English Language Arts · 8th Grade

Active learning ideas

Conducting Interviews and Surveys

Active learning works because students must wrestle with the craft of inquiry. When eighth graders design, test, and revise their own interview and survey questions, they confront the real-world consequences of wording, bias, and sampling. These experiences build the critical lens required by CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.7 far more effectively than reading about research methods alone.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.7

• 20–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 35 min · Pairs

Role Play: Interview Practice Rounds

In pairs, one student plays interviewer and one plays an expert on a topic of their choice. The interviewer uses a prepared set of five questions, then reflects on which questions generated the most detailed responses. Partners switch roles, then compare which question types (open-ended vs. closed) produced richer data, recording observations in a simple chart.

Design a set of interview questions that elicit detailed and relevant information for a research topic.

Facilitation Tip

During Interview Practice Rounds, circulate with a clipboard to jot down two concrete examples of question types that confused respondents so you can reference them in the debrief.

What to look for

Provide students with a research scenario (e.g., 'Investigating student opinions on school lunch options'). Ask them to write two interview questions and two survey questions designed to gather relevant information for this scenario.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Survey Instrument Audit

Small groups receive a sample ten-question survey on a school-relevant topic that contains several flawed questions, including leading questions, double-barreled questions, and ambiguous terms. Groups identify each flaw, explain why it would produce unreliable data, and rewrite three of the problematic questions. Groups share their rewrites and discuss improvements.

Analyze the ethical considerations involved in conducting interviews and surveys.

Facilitation Tip

When running the Survey Instrument Audit, assign each pair a different criterion to spotlight during the gallery walk so every bias type gets coverage.

What to look for

Present two hypothetical research findings: one based on interview data (e.g., detailed student quotes about food preferences) and one based on survey data (e.g., percentages of students liking or disliking specific meals). Ask students: 'Which type of data better answers the question 'Why do students dislike the pizza?' and 'How many students dislike the pizza?' Explain your reasoning.'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Qualitative vs. Quantitative Comparison

Present pairs with two sets of data about the same issue: interview excerpts from three people and a bar chart from 200 survey respondents. Pairs identify two things each data type reveals that the other cannot, then share findings with the class. Discussion surfaces when each method is most useful and why real researchers often combine both.

Evaluate the strengths and limitations of qualitative data gathered through interviews versus quantitative data from surveys.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, time the think phase to 90 seconds and the pair phase to 3 minutes to prevent off-task talk while ensuring everyone contributes.

What to look for

Students draft a short survey instrument (5-7 questions) on a topic of interest. They then exchange their surveys with a partner. Partners provide feedback on clarity, potential bias in wording, and whether the questions would yield useful data, using a checklist provided by the teacher.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this by treating question design as a public, iterative process. Model your own revision by projecting a first draft of your questions for the class to critique. Avoid rushing to finalize instruments; instead, insist on small-group peer testing before data collection. Research shows that students revise most effectively when they see their peers struggle with the same wording, so normalize the language tweak over the perfect first draft.

Successful learning looks like students who can distinguish between leading and neutral questions, justify their sampling choices, and explain why certain question types yield richer data. They should articulate how data shape conclusions and adjust their instruments when feedback reveals flaws.

---

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Interview Practice Rounds, watch for students who assume any related question is usable.

  Use the role-play to probe each question: ask students to explain what answer they expect and whether that expectation shapes the wording. If a question has a built-in answer, model rephrasing it as open-ended and record the revised version on the board.

• During Collaborative Investigation: Survey Instrument Audit, watch for students who believe more responses always mean better data.

  Have pairs calculate response rates and examine sample composition using real survey data from a partner group. Ask them to justify whether the sample matches the population they hope to understand.

---

Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share