Oral History Book

This activity strengthens research and speaking skills. Your child will have to research different periods of time, and then give a lecture on them.

Oral History Book

Required:

Reference materials

Shazam! Your family has been transformed into a living history book, and the title is The History of the World.

Assign a historical event or era (such as the Ice Age, the Middle Ages, the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and so on) to each family member. Each participant uses whatever reference books are available (encyclopedias, textbooks, etc.) to acquire the essential historical facts.

When the research is complete, bring your book to life. Family members each give a three-minute speech about his or her piece of history, present pictures or graphs he or she has drawn or copied, and answer questions from the other participants.

As a follow-up, family historians can mix up the order of their presentations and present a jumbled oral history of the world—perhaps beginning with the latest presidential election, continuing with the Agricultural Age, and ending with the Jurassic period. So, which dinosaur do you think stands the best chance of being elected as the next world leader?

Was this article helpful?