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WPA Life Histories

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/wpahome.html

This site contains manuscripts of interviews written by the staff of the Folklore Project of the Federal Writerís Project for the Work Projects Administration (WPA) between 1936-1940.Ý Manuscripts are accessible by the state in which they originated (20 states are represented), by keyword or phrase, and by title (either the name of the person interviewed or the content, e.g., folklore).Ý As few as one and as many as 435 manuscripts are provided for each state represented. In addition, the site provides suggestions for activities in the arts and humanities, writing, and reading and literature that incorporate these primary sources.Ý Possibilities include the study of vernacular, using the source material to extrapolate literary themes such as the loss of innocence or the consequences of failure, creative writing based upon the styles and topics expressed in the manuscripts, or research into nonfiction.

Middle and high school students and teachers would find this site a rich mine of primary sources from this period in American history, a model for oral histories, and a starting point for personal histories and/or family tales.Ý Assignments integrating Social Studies, Literature, and Language Arts could make varied use of this source.Ý Teachers should ìcruiseî the site with a purpose in mind (or while developing a purpose for an integrated assignment) to be able to assist students in navigating the links successfully.