Across Generations: Grandparent Biography Potential Initial Interview Questions

Across Generations: Grandparent Biography

To begin the project, write a friendly letter to your grandparent.  See post on blog for specific requirements.  Explain to your grandparent that you are both a biographer as well as historian.  To help your grandparent prepare for the interview, explain that you will be collecting personal biographical information.  Additionally you may want to include some of the following questions in your initial letter: 

• What in your life are you most proud of and why?
• If you could go back and change one thing what would it be and why?
• What are some of your accomplishments?
• How do you handle disappointment?
• What are some life lessons you have learned along the way?
• How have you changed overtime?
• How do you want to be remembered?
• What is the greatest reward of being a parent/grandparent?
• What are some important historical events that you remember?
• What do you think of technology?

These are some examples that may help your grandparent start thinking.  

Across Generations: Grandparent Biography

Across Generations: The Grandparent Legacy Project

A biography is a written history of a person’s life.  More than a chronicle of the events a person has experienced, a biography explores the subject’s unique personality.  It is the celebration of a person’s life.

Grandparent Celebration

May 20, 2015

Northview Crossroads Middle School

1:30 t0 2:30

Across Generation Legacy Project

Grandparent Biography: Narrative Nonfiction

Come travel through time, learn from the past, and collect knowledge for a better future.  

Please note all dates are subject to change.  

Make a personal correspondence: Letter or Email * (Be sure to include the need for at least one picture)

11/19

Using block format, write a friendly letter to your subject.  Introduce the project and ask for his/her help.  Explain why you choose to write about your subject.  Invite him/her to the celebration on May 20, 2014 from 1:30 to 2:30 at Crossroads.

Prepare Interview Questions (round 1) Interview must be completed by January 7

Use the guide to develop specific questions as well as to guide your interview.  Draft a minimum of 50 questions.  Ask questions that require thoughtful responses, not just one word answers.  Questions should focus on events in his/her life, his/her thoughts, feelings, and opinions about world events.  Find out how he/she has changed to become who he/she is today.  Discover his/her hopes, dreams, fears, and accomplishments.  Look at artifacts to discover more about your subject.

Conduct interview of subject and take notes *(Be sure to collect and gather ample information)

Arrange for a time to interview your subject.  Meet personally with your subject.  Look at artifacts to discover more about your subject.  Ask about those artifacts.  This is one way to uncover stories.  You may even need a follow up interview by phone, email, etc.   During the interview, record the information.   It may be helpful to ask if the interview may be recorded so you can go back and listen.   Be sure to ask permission.  

Interview another individual who can provide insight *(Be sure to bring notes of interview to class)

Other people who know your subject are a valuable resource.  Find someone who knows your subject well and arrange for an interview.

Read nonfiction texts about historical information and take notes

In order to interview your subject in order to understand the time period in which he or she grew up, you will view clips and read information about different time periods in history.  This information should be woven into the actual biography.

Create a double-sided timeline (life layers)

Timelines help people understand history.  People use timelines to keep track of things that happen on certain days or certain years.   In addition, each event will need a picture or symbol.  

Draft biography (need at least seven stories)

Organize your notes into an outline.  Use the outline to draft small moment stories to highlight key moments of your subject’s life.  Use transitions to help your reader navigate your piece.

Research events/Footnotes

Research at least five historical events that influenced/impacted your subject’s life.  Based on your notes, include at least five summaries to be included in your biography as footnotes.

Create a visual piece for celebration (outside of class as part of homework)

5/15

You are required to create a visual representation of your subject.  This will be displayed at the celebration.   You may make a tri-fold or use a form of technology.   Include photos, artifacts, and other items.   Many people scan or copy the artifacts to protect the originals.   Be creative.  See the visual requirement guidelines.

Celebrate with Family *(During the Gallery Walk, take the Grandparent Survey)

5/20

Have your visual ready!  Bring your dish to pass (optional).  The celebration starts at 1:30 and ends at 2:30.  At the end of the day, be sure to take home your visual and any dishes.

Checklist for the Interviews

While conducting your interviews, be sure to do the following:

• Ask all 50 questions and record responses.

• Get a favorite family recipe.

• Complete the family tree.

• Fill out a Life Layer (Double-sided Timeline).  Be sure to include at least five historical events to research for footnotes.

• Collect other photos and artifacts to use for the visual display.

• Ask another source about your grandparent (aunt, uncle, cousin, parent, sibling). Try to gather anecdotes about your grandparent.

Across Generations: Grandparent Biography

Across Generations: Grandparent Biography

Celebration 

May 20, 2015

1:30-2:30 

Crossroads Middle School

As part of our Across Generations: Grandparent Biography, students need to write and send a personal letter to their subject (grandparent).    The requirements are as follows:

• Semi-block or block style 
• Minimum of 3 paragraphs 
• Introduce the project and invite grandparent to celebration
• Explain why writer chose subject (grandparent)
• Ask some general questions and set up an interview
• Letters need to be typed via google docs or blue or black ink  
• Letters need to be mailed by Friday, November 21

Kaleidoscope Writing Contest

The Michigan Reading Association invites students to submit a piece of writing to their language arts teacher.  Judges will then select one piece to represent Crossroads in the Michigan Reading Association's Kaleidoscope.  

SPECIFIC GUIDELINES:

One entry per school building, any grade K-12.  Turn selection in to Mrs. Vogel by December 7.

The original manuscript may be prose or poetry.

Students may submit a black line drawing as a scanned photo within the Word
document (due to space limitations, drawing may not be published).

The entry must be in “polished” form (no invented spellings).

Manuscript must be emailed as a Microsoft Word document
to mra@michiganreading.org. Include student name and
teacher contact information in the email.

WORD LIMIT – Please count accurately.

K - 6^th grade 250 words

7^th – 12^th grade 500 words

Student Information Sheet MUST be completed and attached
to entry email as a Word document or scanned attachment.

For more information contact the Michigan Reading Association office,

mra@michiganreading.org or (616) 647-9310.

Grammar

Terms:

pronoun
personal pronoun
indefinite pronoun
pronoun-antecedent agreement

pronoun cases: nominative, objective, and possessive  

Parts of a Sentence:
subject simple predicate 
predicate
predicate noun
predicate pronoun
predicate adjective
direct object
indirect object
object of the preposition

8th Grade Investigative Journalism

Investigative Journalism 

Presents background knowledge on issue (could be the at beginning for a lead)	/10
Includes anecdotes (stories, and examples)	/10
Includes direct quotes (from the interviews conducted)	/10
Adheres to journalistic tone	/10
Uses a story to teach a lesson, comment on a social issue, and/or develop a point of view.	/10
Incorporates transitional phrases	/10
Circles back to central idea/issue or leaves the reader feeling a sense of closure at the end	/10
Uses paragraphs as a way to organize your article and best bring out the meaning of your story and reach the audience	/5
Uses action, dialogue, details, inner thinking to convey an issue, idea or lesson. Uses specific details and figurative language to help the reader understand.	/10
Varies tone to match the variety of emotions	/10
Uses resources to check spelling. Varies sentence structure and correctly punctuates dialogue (especially when including interviews)	/5
Total:	/100