STUDENT INTERVIEWS
The Skill of the Interview

Developed by:
Sandy Scragg
wwww.sandyscragg.com
Murry Bergtraum HS
New York, NY

Instructional Objectives: 1) Students will be introduced to each other, 2) Students will understand the interview process, 3) Students will read published interviews, 4) Students will learn the skill of interviewing.
 

Time Required: two 45-minute class periods
 

Materials/Resources Required: use website (http://teachersnetwork.org/teachnet-lab/mbhs/scragg/interview.html)
 
 

Procedures: Do not give the students much direction. This exercise is for them to learn that they already know something about the skill of interviewing.
 

DAY ONE
1) Have them pair off and interview each other. The teacher may need to get involved if one student does not have a partner. Allow them to talk for the whole period, and remind them when 1/2 the class is over because then they need to switch off and the other person needs to be interviewed.
 

HOMEWORK: Write up the interview into a news story, a profile on the person you interviewed.
 
 

DAY TWO
1) Ask some students to read aloud some interesting information they found out about the person they interviewed.

2) Ask students to write a reflection on the interview process. How did it feel asking questions, how did it feel responding to questions?

3) Direct students to the interview web page (see link above). Ask them to discuss the 2 quotes at the top of the page. Discuss what the quotes mean, what their attitudes are about interviewing.

4) Read the list of interviewing tips. Stress that the interview is a skill and it's a crucial skill in journalism. Ask students to comment on which ones make the most sense, whether or not they agree with the advice, what stood out for them.

5) Have the students count off by twos. The ones will read the Puffy Combs interview. The twos will read the Mary interview and they will answer the questions below for homework.
 
 

HOMEWORK:     #1--For ones, what questions received the best responses?
                                Was there a question that you would have asked?
                                Did you notice a pattern in the way the interview was structured?
 
                                #2--For twos, make a list of questions that you think were asked to elicit the responses given by Mary.
                                How much of the article was made up of quotes from Mary versus comments made by the interviewer?