MAIN CONCEPT:

By interviewing a fellow classmate students learn about the interview process and practice this technique.

OBJECTIVES:

• To help the students learn about an autobiography.
• To help the students learn about an interview.
• To practice asking questions.
• To help the students practice the interview process with each other.
• To help the students enhance their oral and written skills.
• To help the students become familiar with note-taking.

• Computer, modem, CD-ROM drive, a telecommunications network providing access to the World Wide Web, and a bookmark for Oral History sites
• Word Processing Software
• World Map
• CD-ROM (such as Grolier's Encyclopedia)
• Tape recorders and tapes
• Journals for students to record information
• Portraits of Our Mothers, p.36 & 37
• Remembering, Book 1 & 2
• The New Oxford Picture Dictionary's Listening and Speaking Activity Book, Tape and Activity Sheets by J. Adelson-Goldstein, R. Goldman, N. Shapiro, and R. Weiss

1. Explain how each student has his/her own story to tell and this is called an " autobiography". Define the word "interview".

2. Have the students generate some basic questions to acquire information such as name, address, birthplace, native language, number of brothers and sisters, favorite things (words, food, color, movie, place, book, song. game), best friend or hero.

3. Discuss memories, experiences, and accomplishments. Have the students generate some basic questions. Write these basic questions on chart paper.

4. Working in pairs students speak with a classmate for about 10 minutes asking questions in a practice interview. Using the tape recorders and tapes each student interviews his/her partner.

5. Listening to the tape recording each student takes notes.They write down about five things that they have learned about their classmate in paragraph form.

6. Each student reads the interview summary and their partners comment on it.

1. Students may invite a local reporter to speak to the class about his/her job. Students will listen, discuss and ask questions about the both the oral and written interview process.

2. Students may participate in a field trip to the building of the local newspaper to observe how a reporter interviews, writes and publishes his/her stories.

3. During a field trip to the local radio or television station, students observe a newspaper reporter using the interview process.

4. Using Portraits of Our Mothers, p.36 & 37:

   a. Students describe their mothers as though they were creating a portrait of her. They describe her appearance, manner, bearing, style, her way of relating to her children and others, her values and standards, her person hood and place in the world.

   b. Students explain their mothers to another student. Students write a portrait that is faithful to the kind of person she is and to the kind of life she's been leading.

   c. Students think about which images come to mind when they think of their mothers. First thoughts being most important. The students write the information in an essay answering the following questions about their mothers: What are her goals, dream, her facial expressions. How do you see her in relation to you? What adjectives best describe her?

5. Students read sample oral histories in Remembering, Book 1 & Book 2. Discuss the stories, and compare and contrast each story by relating it to their own life experiences.

6. The New Oxford Picture Dictionary's Listening and Speaking Activity Book, Tape and Activity Sheets, ("Interview" Lessons) Family Survey, p.7; Food Survey, p. 20; Dining Survey, p.35; Housework Survey, p.78; and Sports Survey, p. 147.