Veterans History Project

VETERAN INTERVIEWS

Through the TPS Project, Quincy University is an official partner with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. The Quincy Veterans History Project is a cooperation with the QU Teaching with Primary Sources Program, QU Communications Department, QU Brenner Library, Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy, and the Quincy Public Library. High school students, college students, and community members can conduct oral history interviews with area veterans. Quincy University collects the interviews and prepares them for inclusion with the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, as well as at the university library, public library, and the veteran home library.

Conducting oral histories is a great way for students to develop communication, research, and analytical skills. Through the interview process, the student learns about historical events through the experiences shared by the veteran. The interview adds a new dimension to the content being taught by the teacher.

Along with collecting the interviews and preparing them for submission to the Library of Congress, the TPS project will provide training in conducting oral histories for teachers, students, scouts, and other community members.

Illinois History Fair/National History Day

The Illinois History Fair is an education program that offers students to enter research projects on state and local history. Students can submit either an individual or group entry in one of four different categories: research paper, poster-board exhibit, dramatic performance, and media presentation. The students can participate in local, regional, and the state history fairs. They can also submit their entry for possible inclusion in the National History Day event in College Park, Maryland (the 2008 theme is Conflict & Compromise).

The Illinois History Fair motivates students on many levels to new heights of learning. Students pick a historical topic of interest to them. Their project will take them on a journey to investigate state and local history in and out of the classroom. Students locate sources, read and analyze written and visual material, think critically, write about change over time and choose a format to demonstrate their knowledge. The students efforts become a project that they can be proud of, plus they have sharpened skills which will serve them as they go through life. Not to mention, they will gain an in depth knowledge about Illinois history!

The TPS Project will provide training to teachers interested in being a history coach for encouraging students in creating projects for the Illinois History Fair. The TPS can also come to the school to assist the students in learning how to use primary source materials in their entry and how to locate primary source materials.

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