history

This assignment requires that you interview at least three people to investigate how people understand the Cold War. If you cannot interview in person, you may interview through email or social media. The following questions are suggested:

1. What words or phrases come to mind when you think of the term Cold War?

2. Did you ever study the Cold War in school? If so, what are some aspects of the Cold War that you remember?

3. Who were the parties involved in the Cold War?

4. Can you name any key events that we mainly associate with the Cold War?

Take notes during your interviews so you can provide quotes in your write-up. If the people you are interviewing are not knowledgeable about the Cold War, do not worry! In this case no data is still data Continue to keep notes in the interview because you will need them later.

Outline for write-up:

Section One: Introduction

Lead off your write-up with 3-4 sentences introducing the topic to your reader. State that this is an interview project with the goal of discovering how people understand the Cold War.

Section Two: Define the Cold War for context

Provide 3-4 sentences summarizing what the Cold War was and why we should know about it. You must cite sources here.

Section Three: What did your interviewees know?

Compare what the people you interviewed know about the Cold War (using quotes) with what you wrote about the Cold War in the above paragraph. How close are they? This is the main section of the paper and may be more than one paragraph. To cite interviews within an assignment you use the form (Last name, date) just as though you were citing any other source. You must cite your interviews because you are using their words.

Section Four: Explain the differences

How different were the definitions? What do you think might be some reasons for that difference? In this section you will use your own ideas (which you do not have to cite) but you may also bring in information about the Cold War from other sources or more quotes from interviews (which you will need to cite). What about if the definitions were the same? Why might that be?

Section Five: Conclusion

Conclude your assignment with 3-4 sentences summing up what you found. Your essay should be 2-3 pages in length (500–700 words).

Reference Note: How to source a personal interview

K.W. Schaie (personal communication, April 18, 1993)