Japan at War An Oral History

I continue to love this format for the insight that it gives on the various subjects. I can remember when I was a student and I always loved it when teachers would tell these kinds of stories. I always wanted to be the kind of teacher that could tell stories to students that were outside the "textbook." For me it is what makes history come alive. Many of my students complain about learning about history - they don't like all the reading. They do like it however when I tell them stories - it some how helps them relate. I often get - why do we study history questions but once I tell them a story it becomes more relevant to them. The story about the Homeland and the quote about "congratulations - your husband is going to war" is something that we can compare to the various wars in our country. Certainly WW 2 was a similar act of pride contrasting to the Viet Nam War. In the story Life Goes On it is easy to talk about "their thousand-stitch belts" that would protect them. I think students are already aware of how our soldiers also do things for protection. Also talking about limited supplies is the kind of story that has meaning to students. The story about War Work - Making Balloon Bombs gives great insight to the sacrifices that children made for the war effort. So keep the oral histories coming -- I find them a great teaching tool.