Identify a person from an older generation whom you will be able to visit more than one time–someone who is also comfortable having your conversation with him or her recorded for a school project.

Native American Text AssignmentIt should be apparent to you by now that an appreciation for elders and ancestors–those who came before us–is important to many Native Americans. However, the idea that the wisdom of generations resides with our older relatives is not unique to Native American cultures. In the 21st century, the United States more generally is experiencing a revival of interest in recording the stories and wise words of older Americans, and recent technological advances have made such projects even easier. One web site, StoryCorps, is accumulating thousands of stories told by older members of families or communities to younger members, who tend to be more tech-savvy and eager to use online tools.Try it out yourself. Follow the steps below to conduct an interview with an older person in you life. That person can be a parent, grandparent, older family member, neighbor, or someone from a local retirement home. Your goal as you interview this person is to find out what knowledge he or she would like to pass down. What values, experiences, insights, and/or stories can that person share with you? In his or her life, what worked? What trials and tribulations did this person have?Follow these directions to complete this activity.Visit the Storycorps web site, and listen to some of the stories there. Identify a person from an older generation whom you will be able to visit more than one time–someone who is also comfortable having your conversation with him or her recorded for a school project.Generate a list of questions that will help you understand that person’s life. (Visit this section of the Storycorps web site for examples of questions for your interview.)Find a time when you can comfortably sit down and talk to your interview subject.Interview the person you chose. Approach the project in a professional and organized way, and also try to interact in a warm and inviting way that puts your interview subject at ease. (That way, they’ll want to share more stories and ideas.)Edit or compress the audio file you recorded and upload it using the assignment link.This assignment is worth 20 points and will be graded based on the rubric.