Project # 4 & Instructions for Final Paper

BEH SCI 382 – Winter 08: Interviewing an Older Adult

A Living History Experience

This is a project in which you will play the role of historian. Your task is to interview a family
member that is 65 years or older and to record the facts you learn. To be a good interviewer you
must listen carefully while you record the responses. Make your notes as complete as possible.
With your interviewee’s permission, you may choose to record the interview and transcribe your
notes at a later date. The goal of this project is to gather information about your family member
that will enrich your knowledge about them. For those of you that do not have a family member
65 years or older, you can interview a friend, neighbor or interview an older adult from a local
nursing home.

You are required to ask all the questions below. If your interviewee chooses not answer a
question, go on to the next question and note that in your paper. You will turn in the responses of
your interview in a typed paper. Also, in your paper you will answer the questions in Section
Seven comparing your responses with your interviewee’s responses. Both the interview
responses (Section One through Six) and Section Seven are due Feb. 21st. Late papers and
hand written papers will not be accepted.

On Feb 28th or March 4th you will present a 10-15 minute presentation on your Living History
Experience. You can discuss any portion of your interview. Please make sure to let your
interviewee know that you will share their responses with the class (make sure it is okay!). With
the permission of your interviewee, take a photo and ask if you may have additional photos when
they were younger (get as many photos as you can!). These photos should be included in a
powerpoint presentation. The goal here is to introduce the class to your interviewee while sharing
some of their responses. The powerpoint presentation is worth 25 pts and the paper 50 pts.

Interview Questions:

There are six sections to the interview: Section One focuses on the early history of the
interviewee, Section Two on Early Childhood, Section Three on the Teenage Years, Section
Four: Jobs/Hobbies, Section Five: History, Section Six: Conclusions. In Section Seven, you
will answer questions about the interview and the process of interviewing an older adult. You
will then end your paper by answering 11 questions (listed below in Section Seven) comparing
your answers to the responses from your interviewee. You will discuss why you think your
answers were different or similar.

Section One: Beginning Questions

When and where were you born?

Did your parents tell you anything about the day you were born?
Where did you live most of your childhood? Where else did you live?

How many brothers and sisters do you have or did you have?

Section Two: Early Childhood

What was it like to grow up in your hometown or neighborhood?

Tell me about your early schooling.

Did you have any heroes when you were growing up?

Describe a memorable experience from your childhood. It can be humorous, sad, or the first
thing that comes into your mind.

Section Three: Teen Years

What were the dating practices like?

Describe the first person you dated or your first dance?

What was the most difficult thing about being a teenager?

In your younger years what did you do for fun?

Section Four: Job/Hobbies

What was your first paid job and how old were you?

What was your last paid job and how old were you?

What were your hobbies as a younger adult? Have they changed over the years? If so,why?

Section Five: History

What major events in history do you remember?

What are two of the most important changes you have seen in the world in your lifetime?

How do you think family life has changed over the years?

Section Six: Conclusion

What are the most important problems facing the world today?

What is the best thing about being an older adult and what is the worst thing?
If you could give one piece of advance to younger adults to prepare them for older adulthood
what would it be?

Section Seven: Question for you to address in your summary:

About the Interview

 What was the most surprising piece of information you learned about your interviewee?
 What question did your interviewee find the least comfortable to answer? Speculate
Why?

 What did you learn in general about interviewing an older adult?

 Did the interviewee conform to stereotypes about aging?

Answer the following questions and compare your answers to the responses from your
interviewee. Discuss why you think your answers were different or similar.

What was it like to grow up in your hometown or neighborhood?

Did you have any heroes when you were growing up?

What were the dating practices like?

Describe the first person you dated or your first dance?

What was the most difficult thing about being a teenager?

In your younger years what did you do for fun?

What are two of the most important changes you have seen in the world in your lifetime?

How do you think family life has changed over the years?

What major events in history do you remember?

What are the most important problems facing the world today?

If you could give one piece of advance to younger adults to prepare them being an older adult
what would that be?