Home > Just for Kids > Oral History > The First Step...Who Do You Interview?

Maybe you want to interview someone who lived a long time before you were born, such as a grandparent. That might seem a bit scary at first. Perhaps you don't know them well, or you're not sure what to ask. One way to get some practice with doing oral history is to start by first interviewing someone whom you're close with-- a family member such as your mom or dad, or a friend. Once you become comfortable with the process of asking questions and listening for answers, you can move on to interviewing other people, such as:

• Grandparents, or other older relatives
• Neighbors where you live, or a family friend
• An older person at a senior center or council on aging, or a senior care home
• Anyone in your family, no matter what their age
• Your teacher
• A town historian or a person who works at your local historical society or museum. He/she might know someone in town who has lived there a long time.
• Anyone whom you think is interesting (if they are willing to be interviewed!)

The older the person, the more likely it is that their life will have surprises for you, and their memories of being your age will be very different from your own life. Oral history can also be a wonderful way to learn about your neighborhood and the immigrant history of your area.