Oral history is a valuable tool for education, community building, and advocacy. Sharing first-person stories from people—in their own words—illuminates issues and events in a powerful way.
Voice of Witness creates oral history resources to support individuals, organizations, and classrooms with ethical storytelling, community-based oral history projects, and human rights education. We have seen firsthand how they resonate with participants of all kinds, inspiring connection and belonging, empathy, and community engagement. All lesson plans are Common Core-aligned and feature social-emotional learning practices.
Learn more about the benefits of oral history and the impacts of oral history education.
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Democracy and Civic Engagement Lesson Plans
This curricular unit on democracy and civic engagement provides students with an accessible way to learn more about this topic through the lens of personal narrative from a range of voices. These stories create a picture of democracy that goes beyond political parties or voting, making space for students to view it in relation to community power, voice, belonging, and resistance.
Lesson Plans • Grades 6-8 • Grades 9-12
Lesson Plan: Introduction to Oral History & VOW Values
This single lesson plan defines ‘oral history’ and introduces VOW’s principles for collecting and sharing stories in an ethical manner.
Lesson Plans • Grades 6-8 • Grades 9-12
Lesson Plan: Oral History Found Poem
This two-day lesson plan guides students through creating a sensory details-focused found poem using an oral history interview as source material.
Lesson Plans • Grades 6-8 • Grades 9-12
Lesson Plan: Journeys and Migration Model Interview
This single lesson plan uses a model interview to demonstrate creating safe and brave spaces by asking open-ended and follow-up questions.
Lesson Plans • Grades 6-8 • Grades 9-12
Lesson Plan: Jobs & Careers Interview
This single-day lesson plan guides students through preparing for an interview around the theme of jobs and careers.
Lesson Plans • Grades 9-12
Lesson Plan: Artifact Interview
This single lesson plan guides students through an oral history interview about an artifact of personal or cultural significance.
Lesson Plans • Grades 6-8 • Grades 9-12
Lesson Plan: Getting to Know You Interview
This single lesson plan supports students having relationship-building conversations in preparation for successful oral history interviews.
Lesson Plans • Grades 3-5 • Grades 6-8
Lesson Plan: Family, Culture, and Traditions Interview
This single lesson plan prepares students for an oral history interview with a family or community member about culture and traditions.
Lesson Plans • Grades 6-8 • Grades 9-12
