PLANNING AN INTERVIEWSpringBoard 1.12; pages 52-53

Learning Target

•Plan and prepare to conduct an effective interview

Interview Narrative Assignment

Interview an adult about a particular coming of age (life-changing experience or milestone during adolescence/young adulthood) moment from his or her life and write an interview narrative that effectively portrays the voice of the interviewee while revealing how the experience contributed to his or her coming of age.

Planning an Interview

• Step One: Brainstorm People to Interview• Step Two: Contact• Step Three: Confirm Appointment• Step Four: Brainstorm Questions• Step Five: Evaluate Questions• Step Six: “Writer’s Checklist”• Step Seven: Transcript and Thank You

Step One: Brainstorm People to Interview

• Make a list of people you might be able to interview. Include only people with whom you could have a face-to-face meeting before the assignment is due

• Ideas:• Relatives• Relative Co-Workers• Relative Trusted Friends• Professionals in your life: Doctors, Dentists, Coaches, Etc.• Past Teachers, Coaches, and Mentors

Step Two: Contact• Contact the people on your list to schedule your interview

with one of them. Let the person know why you are conducting the interview and that some portions may of it may be shared with your classmates

Guidelines:• Professional Language• Courteous and Appreciative Tone• Follow-up Contact Information

Step Three: Confirm the Appointment

Interviews must be held the week of April: ______

Write the details of your appointment:• I have arranged to interview:• Date the interview is scheduled:• Time:• Place:

DUE BY: ____

Step Four: Brainstorm Questions

• Brainstorm a list of questions and possible follow-up questions you might ask during the interview. Keep in mind the focus of your interview as you think of potential questions.• Required Questions: Background• Coming of Age experience, milestone etc.• Follow-Up Questions• Reflection

Step Five

• Exchange questions with a classmate. Have your classmate evaluate your questions. As you read your classmate’s questions, suggest revisions, follow-up questions, or shifts in order as you read.

• Remember you probably will not ask all these questions. Once your conversation begins to flow, you will ask follow-up questions. It is important, though, to walk into your interview with a list of questions to start the interview and to keep it going.

Step Six

• With your group members, preview the “Writer’s Checklist” for the interview narrative. Identify those skills you have specifically addressed within this unit.

Planning: Plan and Conduct the Interview

• Have you arranged a time and place to meet with your interviewee?• Are you satisfied with the list of questions you might ask? If not, revise

them?• Have you considered taping the interview? Or will you simply take hand-

written notes, or both? Have you asked permission to tape the interview?• How will you set up the interview as a conversation rather than an

interrogation? What will you do to remind yourself to ask good follow-up questions rather than simply sticking to the questions on your list?

• What question(s) will you ask to get your interviewee to describe in depth at least one specific coming-of-age incident from his or her “coming of age” (college, military, transformational experience that occurred between adolescence and young adulthood) .

• When you feel that you have adequate information, you can begin to draw the interview to a close. Remember to take good notes and to thank the interviewee.

Step Seven: Transcript and Thank-You

• Following your interview, type your interview transcript with Questions and Answers.

• You will need this transcript to complete your Interview Narrative in-class.

• Send your Interviewee a hand-written Thank You note. You can send them your narrative later when it’s done!

WRITING AND PRESENTING AN INTERVIEW NARRATIVEPages 54-55

Reminders!• You have already done some preliminary planning for this

interview• You should have conducted the interview OR finalized a

subject, time, and a place for the interview

Review• Scoring Guide Criteria• Interview questions• Deadline

Interview Narrative Assignment

Interview an adult about a particular coming of age (life-changing experience or milestone during adolescence/young adulthood) moment from his or her life and write an interview narrative that effectively portrays the voice of the interviewee while revealing how the experience contributed to his or her coming of age.

Interview Narrative Deadlines

• TH, 10/30Drafting• Fri, 10/31 Drafting • Weekend Drafting!!! • Mon, 11/3RD due for peer review and

revisions• Tues, 11/4 Everything due by end of the period!

Pre-Writing: Prepare to write the interview narrative.

What quotes or descriptions of the person will you use to give a vivid picture and create an authentic voice?

Highlight quotes from your transcript.

Use vivid details and descriptions.Appearance: How do you describe the interviewee

looks?

Actions: How is the interviewee acting?

Speech:How is the interviewee speaking?

Drafting: Decide how to structure your interview narrative.• What will you include in the introduction?• Have you included information about the person’s experiences in general and specifically related to college?

• Have you used vivid and precise imagery, carefully chosen diction, and a mix of direct and indirect quotations to convey a sense of the interviewee’s voice?

• Have you focused your conclusion on what you have learned about planning for college yourself?

Revising and Editing for Publication: Review and revise to make your work the best it can be.

• Have you carefully transformed your questions and answers into a narrative?

• Have you arranged to share your draft with a partner or with your writing group?

• Have you consulted the Scoring Guide and the activities to prepare for revising your draft?

• Did you use your available resources (e.g., spell check, dictionaries, Writer’s Checklist) to edit for conventions and prepare your narrative for publication?

Interview Narrative: Reflection and Self-Evaluation• Reflection: A successful interview can be a rewarding experience for both the interviewer and the interviewee. What did you learn that you did not expect to learn, and how would you evaluate the experience for both you and your interviewee?

• Use of Language: Annotate your Narrative. Use the chart to complete an inference based on your narrative.

• Rubric: Assess your own paper, using the sample rubric on the back of this page.

Final Draft: Turn-In Checklist

Staple the following, in order:• Rubric: Write your First and Last name, with period and date

• Final Draft• Pre-Write• Interview Transcript• Self- Review and Reflection