Minds On
What is an interview?
Check out this episode of Boredom Buster In this video, Laura interviews her dog, Lola!
With a partner, discuss the following questions:
- Can you recall the questions Laura asked Lola?
- What is an interview?
- What do you think is the purpose of an interview?
You can record your responses using a method of your choice.
Action
Interview questions
Once you have decided who to interview, your next step is to create interview questions.
What makes a good interview question?
It is important to ask questions that will lead to more than a simple “yes” or “no.”
Consider the questions that Laura asked her dog, Lola. Being a dog, Lola couldn’t reply to the questions. But many of the questions that Laura asked Lola encouraged her to describe and explain her thinking.
Press ‘Laura’s questions’ to explore some examples of questions Laura asked Lola.
- Do you have any memories from when you were a puppy?
- If you could be any other type of dog breed, which breed would you be?
- What is your favourite TVOKids show?
These questions ask for more than just a “yes” or “no” answer.
Student Tips
“And why?”
Adding “and why?” to the end of a question is a great way to encourage the person to explain their thinking.
Interview a favourite book character
It’s time to practise creating your own interview questions!
Create an inteview with a book character of your choice.
Student Tips
Reread the story
Once you have decided on a character, reread the story that your character belongs to.
Really getting to know a character is important to understanding more deeply what happens in the books we read. It will also help you to come up with questions for your interview.
Come up with five questions that you would like to ask your character. Think about the things you would like to learn about your character.
Complete the Book Character Interview template in your notebook, or use the following fillable and printable document. (For now, just record your five questions, not the answers.)
If you prefer, use another method to record your five questions.
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Title of book: (Blank) Author: (Blank) Name of character: (Blank) Name of interviewer: (Blank) |
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Question 2: |
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Question 3: |
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Question 4: |
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Question 5: |
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Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Book Character Interview.
Activity
(Open PDF in a new window)
Come up with answers to your five questions. How would the character respond to your questions? The trick is to imagine you are the character as you answer your interview questions. This will also help you to explore how well you understand the character and the story they belong to.
Fill in the “Answer” sections of your Book Character Interview template.
Consolidation
It’s time for the interview!
Conduct your interview, using a method of your choice to record it. For example, you could make an audio or video recording of it. Or choose another method that you like better. It’s up to you!
If possible, work with a partner. This way you can decide who will play the role of the interviewer and who will play the role of the interviewee (the book character).
Think about your learning
Use the following questions to reflect on your learning. You can record your responses using a method of your choice.
- How did this book character interview help you to understand the character and the story they belong to?
- What was your favourite part of participating in an interview?
- What was the hardest part of participating in an interview?
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.