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Beginning of the Year Interviews

Time Frame: Two weeks (early September)

Lesson 1: Introduction to Interviewing • Short discussion to describe interviewing o What do you already know about interviews? o Where do you hear or see interviews? o Why do people interview? What’s the purpose? o What makes an interview memorable or interesting? • Explain how we will use interviewing to learn about each other • Show students the Katie Couric interview/video from youtube/user/reportercenter - http://www.youtube.com/user/reporterscenter#play/user/561E221DA45F7F8D/0/4eOynrI2eTM • As a class, identify qualities of a good interview from the Couric video. Teacher records class responses.

Lesson 2: The Art of Questioning • Identify types of questions o Yes/no (open/closed) o Question starters • Tell me about… • Why do you think… • How do you feel about… o Follow-up questions • Introduce class blog o What is a blog? o Blog etiquette o Answering questions and responding to classmates o How to access from home o Discuss homework (Blog question: Compose five questions for our new principal. Be sure to consider the types of questions we discussed in class today).

Lesson 3: Appropriate questions • Discuss homework o Blogging experience o Share examples of questions from the blog • Appropriate questions vary depending on the person you’re interviewing • Know your subject • Do some background research • Watch Tavis Smiley discussing the interview as a conversation – http://www.youtube.com/user/reporterscenter#play/user/561E221DA45F7F8D/6/loPmtnxI12o • As a class make additions to list of qualities of a good interview from Lesson 1 (be sure to discuss the importance of following a line of questioning; don’t just stick to the plan if it’s more interesting to follow another train of thought)

Lesson 4 – Class Project – Interviewing Our Peers • Apply what we’ve learned to our class project - o As a class, list questions to avoid • What do we already know about each other? • Age • Where we live • School • Siblings • Camp • Avoid the basics • What kinds of questions will elicit an interesting answer? • What do we really want to know? Share examples: o What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? o What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? o Ask students to come up with five questions they think would generate interesting answers o Share questions and create a class list

Homework: Use three of the questions from our class list in an interview with a parent. Try to focus on having a conversation not just asking three isolated questions. Take notes in your Social Studies notebook. Remember not to write every word. Then respond on the class blog: How did this experience go for you?

Lesson 5: Capturing an Interview with Audio (Teacher reminder – book mobile lab or computer lab time) • Discuss homework from previous lesson – How did it go? o Challenges o What went well? o Taking notes during the interview o Surprises – Did you talk about anything unexpected? o Did the questions you used work? o Did your interview become a conversation or was it just questions and answers? • Introduce how to record an interview o Tools – computer with free downloadable program “Audacity” o Practice using tools with a partner • Choose a question to ask your partner • Record responses • Regroup and discuss experience

Lesson 6: How to Conduct an Interview (Book mobile lab or computer lab for Lesson 8) • Watch Katie Couric interview/video from youtube/user/reportercenter again – http://www.youtube.com/user/reporterscenter#play/user/561E221DA45F7F8D/0/4eOynrI2eTM o Review list “Qualities of a Good Interview” • Be sure to include how to use your voice • Intonation, no monotone voices • Speed • Be clear, don’t mumble • Discuss how to make your guest feel comfortable • Discuss introductions and how to begin the interview – don’t just jump in to the questions • Discuss how to end appropriately – don’t just get up and go • Assign partners

Homework: Write a list of at least ten appropriate questions for your interview (in your Social Studies notebook). Be sure to have at least one follow-up question for each. Remember – you may not use all of your questions but you should be prepared to hold a ten minute interview in class on.

Lesson 7: Modeling an Interview (Teacher reminder – after this lesson print class set of “Qualities of a Good Interview”) • Watch teacher-created mock interviews • Discuss positive/negative aspects of interviews • Make any additions to class list “Qualities of a Good Interview”

Lesson 8: Conducting Our Interviews • Discuss computer lab etiquette - Voice volume • Distribute copies of “Qualities of a Good Interview” • Review how to use “Audacity” • Students conduct interviews at a shared computer

Homework: Respond on the class blog about this experience.

http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=3734279183365468428

http://5bintrotointerviewing.blogspot.com/?zx=eb470578482bcbd0

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