created by Karen Halverson

Grade Level: 5/6

Critical Task: What makes an awesome question? Why have you chosen these questions for your interview?

Overview: Students will be asked to interview a person who has immigrated to Canada. Students will be required to use higher thinking skills to formulate questions that require extensive answers. (away from Y/N answers) They will have to make reasoned judgments re: which questions to use in their interview and say why those questions have been chosen. (requires extensive answer, explanation, can ask for expanded information)

• knowledge of immigration
• understanding of the use of interviews
• details of the story Grandfather's Journey

• brainstorm ideas for interview questions
• formulate interview questions
• choose 5 questions and give reason why they are "awesome" questions
• write responses to questions in a pre-prescribed format
• express ideas with a fair, open, and respectful mind
• demonstrate an appreciation for personal and cultural diversity (vs. stereotyping)

• formulate
• immigration
• interview

• group brainstorming
• group discussion
• list
• individual judgment

• open mind
• fair mind
• respectful mind
• inquiring attitude

• gather students on the carpet and discuss the meaning of the word "immigration"
• tell students that the book you are about to read is a story of a man who immigrates into the United States
• read the story Grandfather's Journey
• ask questions like, "How do you think Grandpa felt when he wore European clothes for the first time?" "What does he think of California at first?" "Why did he return to his homeland?" "Why do you think he wanted to see California one more time?" "If you could ask Grandpa a question, what would it be?"
• after finishing reading the story ask, "What kind of conflicts do you think people who immigrate to Canada might have?" "Do you know anyone who has immigrated to Canada?"
• make sure students know what an "interview" is
• tell students they will be asked to interview a person who has immigrated to Canada and we will be discussing how to formulate "awesome" questions. (discuss meaning of the word "formulate")
• students return to their desks and come up with 5 criteria they think are most important in coming up with "awesome" questions

(give you lots of information, are specific to the person or situations, are open-ended and can't be answered Y/N, may be unexpected, are not usually easy to understand)

• with a partner, start to brainstorm questions they could ask an immigrant interviewee, keeping in mind the criteria
• partners decide on one "awesome" question and share it with the whole group (write on the board). They must give a reason why their question should be considered "awesome."
• individual students choose 5 questions from the list (may use new ones as they think of them after teacher OK)
• add to students' list as required to make 10 questions (Where was country of origin? How long have you lived in Canada? Why did you leave your homeland? How did you feel about leaving? What problems did you have during the trip? How did you feel when you arrived? Did the government give any assistance? What kind? Can you tell me any humorous stories to do with your immigration experience?)
• once students have decided on a list of questions, go through the interview process (decide on someone to interview and set up appointment, introduce self and topic, be sensitive to the interviewees feelings [role play sensitive/insensitive if necessary], take notes, pursue interesting comments [please tell me more], thank person upon leaving, add to notes if necessary, write up formal report with self-evaluation)

• in group brainstorming, observe formatively if students are participating
• do students understand what makes an "awesome" question?
• do students formulate "awesome" questions?
• do students demonstrate a sensitivity to immigrant feelings?
• do students conduct an interview and write a report?
• do students demonstrate fair, open, respectful and inquiring habits of mind?

• discuss to make a judgment on the critical question "Do all people who immigrate to Canada feel the same way about the experience?"
• create an evidence graph on the above question using evidence from the students' interviews [graph headings (1)feeling (2) evidence to support your knowledge of that feeling] and then write a paragraph with opinion and evidence from both your own interview experience and what you have learned from sharing with other interviewers.
• do a "Global Heritage" word study in language arts (copy follows)
• have a social studies discussion on the meaning of "cultural mosaic" (copy follows) and write an opinion paragraph on living in a multicultural society - What are your views? Why do you believe that?

• What went well?
• What would I do differently next time?

1. book, From A - Z Classroom Criteria Student Centered Publications 1996, Kamloops, B. C. (604) 376-1171: Terry Olson
2. book, Grandfather's Story by Allen Say
3. article, "Taking Seriously the Teaching of Critical Thinking" by Roland Case & Ian Wright
4. theme package, Our Global Heritage: A Unit on Multiculturalism Grades Five to Seven S & S Learning Materials 1990

Grade 5, Grade 6

Home