Oral Histories for Your Classroom

This collection of oral history excerpts is from the Ellis Island Oral History Collection, which includes approximately 2,000 full interviews. The following audio clips (with accompanying transcripts) have been specifically selected to be useful in your classroom, either as part of a lesson plan from this website or integrated into your curriculum. For your convenience, both the audio file and the transcript can be accessed online and also downloaded and saved for use later without needing to be connected to the internet.

Trying New Foods

• Kathleen Remembers Trying Pizza
• Paul Remembers Trying Sandwiches
• Isadore Remembers Trying a Tomato

Immigrant Expectations

• Catherine Remembers Her First Day in America
• Catherine Remembers the Gaslights
• Gertrude Remembers Going to Chicago

Traveling to America

• Morris Remembers the Steamship
• William Remembers the Storm
• Emma and William Remember Packing

Experience at Ellis Island

• Elda Remembers the Eye Exam
• Catherine Remembers the Hair Exam

Holding onto Homeland Traditions

• Emilie Remembers Cultural Festivities
• Charles Remembers Maintaining His Jewish Identity
• Helen Remembers Hungarian Lullaby

Adjusting to Life in America

• Gertrude Remembers Changing Her Name
• Knud Remembers Hardships Caused by the Language Barrier
• Anna Remembers Meeting Family Members
• Birgitta Remembers Starting School
• Catherine Remembers Mother Learning English
• Friedrich Remembers Being Called a "Greenhorn"
• Armen Remembers Trying to "Fit In"

Looking for ideas on how to utilize these oral histories in your classroom?

The Library of Congress' Using Primary Sources page for teachers contains steps for using primary sources in the classroom, teacher's guides, analysis tools, and other helpful information for teachers.

The National Archives' Getting Started with Primary Sources in the Classroom page for teachers contains information and resources about using primary sources, resources for National History Day, and links to "Today's Document" and "DocsTeach" online resources.

If you have any suggestions for other Oral History topics you would like to see available on this page, please e-mail us.