She went off to college but quickly married and began having children. She never really experienced the 60’s lifestyle. I suppose that is why I do not understand much of the thinking behind the actions. While reading ‘Making a Revolution’ by an anonymous female interviewee, I really began to understand why many 60s young adults think they way they do. The big news stories of my life (attempted assassination of Reagan, end of Cold War, Challenger Disaster, 911) have impacted me and the way I think. It is hard to imagine having so many major political figures assassinated in such a small amount of time. I am beginning to see the 60s as a crossroads. In a way, it is Americas’ teenage years when she is trying to figure things out, find her identity.
This is an analogy teenage students today could understand. Perhaps teachers could use stories like this to get kids to really understand this era. I imagine an assignment where students connect what is happening in their own lives to the events of the 1960s in America or perhaps using the oral histories to write and perform hisotrical monologues. Regardless, this site is an example for oral history sites that can be constructed through a partnership between a high school and its community. Perhaps putting this together was the ultimate learning experience for those kids.