Lessons From The Past

After creating a questionnaire, conducting an interview, and evaluating collected information and data, create a biographical description and presentation that describes the family and individual life of a local senior citizen.

Step # 1: The Investigation and Reporting Team

Organize into groups of four.

· When selecting your group, consider creating a group that reflects a variety of strengths. A successful group would be made up of people that have interest and abilities in writing, reading, speaking, math, science, art and creative presentation of information.

· Most important, make sure that the entire group is committed to completing and doing their fair share on the project.

Step # 2: The Interview Questions

As a school, students will help design a standard set of questions that each group will ask their assigned interviewee. In your instructional blocks, you will brainstorm and propose questions designed to provide you with information that allows your group to create and present a biography combining personal reflection and historically-based statistical data.

Types of questions will be brainstormed in your instructional blocks as follows:

Language Block

Science & Society Block

Math Block

Careers

Identify questions that reflect daily life (social life), and milestones in the individual’s life, time and culture.

Identify questions that reflect significant scientific, technological, political, economic and social changes.

Identify appropriate questions that allow for accurate collection and presentation of data through graphical representations.

Identify questions that reflect educational and career choices (this will take place during the math block).

At the end of each brainstorm session, a final question list will be proposed.

The lists will be reviewed and evaluated by staff. Staff will finalize the questions and distribute the final questionnaire to each group so they can conduct their interview and discuss ideas and strategies for their biographical presentation.

See Final Interview Questions

Step # 3: The Interview

Your group will be assigned a date, time and location to conduct the interview. Some groups will interview the selected senior citizen at the school. Other groups will have the opportunity to visit a senior citizen center or residence home. Regardless of your interview location, it is essential that you display your utmost respect, kindness and compassion during the interview. This includes neatness in your personal appearance. Please dress appropriately. You will also need to remember to speak loud and clear, so that the interviewee can understand the questions. Each interview must include the following:

q Introductions and greetings.

q A general explanation of your project.

q A general explanation of the interview process and the kinds of questions that will be asked.

q Involvement by each member of the group. Each person in the group must have equal opportunity to ask questions.

q A strategy for documenting the result of the interview. Some groups may want to request permission from the interviewee to record the interview. Otherwise, a person(s) will be responsible for taking detailed notes.

q Requesting a mailing address and phone number. You will use the address to send a thank you card and to invite your interviewee to the presentation of your project.

q Conclusions. Make sure to thank your interviewee and express any other appropriate thoughts of appreciation. You may also want to request additional information from your interviewee (i.e. photos and relevant information for your project).

Step # 4: Creating the Biographical Presentation

The group must combine information and resources provided in your Science and Society, Language, Math and Careers blocks with the knowledge and information gained from the interview to create a creative, interesting and engaging biography based on the richness of your interviewee’s life. The biography must include:

q A creative cover page title and introduction.

q A table of contents that combines chronology with an appropriate theme.

i.e. Chapter 1: 1940-1950 - A Changing World and a Changing Family

q A logically sequenced story that provides an accurate reflection of the personal and historical events that has shaped your interviewee's life. Provide specific examples. and

q A well-rounded representation of important individual and historical events that reflect daily social life, culture, careers, science, technology, politics and economic issues.

q A minimum of two graphical representations of significant trends that are collated from all of the Schoolhouse interviews.

q A comparison of school statistics with your interviewee’s individual statistics.

q A creative, thoughtful and reflective conclusion.

Step #5: The Presentation

On Monday, December 10, 2001, your group will be scheduled to report to school at a specific time in order to present your completed biography to a panel made up of 3-4 staff. Your interviewee will also be invited to be part of your panel. Your presentation to the panel must include:

q Four copies of your group’s completed story. The story must be in final draft form.

q An oral 10-15 minute summary of your completed story.

q A short question and answer session between the panel and the group.

Step #6: The Gift

Send or present in-person your completed project to your interviewee as a Christmas gift.

Timeline for Completion

Tuesday, November 20, 2001:

· Finalize Groups

· Introduction to the End of Term Project

· Brainstorm Sessions

Wednesday November 21, 2001:

· Conclude Brainstorm Sessions

Monday November 26, 2001:

· Finalize Questions and Print Questionnaires

Tuesday November 27, 2001:

· Distribute Questionnaires to Groups

Tuesday-Friday November 27-30, 2001:

· Conduct Interviews. Locations and times to be announced.

Monday-Friday December 3-7, 2001:

· Create Biographical Presentations

Monday December 10, 2001:

· Formal Presentation of Project (scheduled time slot for each group

to be announced during week of December 3-7)

contact: school@communityschoolhouse.org