V.I.P. Project

English - V.I.P. Project.

Objective: To appropriately obtain information from an
interview of another person.

Tools: Digital Camera, Access to computer, Notepad/tape recorder/transportable word processor(Alphasmart), picture cues for reminders of questions

Activities

In class activity:

Students will practice asking questions, and listening to the answers. The questions will be generated at first by the teacher, and eventually students will be encouraged to ask questions they want to know the answers to.

Students will start this project at the beginning of the school year. One day a week will be the V.I.P. Project day in class. On this day one student in class will be selected to be the V.I.P. for the day and another student will be selected to be the class photographer for the day. A third student will be selected to be scribe.

All students will then generate questions to ask the V.I.P. A paragraph will be written (as a group, but the scribe will type it) about the V.I.P. for the day. The V.I.P. will then have his/her portrait taken by a class photographer (who was also taking pictures during the interview.). The picture(s) and paragraph about the VIP will be put in a single PowerPoint presentation - and printed out to make a class book.

Out of class activity:

Students will be put into groups in order to interview teachers, administration, and important employees at their school. Students will be required to request the interview, and generate questions in class ahead of time. The students will work in teams of 2 (one photographer, one scribe) for the interview. They will then compose an article with a photograph to be included in a class newsletter. The article will also be presented to the school newspaper and/or PTA newsletter for inclusion.

Further work:

Students will be requested to interview a family member and take a camera home to take a picture of the family member. A paragraph will be composed about the family member and the paragraph and picture(s) will be made into a final document.

By the end of the school year students will have an idea about how to determine what questions to ask what people (public vs. private etc.). They will also have knowledge about how to compose an article from an interview. Finally students will have some knowledge and practice with important technologies (camera, word processing, PowerPoint, etc.) to be utilized in their lives.