the Interview

the objectives:

• Students will describe and apply characteristics of a good interview.
• Students will connect the personal experiences of their interviewees with thematic elements in the Odyssey.

the overview:

Although Homer developed the story of the Odyssey hundreds of years ago, his thematic elements still allow us as a modern audience to connect with the plights, successes, and failures of his characters. Nearly everyone has visited a place outside of his/her hometown and found it to be noticably different from home. People nearly always struggle with the concept of growing up and finding one's place in the world. No matter what, people all acknowledge certain traditions or family values. People seek to be honorable and courageous in the face of tremendous uncertainties. And despite how permanent we may believe our lives to be, people we love and cherish will always come and go, and our reactions to these comings and goings may differ based on our own level of maturity.

the assignment:

• We will think about the thematic elements present in the Odyssey and mold an interview with the awareness of those thematic elements. Your interview should take place in person and not over the phone or through email communication. You may interview anyone you like, including someone in your immediate family. Develop your questions ahead of time, based on the options listed under "the content."
• Before the interview, write out at least 10 questions to use during your interview. You may want to consider contacting your person ahead of time and obtaining some intial information to help you focus your questions. Leave plenty of room to write down the interviewee's answers. It's okay to use several sheets of paper for your interview.
• Consider using a tape recorder / video recorder during the interview to preserve information.
• Before conducting your interview, write the following disclaimer statement on your interview sheet and obtain the signature of your interviewee. This is a necessary element for your grade. Failure to obtain a signature of your interviewee will result in the automatic failure of your project. Disclaimer statement: As an interviewee of (Student Name) I realize the information I provide is for a school project and may be used in the context of the English 9H class. (Interviewee Signature).
• You may choose to add to your intial 10 questions based on your interviewee's answers to other questions. Jot down more questions during the interview so you remember to ask them later.
• You may want to rewrite your questions and your interviewee's answers to ensure neatness and readability. Neatness will count -- if I can't read it, I can't grade it. Retain the original with your interviewee's signature. Again, the interview will not be graded without a signature.
• Be kind and courteous during the interview. Be sure to thank your interviewee for his/her participation both before and after the interview.
• Your interview is due Friday, March 7. The interview will not be accepted past March 10; a late penalty of 10% or one letter grade will be applied to interviews received on March 10.

the content:

Choose one from the following list to determine the focus of your interview.

• an exciting trip or vacation to a location away from our hometown
• a significant, life-changing event and its impact on the interviewee's life
• growing up and its effect on the interviewee's successes / failures in life
• re-discovering a long-lost friend or relative after many years of being apart
• one's personal experience with a guardian angel and the influence it had on the interviewee's life
• other (must thematically link to the Odyssey; "other" topics must be presented to the teacher, in writing, by Wednesday, March 5)

extra help:

If you feel like you need help beyond what is available in the classroom, I will be available before or after school Monday through Thursday in my classroom. I also check both of my email accounts daily and may provide assistance this way as well. I cannot provide assistance if you do not ask; claiming to "not understand" an assignment and not asking for help is inexcusable. If you do not ask for help I will assume you understand the assignment and plan to turn it in, completed, on the due date. Again, this assignment will be accepted NO LATER THAN Monday, March 10. Please plan appropriately.

the values:

• at least 10 hand-written or typed interview questions; questions should be "multi-faceted" as discussed above. ["Explain." does not count as a question -- it should be part of a previous question] -- 10 points
• answers, written in complete sentences, to interview questions -- 40 points
• signature of interviewee (this element is necessary to receive points for this assignment; if this is missing, student will receive ZERO points, even if the interview is complete otherwise) -- PASS / FAIL points

the resources:

• Interview Help http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson17/RWTa27-1.PDF
• Sample planning sheet http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson17/RWTa27-3.PDF

Indiana State Academic Standards met by this project:

10.4.10 Review, evaluate, revise, edit, and proofread writing using an editing checklist.
10.4.11 Apply criteria developed by self and others to evaluate the mechanics and content of writing.
10.6.3 Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization.
10.6.4 Apply appropriate manuscript conventions — including title page presentation, pagination, spacing, and margins — and integration of source and support material by citing sources within the text, using direct quotations, and paraphrasing.
10.7.1 Summarize a speaker’s purpose and point of view and ask questions concerning the speaker’s content, delivery, and attitude toward the subject.
10.7.16 Apply appropriate interviewing techniques:
• prepare and ask relevant questions.
• make notes of responses.
• use language that conveys maturity, sensitivity, and respect.
• respond correctly and effectively to questions.
• demonstrate knowledge of the subject or organization.
• compile and report responses.
• evaluate the effectiveness of the interview.