Exploring Skyline Farms, Alabama Through Oral History

In this lesson, students will explore the history of Skyline, Alabama through photographs and oral histories. Students will analyze photographs taken by Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographers in the 1930s of Skyline Farms, Alabama, and conduct an oral history of a community member to gain a more thorough and personal understanding of the culture and history of the area. 

Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives: 

The learner will:

  • Understand the Resettlement Administration and its role in creating Skyline Farms, Alabama
  • Analyze photographs of Skyline Farms to gain a better understanding of what life was like there in the 1930s
  • Create a list of interview questions geared at learning more about a specific topic of interest related to Skyline
  • Conduct an oral history project within the community of Skyline in order to learn more about the history and culture of the area
Essential and guiding questions: 

What can oral history add to our understanding of community history, and how can oral history help interpret primary sources such as photographs? 

Lesson Variations

Extension suggestions: 

Marjorie Hunt argues that we are all bearers of tradition, from the young to the old. Oral histories are rich primary sources that offer invaluable insights into our history, culture, and heritage. Part of the importance of conducting an oral history is preserving these first-hand accounts of history and culture for the general public. Have students type a transcription of their interview (For some examples of oral history transcriptions search the Library of Congress Collection, Voices from the Days of Slavery). The heading should include the name of the interview and the interviewee, the location, the date, and if the transcription was edited by the interviewee. Also, have students include copies of any photographs they took during the interview. Make sure the photographs have appropriate captions that describe the image (i.e. who took the image? When was it taken? Where was it taken? What is the image of?) For good examples of titles and descriptions of images, search the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-And-White Negatives Collection (keyword: TVA) and read the titles of some of the images. Work with the librarians at the local school or community library to archive the oral histories. 

Helpful Hints

MATERIALS:

  • Primary Source Analysis Tool
  • Teacher's Guide, Analyzing Photographs & Prints
  • Interview Release Form (page 50 of The Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide)
  • Interview Information Form (page 51 of The Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide )
  • Interview Context Form (page 52 of The Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide)
  • Tape recorder
  • Worksheet 1