Conducting interviews and field visits

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Subject: English

Semester: 2

Period: 5

Week: 28

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School Name:
Teacher’s Name:
Subject: English Language
Grade Level: Grade 6
Date: Week 28
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 28, Period 5
Topic: Conducting Interviews and Field Visits
Sub-topic: Collecting Real-Life Information
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Design and conduct interviews and field visits
Prepare relevant and respectful questions
Gather and record information accurately

Previous Knowledge
Students already know how to conduct basic research and summarize findings

Instructional Materials
English Language textbook for Grade 6, sample interview questions, notebooks, markers

Lesson Development – ABC Model
A – Anticipation (Warm-up / Starter)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Discuss with learners: “Have you ever asked someone questions to learn more about a topic?”

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body)

Time: 25–30 minutes
Topic: Understanding and Conducting Interviews and Field Visits

👩🏾‍🏫 Teacher Input & Explanation (10–12 minutes)

📌 What Is an Interview?

An interview is a conversation where one person (the interviewer) asks questions to gather information from another person (the interviewee).
✅ Example: Interviewing a health worker about how to prevent malaria.

 

📌 What Is a Field Visit?

A field visit is when students go to a real-world place outside the classroom (like a clinic, farm, market, or police station) to learn from people and observe how things are done.
✅ Example: Visiting a local clinic to learn how nurses care for patients.

 

📝 Purpose of Interviews and Field Visits

• To collect first-hand information
• To learn from experts and people with experience
• To observe real-life practices and connect them to what you’ve learned in class

 

❓ Preparing Interview Questions

Effective questions should be:

• Relevant: Connected to the topic or purpose
• Clear: Easy to understand
• Respectful: Polite and considerate

✅ Example: “Can you explain what causes malaria?”
❌ Avoid: “Why don’t people just avoid getting sick?”

 

🧠 Ethical Considerations in Interviews

1. Consent: Always ask the person if it’s okay to interview them
2. Confidentiality: Don’t share private information without permission
3. Politeness: Use good manners – greet, thank them, and listen attentively

 

🗒️ Recording Information Accurately

1. Note-taking: Write key points during or after the interview
2. Audio recording (if allowed): Useful for accuracy, but ask permission first
3. Summarizing responses: After the interview, write a short summary in your own words

✅ Example of summary:

“Mr. Jallah, a health officer, said malaria is caused by mosquito bites. He advised people to sleep under treated nets and keep their surroundings clean.”

 

🧍🏽‍♂️ Sample Interview Subjects

• Health workers (e.g., nurse, doctor)
• Community leaders (e.g., town chief, youth leader)
• School staff (e.g., principal, librarian)
• People with specific experiences (e.g., a farmer, a parent, or someone affected by a disease)

 

👩🏽‍🎓 Learners’ Activities (Expanded – 15–18 minutes)

🧠 Activity 1: Designing Interview Questions (6–8 minutes)

• In pairs or small groups, learners choose a subject (e.g., health worker, teacher, local shopkeeper)
• They brainstorm and write 5–7 interview questions that are:
• Related to the topic (e.g., health, education, environment)
• Clear and respectful
• Open-ended when possible (not just yes/no)

✅ Example for health worker:

1. What common illnesses do you treat here?
2. How do you help prevent the spread of disease?
3. What advice do you have for young people about staying healthy?

 

🎭 Activity 2: Mock Interviews (5–6 minutes)

• In pairs, learners role-play the interview
• One is the interviewer, one is the subject
• Practice asking and answering
• Use polite language, take turns, and practice note-taking
• Some learners can present their interviews to the class

 

✍🏽 Activity 3: Writing Interview Summaries (5 minutes)

• After the interview, learners write a short paragraph summary
• Include: Who they interviewed, what they talked about, and key points learned
• Learners can share summaries in small groups or read to the class

✅ Example Summary:

"We interviewed Mr. Doe, a local teacher. He explained that reading every day helps students improve their writing. He also said that having a quiet space at home for study is important."

 

✅ Assessment Checks

Skill Assessed	Assessment Method
Preparation of interview questions	Review questions for relevance, clarity, and respectful language
Understanding of ethics	Listen for greetings, respectful tone, and whether learners mention consent/confidence
Accuracy in recording information	Check summaries or notes for key facts and completeness
Communication and collaboration	Observe group work, role-play, and how ideas are shared
Speaking and presentation skills	Evaluate oral summaries for fluency, clarity, and confidence

 

🗒️ Notes (Expanded & Detailed)

💡 Key Concepts Recap

• Interviews and field visits allow students to go beyond the textbook and learn directly from real people and places.
• Ethics are important – respect people’s time and privacy.
• Ask questions that make sense, take good notes, and always say thank you.
• These skills help prepare learners for real-world communication, research, and reporting.

🧠 Tips for Teachers

• Guide learners by modeling a short role-play first
• Display sentence starters to help them phrase respectful questions:
• “Can you please tell me about…”
• “Why do you think…”
• “How do you…”
• If real interviews aren’t possible, use guest speakers, videos, or simulate interviews with staff

 

📌 Optional Extension Tasks

• Create a mini-report from the interview, including pictures or diagrams
• Invite a community member or expert to the class and let students ask questions
• Let students design posters or infographics based on what they learned in their interviews

C – Consolidation (Conclusion & Assessment)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Summary: Learners can design and conduct interviews and field visits ethically and record data accurately

Evaluation Method (Expanded):
Exit slip/quiz: Write three tips for conducting effective interviews
Teacher will collect slips and provide oral feedback

Assignment (Expanded):
Conduct a mini-interview at home and summarize the findings in five sentences

Follow-up Activity:
Share interview findings in small groups and discuss observations

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies
Provide sample questions for struggling learners, allow role-play practice

Teacher’s Reflection (After Class)
What worked well? ___________________________________________
What needs improvement? ____________________________________
Students’ engagement level: ☑ High ☑ Medium ☑ Low