Slow Way Home

1. Slow Way Home Chapter 17 Unit 6 Lesson 1

2. Sunshine State Standard • LA.910.4.2.2 The student will record information and ideas from primary and/or secondary sources accurately and coherently, noting the validity and reliability of these sources and attributing sources of information;

3. Read Aloud • Chapter 17 of Slow Way Home • As you listen, determine whether you want to interview a character, or be an interviewer. • Determine who you want to interview, or who you want to pretend to be • Teacher will participate as well

4. After you read • Divide into teams of two: the interviewer and the interviewed. • Stage a mock interview, and interview your character • Ask any questions you can think of that will help you understand the character better. • Character try to be as truthful as possible based on evidence from the book. If you must make up information, do so, but keep it believable!

5. Practice • Now, write a one paragraph news story based on the interview. • Be certain to attribute the source for example, • According to (character’s complete name), age (age), “(what he/she says)” if quoting directly, or no quotes if paraphrasing.

6. Teacher • Post your interview paragraph as an example

7. Storycorps • Ok, after that practice session, you are pretty good at interviewing people, right? • Now we are going to visit a website called Storycorps. • This is a national project that is attempting to preserve the stories of normal American citizens and archive them for the future.

8. Storycorps Link • Our mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening. • Since 2003, over 50,000 people have shared life stories with family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is one of the largest oral history projects of its kind, and millions listen to our broadcasts on public radio and the web.Read more…

9. The Great Questions List Topics • Great questions for anyone • Friends • Grandparents • Raising Children • Parents • Growing Up • School • Love & Relationships • Marriage & Partnerships • Working • Religion • Serious Illness • Family Heritage • War

10. How do you choose? • The person whose story you want to preserve? • Think of someone you admire, someone you think has wisdom that need to be remembered • Or, think of someone who has a story that shouldn’t be forgotten • Or, simply think of someone you love and want to honor

11. In the following slides • You will see samples of the sorts of questions you will be asking the person whose story you choose to preserve.

12. Great questions for anyone • What was the happiest moment of your life? The saddest? • Who was the most important person in your life? Can you tell me about him or her? • Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did they teach you? • Who has been the kindest to you in your life? • What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life? • What is your earliest memory? • Are there any words of wisdom you’d like to pass along to me? • What are you proudest of in your life? • When in life have you felt most alone? • How has your life been different than what you’d imagined? • How would you like to be remembered? • Do you have any regrets? • What does your future hold? • Is there anything that you’ve never told me but want to tell me now? • Is there something about me that you’ve always wanted to know but have never asked?

13. Friends • What is your first memory of me? • Was there a time when you didn’t like me? • What makes us such good friends? • How would you describe me? How would you describe yourself? • Where will we be in 10 years? 20 years? • Do you think we’ll ever lose touch with each other? • Is there anything that you’ve always wanted to tell me but haven’t?

14. Grandparents • Where did you grow up? • What was your childhood like? • Who were your favorite relatives? • Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you? • How did you and grandma/grandpa meet? • What was my mom/dad like growing up? • Do you remember any songs that you used to sing to her/him? Can you sing them now? • Was she/he well-behaved? • What is the worst thing she/he ever did? • What were your parents like? • What were your grandparents like? • How would you like to be remembered? • Are you proud of me?

15. Raising children • When did you first find out that you’d be a parent? How did you feel? • Can you describe the moment when you saw your child for the first time? • How has being a parent changed you? • What are your dreams for your children? • Do you remember when your last child left home for good? • Do you have any favorite stories about your kids?

16. Parents • Do you remember what was going through your head when you first saw me? • How did you choose my name? • What was I like as a baby? As a young child? • Do you remember any of the songs you used to sing to me? Can you sing them now? • What were my siblings like?What were the hardest moments you had when I was growing up? • If you could do everything again, would you raise me differently? • What advice would you give me about raising my own kids? • What are your dreams for me? • How did you meet mom/dad? • Are you proud of me?

17. Growing up • When and where were you born? • Where did you grow up? • What was it like? • Who were your parents? • What were your parents like? • How was your relationship with your parents? • Did you get into trouble? What was the worst thing you did? • Do you have any siblings? What were they like growing up? • What did you look like? • How would you describe yourself as a child? Were you happy? • What is your best memory of childhood? Worst? • Did you have a nickname? How’d you get it? • Who were your best friends? What were they like? • How would you describe a perfect day when you were young? • What did you think your life would be like when you were older? • Do you have any favorite stories from your childhood?

18. Your teacher • Has copies of the questions you have just seen in the preceding slides, as well as questions on School • Love & Relationships • Marriage & Partnerships • Working • Religion • Serious Illness • Family Heritage • War

19. Look at the lists for a few minutes • Teacher make the lists available to your students.

20. After viewing the lists • Decide who you want to interview. • Write the person’s name down, and why you have chosen this person. • Decide which list of questions you will drawing from, and write this down as well. • Hand this in to your teacher, but make a copy for yourself so you will remember what you are doing.

21. Get a copy • Of the question list you will be using for your interview from your teacher.

22. Spend a few minutes in class • Practicing asking one another the questions.

23. Decide how to record the answers • Will you use a tape recorder? • A video camera? • Will you simply write the answers down as you ask your person of interest?

24. As a class • Discuss the pros and cons of each method of recording, and determine what will work best for each student.

25. Homework • Interview your person. • Bring the results to class tomorrow. • Remember, the interview can be done by telephone!