Family Interview
In Search of Self- Identity and Sense of Self
Teacher Page
student version of this page OR back to the Identity and Sense of Self home page

Key Concept:

Events that happen in our lives may affect the way we see ourselves and where we end up in the long run. The significance of an event may be different in everyone's eyes. Students will interview a parent, guardian, or close family friend to see what events other believe have impacted their character the most.

Objectives:

Students will be able to
- speak to share thoughts, opinions, and feelings
- write for a variety of purposes including to reflect, clarify and explore ideas
- recognize writing as a process of constructing meaning for self and others
- confer with peers and teachers
- demonstrate the ability to trace a coherent thought pattern to a suitable conclusion

Assessment and Evaluation

Teaching-Learning Strategies:

students begin writing their comparison/contrast paragraphs describing the significant events in their lives, they must establish what those events are.

Task One: Significant Events in Our Lives

Have students complete the following tasks:

1. Write down three significant events that have occurred in their lives and explain the outcome that each event has had on who they are today.

You may want to give the students some examples to get them started. For example: A parent's divorce, a remarriage, or a death in the family are three examples of events that would have a significant impact on a child/teenager's life. Other examples might include: drug or alcohol use, being held back in grade school, failing a class, or choosing the wrong group of friends.

2. Generate a list of 10 questions that they would like their parents, guardians, or family friend to answer about them and their life so far. During the interview they conduct, they will ask these 10 questions.

These questions can range from 'how old was I when I first started walking?' to 'where would you like to see me in 5 years?' You may have to give the students a few hints to get them going.

3. Ask their parent, guardian, or family friend to list three events they feel have impacted the students' life as well as how that person feels each event impacted the outcome of who the student is today.

an interview, it is important for the student to take notes so they can refer to them later. While they are interviewing their subject, they will need to jot down all important facts.

Task Two: Interview

Students often get caught trying to write down too much. This is a good time to review jot notes. For example: If the student's question is - How would you describe me? Help the the students to see that if they simply jot down key words (such as helpful) and then make a note of any examples (helps friends with homework) they will get the necessary information without rushing to write down everything their subject is saying.

Have students conduct their interview with their parent, guardian, or family friend.

Encourage the students to share the events that they thought were significant with their subject.

Students have now gone through the first stage of the writing process and are ready to continue to the drafting stage.

Task Three: Writing it Down

Now that students have their significant events from both their perspective and another's perspective, they are ready to begin drafting their comparison/contrast paragraph. Give students specific guidelines to follow for this assignment such as the ones listed on the student version of this page.

Students may need a refresher on writing effective paragraphs. 

Once students have completed their rough copy, they should continue the writing process by peer editing each other's paragraphs with the following paragraph checklist.

Task Four - Considering it All

students have handed in their assignments, they may need some time to consider how differently or similarly they see themselves compared to how others see them.

Have students answer the following question in their reflective journals:  What most surprised you about the answers you received in your interview? 

Resources:

- Writing Process
- Comparison/contrast paragraph
- Writing Effective Paragraphs
- paragraph checklist
- Paragraph Evaluation Guide (.doc) or (.rtf)

Assessment and Evaluation:

Tasks One and Two will allow the teacher to informally assess the students use of class time.  Students will be working individually on their interview questions, as well as their own personal list of significant events. 

Task Three allows the teacher to evaluate the students' use of the writing process and their ability to trace a coherent thought pattern to a suitable conclusion.  Students may hand in their paragraph checklist for marks to evaluate students' use of the writing process.  There is a holistic paragraph evaluation guide to mark each paragraph with as well. 

After the activity, students will also be writing an entry in their reflective journal, which may be collected later in the semester for evaluation.