A story in the Dec. 18 Howard County edition of The Sun erroneously described teacher David Weeks. Mr. Weeks teaches humanities at Glenelg Country School for students in 10th, 11th and 12th grades. Sandy Bishop is the eighth-grade social studies teacher in charge of that grade's oral history project.
The Sun regrets the error.
When it comes to studying history, there's nothing like learning it from the people who were there.
That's what eighth-graders from Glenelg Country School found out recently, as they interviewed senior citizens from throughout the county about the Great Depression, World War II and other 20th-century events.
The session, at the Fifth District Volunteer Fire Department in Clarksville, was part of the 5-year-old Intergenerational Oral History Project sponsored by Glenelg and the county's Office on Aging.
The project is the brainchild of David Weeks, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at the Glenelg school.
"As a history teacher, I wanted to give the students an opportunity to learn the value of the oral history tradition and to recognize that seniors are the keepers of living history," Mr. Weeks said. "It has to be a reciprocal relationship."
Oral history involves interviewing people about their experiences during a particular era as a way of bringing history to life through their first-hand accounts.
For senior citizens, "The project is . . . a time for them to reflect back on the experiences they had. It's sort of like a review."
At the recent event in Clarksville, 22 senior citizens met with 33 students to discuss their memories of life earlier in the century.
Each senior and student had chosen a particular topic, such as the Great Depression, the Roaring '20s, World War II and "Growing Up in Howard County," and were matched according to their interests. Before the interviews, students researched their topics.
Dan O'Keefe and Brian Kim interviewed Dan Witter, a 63-year-old Columbia resident who worked 18 years as a public affairs officer for NASA. Both students were attentive as Mr. Witter talked about the space program and seeing space shuttles "go through the sky like falling stars."
Mr. Witter also made suggestions to the students about how to make oral presentations, a requirement at the conclusion of the project next month, when students meet with seniors to present what they have learned.
At another table were Guy Nichols, an 80-year-old Clarksville resident, who shared his D-Day experiences, and Bill Mills of Elkridge, a 76-year-old World War II veteran. Both men were questioned by Jeff Krawczak, Paul Kumar and Blake McKeever.
At yet another table, student Kevin Eyre talked with 62-year-old County Council Chairman Charles C. Feaga, a farmer, about agriculture.
"I learned what life was like on a farm," Kevin said. "Mr. Feaga lived on his dad's farm and had to get up at 4:30 a.m.; he went to bed at 10 p.m."
The young man also learned the difference between alfalfa and clover hay, learned about milking machines, tractors, and about wheat, barley and corn crops.
Students Meredith Jacob and Jennie Meyerson seemed intrigued by stories of the Great Depression told by Barbara Phelan, 71, who lives in Elkridge.
"A couple of years ago, my daughter wanted me to go camping," Mrs. Phelan told the girls. "I told her I 'camped' years ago when we used kerosene stoves, outhouses, and dishpans for washing dishes."
Having concluded their interviews, students and seniors chatted informally over lunch.
"The students are so interesting," said Annie Cooney, an 85-year-old Highland resident who talked with students about the 1920s. "I like to see how they are dressed and what their questions are."
The students seemed just as intrigued.
"We have been talking to people who have been there," Meredith Jacob said. "This is about real people; you don't get that from a book."