Activity 01
Pairs: Mock Interview Practice
Students prepare five open-ended questions on family traditions, then pair up for a 5-minute interview, switching roles after. They jot key notes and share one insight with the class. Debrief on listening challenges.
What makes a question 'open-ended' and why is that useful in an interview?
Facilitation TipFor the Interview Prep Portfolio, give a sample portfolio page with sections for research, questions, and reflection to guide students’ structure.
What to look forProvide students with a list of pre-written questions. Ask them to circle the open-ended questions and underline the closed-ended questions. Then, have them rewrite two closed-ended questions to make them open-ended.
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Activity 02
Small Groups: Question Workshop
Groups brainstorm and sort 15 questions into open-ended and closed categories, then test three on group members. Refine based on response depth and present top questions to the class.
How do we prepare for an interview to ensure we get meaningful information?
What to look forAfter a role-play interview, ask students: 'What was one challenging part of listening to your partner? How did you ensure you understood their story accurately? What is one thing you would do differently next time to make the interviewee feel more comfortable?'
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Activity 03
Whole Class: Community Story Circle
Invite a community elder for a live interview; students prepare collective questions in advance. Record responses, then discuss in pairs how to represent the story accurately in writing.
How can we respectfully represent someone else's story in writing?
What to look forStudents conduct a short practice interview in pairs. Afterwards, they use a simple checklist to assess their partner on active listening cues (nodding, eye contact) and the use of at least two open-ended questions. Partners provide one specific positive comment and one suggestion for improvement.
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Activity 04
Individual: Interview Prep Portfolio
Each student researches a family member, drafts a question script, and practises aloud. Submit for teacher feedback before conducting the real interview at home.
What makes a question 'open-ended' and why is that useful in an interview?
What to look forProvide students with a list of pre-written questions. Ask them to circle the open-ended questions and underline the closed-ended questions. Then, have them rewrite two closed-ended questions to make them open-ended.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing structure with empathy; they train students to plan carefully but also to remain flexible when emotions or unexpected details surface. Avoid rushing through the listening phase, as active listening is the core skill. Research shows that students improve fastest when they reflect on both their questions and their body language after each practice round.
Successful learning looks like students preparing thoughtful, open-ended questions, listening actively to capture emotions, and representing stories with respect in their writing. By the end of the activities, they should confidently conduct an interview and edit their work to honour the speaker’s voice.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Mock Interview Practice, some students may assume closed questions like 'Did you like school?' work best as they are quick.
After the Mock Interview Practice, stop the class and ask partners to compare how many details they gathered using open-ended versus closed questions, then revise their lists together.
During Question Workshop, students might think they can change story details to make them more exciting.
During Question Workshop, display a sample interview transcript and ask groups to edit it respectfully, removing only vague or unclear parts while keeping the speaker’s exact words intact.
During Community Story Circle, students may treat the session like a casual chat without preparation.
Before Community Story Circle begins, have each student write three planned open-ended questions on a slip of paper and share one with the group to anchor the discussion.
Methods used in this brief