English · Class 12

Active learning ideas

The Interview: Media Representation

Active learning helps students see how interviewers shape narratives through question design and editing. When students role-play interviews, they experience firsthand how framing decisions influence public perception. These activities make abstract concepts like bias and power visible through concrete, collaborative tasks.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• CBSE: Flamingo - The Interview - Class 12

• 35–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Press Conference
• 45 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Mock Political Interview

Assign roles as interviewer, interviewee, and editor to small groups. Groups prepare 5 questions with biased framing, conduct a 5-minute interview, then edit a recording to alter the narrative. Class discusses changes in perception.

Analyze how different media outlets might frame an interview to achieve a specific narrative.

Facilitation Tip

During the Mock Political Interview, provide a list of sample questions that subtly guide responses toward positive or negative portrayals of the interviewee.

What to look for

Present students with two short, contrasting news reports about the same politician's interview. Ask: 'How does the language and focus differ between these two reports? What specific words or phrases reveal the underlying narrative being constructed by each outlet?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Press Conference
• 40 min · Pairs

Clip Analysis: Framing Stations

Set up stations with short video clips from news channels. Pairs watch one clip, note question types, body language, and editing effects, then rotate to compare across outlets. Groups present findings on a shared chart.

Evaluate the responsibility of both interviewer and interviewee in shaping public opinion.

Facilitation Tip

At each Framing Stations clip, give students a one-page handout with guiding questions about camera angles, editing cuts, and interviewer tone.

What to look for

Provide students with a brief transcript excerpt from an interview. Ask them to write two sentences: 'Identify one technique used by the interviewer that might shape the interviewee's response or the audience's perception. Explain one potential consequence of this technique.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Formal Debate
• 50 min · Whole Class

Formal Debate: Ethical Responsibilities

Divide class into teams for and against 'Interviewers hold more power than interviewees.' Provide evidence from the text and real cases. Teams debate in rounds, with whole class voting on strongest arguments.

Predict the potential impact of a poorly conducted interview on a public figure's reputation.

Facilitation Tip

For the Debate on Ethical Responsibilities, assign clear roles (interviewer, interviewee, public) and provide a 5-minute prep time before structured arguments begin.

What to look for

Show a 2-minute clip of a celebrity interview. Ask students to quickly jot down: 'What is the main point the interviewer seems to be trying to make? What is one question that could have been asked to explore a different angle?'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Narrative Frames

Students create posters showing 'positive' and 'negative' interview framings from print media. Groups walk the gallery, annotating influences on public opinion, then vote on most manipulative examples.

Analyze how different media outlets might frame an interview to achieve a specific narrative.

Facilitation Tip

In the Gallery Walk: Narrative Frames, place QR codes on each poster linking to the original interview clips for students to revisit while analyzing framing.

What to look for

Present students with two short, contrasting news reports about the same politician's interview. Ask: 'How does the language and focus differ between these two reports? What specific words or phrases reveal the underlying narrative being constructed by each outlet?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with short, real interview clips to spark curiosity about power dynamics. Research shows students grasp media bias better when they analyse examples from their own cultural context, so use Indian celebrity or political interviews. Avoid lectures on theory—instead, let students discover concepts through structured activities and guided reflection. Emphasize process over perfection: students learn more from messy edits and debates than from polished final answers.

Successful learning looks like students identifying framing techniques in real interviews and justifying their observations with evidence. They should articulate how question choices, tone, and cuts shape audience understanding. Peer discussions should reveal awareness of media power dynamics in shaping public opinion.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Mock Political Interview, some students may assume their role-play must present an objective truth.

  During the Mock Political Interview, remind students that even their improvised questions and tone will shape how the audience perceives the interviewee. After the activity, have them compare their edited clips to identify which framing choices introduced bias.

• During the Debate on Ethical Responsibilities, students might believe interviewees have full control over the final story.

  During the Debate on Ethical Responsibilities, use the role cards to show how interviewers guide narratives through question framing. After debates, ask groups to map who held power in their simulation and why.

• During the Clip Analysis: Framing Stations, students may think poor interview techniques have only temporary effects.

  During the Clip Analysis: Framing Stations, ask students to track how edited clips circulate online. After analysis, have them predict long-term reputational damage by examining viral examples, such as how a single phrase gets looped in WhatsApp forwards.

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Methods used in this brief

• Press Conference
• Formal Debate
• Gallery Walk