You will learn
- Prepare for an interview.
- Conduct it respectfully.
- Take notes.
- Respect privacy.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Interviews need permission and supervision.
- We prepare open questions.
- We listen and take notes.
- People can refuse, and we protect privacy.
Words to know
asking a person questions to learn from them
agreement given freely before something happens
showing care and fairness to others
short written points to help remember
1. Discover: Interview with the caretaker
The class invites the school caretaker, Mr Sesay, to an interview. Ms Smith has asked his permission and sits with the group. Mei introduces herself, asks, “How has the school yard changed since you started?” and listens. Abu takes notes. At the end they say thank you. “May we share what you told us?” asks Mei. “Yes, but not my home address,” says Mr Sesay.
Think: Who would you like to interview?
2. Understand: Interviews
Idea 1: Prepare
An interview asks a person questions to learn from them. Get consent first, and the teacher agrees the time and place. Prepare open questions and decide who will ask, who will write and who will thank.
Idea 2: During
Greet politely, explain why you are asking, ask one question at a time and listen. Write short notes, ask follow-up questions and be respectful. If the person does not want to answer, accept it.
Idea 3: After
Thank the person. Read your notes back to check they are right. Ask if you may share what they said, and never share private details. Keep notes safe and use only what the person agreed.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Prepare
Three questions.
- Think.
- Write.
- Check.
Answer: How has the yard changed?
Example 2 (We do it together): Act
Say hello.
- Think.
- Practise.
- Check.
Answer: Polite greeting.
Example 3 (You try): After
Thank and check.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Read notes back.
Did you know?
Journalists and historians use interviews to collect first-hand accounts, always checking that the person agrees to share.
Why this matters
Interviews let us learn directly from people.
4. Explore: Practice interview
Practise an interview with a classmate or guest (supervised). One asks, one listens, one writes. Swap roles and give feedback.
- Prepare.
- Interview.
- Swap.
- Reflect.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Listening made answers richer.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- An interview is ___.
- Consent is ___.
- Respectful means ___.
- Notes are ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is an interview?
Asking questions.
Question 2. What is consent?
Free agreement.
Question 3. What does respectful mean?
Care and fairness.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is an interview?
- What is consent?
- What does respectful mean?
- What are notes?
- Name a step.
Level 2: Grow
- Why permission?
- Why open questions?
- Why supervise?
Level 3: Stretch
- Practise.
- Take notes.
- Say thanks.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Give three steps for a safe interview.
Show a sample answer
Permission; listen; thank.
Another one. Practise an interview with a family member.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Only supervised, approved people.
Fix: They may refuse.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can prepare for an interview.
- I can conduct it respectfully.
- I can take notes.
- I can respect privacy.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Interviews need permission and supervision.
- We prepare open questions.
- We listen and take notes.
- People can refuse, and we protect privacy.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Organising evidence. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Define interview and consent. [2 marks]
- Give four steps for a safe interview. [4 marks]
- Say why people may refuse. [2 marks]
- Say how to protect privacy. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Interview [1]; consent [1]
- Four [4]
- Right [1]; respect [1]
- Ask [1]; no private details [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is an interview?
- What is consent?
- What does respectful mean?
- What are notes?
- Name a step.
- Why permission?
- Why open questions?
- Why supervise?
- Practise.
- Take notes.
Homework
Write interview questions for a guest.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is an interview? | Asking questions. | 1 |
| 2. What is consent? | Free agreement. | 1 |
| 3. What does respectful mean? | Care and fairness. | 1 |
| 4. What are notes? | Short points. | 1 |
| 5. Name a step. | Thank the person. | 1 |
| 6. Why permission? | Respect. | 1 |
| 7. Why open questions? | Rich answers. | 1 |
| 8. Why supervise? | Safety. | 1 |
| 9. Practise. | Practise. | 1 |
| 10. Take notes. | Notes. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Asking questions.; 2 Free agreement.; 3 Care and fairness.; 4 Short points.; 5 Thank the person.. Level 2: 1 Respect.; 2 Rich answers.; 3 Safety.. Level 3: 1 Practise.; 2 Notes.; 3 Thanks..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Prepare for an interview | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Conduct it respectfully | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Take notes | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Respect privacy | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “We may interview strangers.” Only supervised, approved people.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make an interview checklist.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child practises interviews. Please practise polite listening at home. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Listen.
- Respect privacy.
- Allow refusals.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: prepare for an interview; conduct it respectfully; take notes; respect privacy.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 3 ideas: enquiry, evidence, rules and community life.
Materials. Paper, pens. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Invite a guest.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the interview with the caretaker story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach interviews.
Guided activity (10 min). Practice interview.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How do we conduct a safe, respectful interview?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “We may interview strangers.” Only supervised, approved people.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make an interview checklist. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 3 Unit 10, topic 4; NCSS C3 Framework, taking informed action; Cambridge Primary Humanities, enquiry and action; IB Primary Years Programme, sharing the planet. These sources informed the lesson.