Publishing the history & culture
of Southeastern New England • Since 1981
Publishing the history & culture
of Southeastern New England • Since 1981
Funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council
Volume II by 5th & 6th graders,
New Bedford Public Schools
ISBN 978-0932027- (paper)
Digital Copies Only
8.5” x 11” • Pub. 1995
History Spoken Here, Vol. 2 is an oral history magazine written by the fifth and sixth graders at the New Bedford's Alfred J. Gomes School. The History Spoken Here project, funded in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, focuses on the spoken word on the oral history given by those whole lives collectively define the regions history. Working with Joseph Thomas, publisher of Spinner, students develop writing skills by interviewing family members and friends and learn computer skills by working with graphics and desktop publishing. The project also includes slide shows, film and videography, and field trips to regional industries and historical landmarks. The program stresses learning by doing, putting kids in touch with their roots and showing them that their history is part of the community,
The student interviews in History Spoken Here focus on the lives and cultural heritage of their family or friends, many of whom struggled to succeed in the United States after emigrating from Portugal, the Cape Verde Islands, and Puerto Rico. Other interviews recall life in New Bedford in the 1930's, 1940's, and 1950's. With the History Spoken Here magazine, students not only have the opportunity to learn about their own cultural history, but they also leave the community with a history of itself.
