Interviewing and Oral History

Active learning works because interviewing demands real-time social skills like listening and adapting, which cannot be mastered through reading alone. When students practice in pairs or small groups, they build confidence and notice how open-ended questions reveal richer stories than simple yes-or-no answers.

• Class 5
• English
• 4 activities
• 20 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Formulate open-ended questions to elicit detailed personal narratives from interviewees.
2. Analyze interview transcripts to identify key anecdotes and emotional responses.
3. Synthesize collected oral histories into a written narrative that respectfully represents the interviewee's perspective.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of different questioning techniques in gathering meaningful information during an interview.

Expert Panel

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

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.

Prepare & details

What makes a question 'open-ended' and why is that useful in an interview?

Facilitation Tip: For the Interview Prep Portfolio, give a sample portfolio page with sections for research, questions, and reflection to guide students’ structure.

Setup: Standard classroom arrangement with chairs or desks rearranged to seat 4–6 panellists facing the class; suitable for rooms of 30–50 students with a central panel table or row.

Materials: Printed expert role cards with sub-topic reading extracts, Audience question cards (one per student), Student moderator guide and facilitation script, Note-taking framework for audience members, Printed debrief synthesis and individual exit reflection sheets

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Expert Panel

⏱ 25 min·Small Groups

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.

Prepare & details

How do we prepare for an interview to ensure we get meaningful information?

Setup: Standard classroom arrangement with chairs or desks rearranged to seat 4–6 panellists facing the class; suitable for rooms of 30–50 students with a central panel table or row.

Materials: Printed expert role cards with sub-topic reading extracts, Audience question cards (one per student), Student moderator guide and facilitation script, Note-taking framework for audience members, Printed debrief synthesis and individual exit reflection sheets

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Expert Panel

⏱ 45 min·Whole Class

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.

Prepare & details

How can we respectfully represent someone else's story in writing?

Setup: Standard classroom arrangement with chairs or desks rearranged to seat 4–6 panellists facing the class; suitable for rooms of 30–50 students with a central panel table or row.

Materials: Printed expert role cards with sub-topic reading extracts, Audience question cards (one per student), Student moderator guide and facilitation script, Note-taking framework for audience members, Printed debrief synthesis and individual exit reflection sheets

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Expert Panel

⏱ 20 min·Individual

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.

Prepare & details

What makes a question 'open-ended' and why is that useful in an interview?

Setup: Standard classroom arrangement with chairs or desks rearranged to seat 4–6 panellists facing the class; suitable for rooms of 30–50 students with a central panel table or row.

Materials: Printed expert role cards with sub-topic reading extracts, Audience question cards (one per student), Student moderator guide and facilitation script, Note-taking framework for audience members, Printed debrief synthesis and individual exit reflection sheets

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

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.

What to Expect

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

Common Misconception

During Mock Interview Practice, some students may assume closed questions like 'Did you like school?' work best as they are quick.

What to Teach Instead

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.

Common Misconception

During Question Workshop, students might think they can change story details to make them more exciting.

What to Teach Instead

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.

Common Misconception

During Community Story Circle, students may treat the session like a casual chat without preparation.

What to Teach Instead

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.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Question Workshop, provide students with a list of pre-written questions. Ask them to circle the open-ended questions and underline the closed-ended questions, then rewrite two closed-ended questions to make them open-ended.

Discussion Prompt

After Mock Interview Practice, 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?'

Peer Assessment

During Mock Interview Practice, students 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.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students who finish early to record a 2-minute audio clip of their partner telling a vivid story, then edit it to highlight emotional pauses and expressions.
• For students who struggle, provide sentence starters like 'Tell me about a time when...' to scaffold open-ended questions during Mock Interview Practice.
• Deeper exploration: Invite a local elder to share a story, then ask students to write a short reflective piece on how the oral history connects to a current community issue.

Key Vocabulary

Open-ended question	A question that cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no', encouraging a detailed response. For example, 'Tell me about your favourite childhood memory.'
Active listening	Paying full attention to the speaker, understanding their message, responding thoughtfully, and remembering the information. This includes nodding and making brief verbal affirmations.
Anecdote	A short, interesting, or amusing story about a real person or event. In interviews, these add personal colour and detail to the narrative.
Oral history	A collection of personal recollections and memories from people, often recorded to preserve individual experiences and community stories.