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50 Learning to Interview

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280
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Write on Track

Learning to Interview

Start-Up Activity

Start this chapter off with a light-hearted energizer: Show your students the classic Abbott and Costello routine, "Who's on First?" In it, Costello is trying to interview Abbott about the people on a baseball team, but because Costello has not done any preparation, the interview does not go as planned. Afterward, discuss how a little preparation would have helped Costello ask much better questions.

Think About It

“My interest is in people—what they do and what they say.”

—William Zinsser

You are viewing: 50 Learning to Interview

49 Telling Stories
51 Listening to Learn

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State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.7

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2.D

Page 281 from Write on Track

What Is an Interview?

Lead students through the tips for preparing for an interview. Let them know that if they have gathered strong questions, they will be able to learn the most from the interview subject. Strong questions can't be answered just "yes" or "no." Instead, they start with how, what, or why? 

In-person and phone interviews allow students to ask follow-up questions, but they require good-note taking skills. Email interviews don't make follow-up easy, but they allow the interviewee time to respond and the chance to make the words say exactly what they want.

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Page 282 from Write on Track

During and After the Interview

Before your students conduct their interviews, review with them the tips for introducing themselves, asking questions, listening, and taking notes. Point to the first note card that the student used for questions and answers (top of page 283). Then have students interview their subjects.

After their interviews, teach students how to turn the answers into a report or short talk. Direct students to the sample report from an interview (page 283).

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Page 283 from Write on Track

An Interview in Action

Have a volunteer read the questions and answers from Gabi's interview with her uncle, Joe Cotto. Then have a different volunteer read the report. Ask students to find where Gabi included the information from her two questions. Discuss how Gabi most often paraphrased her uncle's responses, including just one quotation.

Ask students to write a similar report or speech based on their interviews.

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