Lesson Plan 1: Introduction (about 45 minutes)
Students will analyze the power of storytelling and explore the structure of a story.
Lesson Plan 2: Story Structure and Interview Models (about 45 minutes)
Students will discuss what makes an interview and interviewer effective, analyzing models and questions.
Lesson Plan 3: Models of Interviews (about 45 minutes)
Students will continue to analyze interviews, learn about empathetic listening, and learn how to lead an interview.
Lesson Plan 4: Interview Practice and Research (about 45 minutes)
Students will generate their own questions and practice interviewing peers.
Lesson Plan 5: Prepare and Conduct Interviews (about 45 minutes)
Students will view a video about telling stories, practice interview scenarios, and generate questions for their recorded interview with their subject. (Their interview will be conducted outside of class.)
Lesson Plan 6: Code Interviews (about 45 minutes)
Students will code their recorded interviews for themes and begin to pull quotes that they may use to organize their outlines.
Lesson Plan 7: Narrative Outlines (about 45 minutes)
Students will create an outline for their story and seek teacher feedback.
Lesson Plan 8: First Draft (about 45 minutes)
Students will use the Narrative Outlines as a guide, pull quotes from the recorded interview, and write the first draft of their story.
Lesson Plan 9: Peer Editing (about 45 minutes)
Students will edit and share feedback with one or two peers and work on revising their stories based on peer and teacher discussions.
Lesson Plan 10: Final Draft and Reflection (about 45 minutes)
Students will make final revisions to the story based on peer and teacher feedback. They will each submit their final story and photograph of the interview subject to the teacher.
Optional Gallery Event
Students may present or showcase their completed, printed stories and subject photographs at an afterschool or weekend event for the school and/or community. If you choose to have this event, please be certain to invite the interview subjects and their families to attend.