Getting a Good Interview
The first thing to remember with interviewing is that while you need to come prepared with specific questions to ask, you also need to be prepared to throw those questions out the window if something more interesting comes up. Be ready to ask follow-up questions and to follow the conversation where the person you’re interviewing leads it—it may end up taking you to a different but more interesting place than you intended. For a thirty-minute interview, a list of 10-15 questions is probably a good number to have prepared in advance. Do not just “wing it”—even if it’s someone you know well, you still need to have questions ready!
1. Start with a specific question, rather than a vague one. “Tell me about yourself” is really vague; “Tell me about the place you grew up” is better. With your first interview, it’s okay to ask more general questions, but you should still have some idea of the slant you want to take with your interview. Decide before you write your questions which aspect of the person’s life you want to focus on, but be willing to shift that if need be.
2. Try to ask questions that require the person to tell you specific stories, or anecdotes, rather than general information. Anecdotes make for much more interesting writing. Examples:
o “Tell me about the first time you knew you wanted to be a ___________”
o “Can you remember a time when you doubted yourself? How did you feel?”
o “What is the best part of your day?”
3. After you get some of these specific stories, you can follow up with further questions about them. So, if the person you’re interviewing is a doctor and she tells you that her moment of doubt was when her first patient died, you’ll want to ask follow-up questions about that experience that give you the real details of the moment—the sights, sounds, thoughts running through her head, etc. You could ask her to describe the first thing she saw when she left the emergency room, for example. These are the kinds of memories and details that Relin uses in Three Cups to make Mortenson’s experience come alive.
4. One great idea for an anecdotal question is to ask the person to show you a favorite photo and explain it to you. This only really works if you’re at the person’s home, though you could also ask the person to bring some photos to the interview if you’re doing it somewhere else. This requires the person to give you concrete details about a particular event, which is exactly what you want.
5. Sometimes the best material you’ll get is when you say that you’re ready to go, so be ready to listen at that moment, and write like crazy!
6. Take good notes! Even with a tape recorder, it’s important that you write down what you hear, too. You will need to use direct quotes in your final piece, so make sure you are accurate in everything you write down—it’s very important not to misquote someone else’s words.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
3 cups character sheet and read schedule
Three Cups of Tea
Moufazer Ali – Balti porter who was carrying Mortenson’s pack down K2 in 1993 when Mortenson got separated and lost. Mortenson’s close assistant for the next decade.
Haji Ali – chief of Korphe village where Mortenson is sheltered and where first CAI school is built. Ali becomes a father figure to Mortenson
Twaha Ali – Haji Ali’s son, friend and advisor to Mortenson
Jahan Ali – First female graduate of the Korphe school, first female graduate of the Korphe school
Jerene and “Dempsey” Mortenson – Greg Mortenson’s mother and father, former missionaries in Africa
Christa Mortenson – Greg’s sister to whom he is very devoted, mentally disabled, perhaps through childhood illness or vaccine reaction
Jean Hoerni, PhD – Swiss-born physicist and computer pioneer as well as a wealthy mountain climber who funded the first school in Korphe, Pakistan
Mohammed Ali Changazi – trekking agent and tour operator of questionable integrity who both aids and obstructs Mortenson’s efforts
Hussein – Korphe’s most educated citizen who studied through grade twelve in Lahore, Pakistan. Becomes first teacher at Korphe school.
George McCown -- wealthy Californian whom Mortenson meets by accident in Korphe, powerful advocate for Mortenson’s work
Tara Bishop Mortenson – doctoral student in psychology when she met Mortenson at a banquet honoring Sir Edmund Hillary. Her deceased father, a National Geographic photographer, had been a mountain climber who scaled Mt. Everest.
Ghulam Parvi – educated at University of Karachi, he is the second man Mortenson hires to help the new Central Asia Institute begin building schools
Suleman Minhas – Pakistani taxi driver whom Mortenson hired as CAI’s general “fixer” in Islamabad
3 Cups of Tea Reading Schedule
Date Alpha/Omega Pages
February 19/20 1-33
February 21/22 34-69
February 25/26 70-97
February 27/28 98-124
February 29/ March 3 125-153
March 4/5 154-183
March 6/10 297-331
Moufazer Ali – Balti porter who was carrying Mortenson’s pack down K2 in 1993 when Mortenson got separated and lost. Mortenson’s close assistant for the next decade.
Haji Ali – chief of Korphe village where Mortenson is sheltered and where first CAI school is built. Ali becomes a father figure to Mortenson
Twaha Ali – Haji Ali’s son, friend and advisor to Mortenson
Jahan Ali – First female graduate of the Korphe school, first female graduate of the Korphe school
Jerene and “Dempsey” Mortenson – Greg Mortenson’s mother and father, former missionaries in Africa
Christa Mortenson – Greg’s sister to whom he is very devoted, mentally disabled, perhaps through childhood illness or vaccine reaction
Jean Hoerni, PhD – Swiss-born physicist and computer pioneer as well as a wealthy mountain climber who funded the first school in Korphe, Pakistan
Mohammed Ali Changazi – trekking agent and tour operator of questionable integrity who both aids and obstructs Mortenson’s efforts
Hussein – Korphe’s most educated citizen who studied through grade twelve in Lahore, Pakistan. Becomes first teacher at Korphe school.
George McCown -- wealthy Californian whom Mortenson meets by accident in Korphe, powerful advocate for Mortenson’s work
Tara Bishop Mortenson – doctoral student in psychology when she met Mortenson at a banquet honoring Sir Edmund Hillary. Her deceased father, a National Geographic photographer, had been a mountain climber who scaled Mt. Everest.
Ghulam Parvi – educated at University of Karachi, he is the second man Mortenson hires to help the new Central Asia Institute begin building schools
Suleman Minhas – Pakistani taxi driver whom Mortenson hired as CAI’s general “fixer” in Islamabad
3 Cups of Tea Reading Schedule
Date Alpha/Omega Pages
February 19/20 1-33
February 21/22 34-69
February 25/26 70-97
February 27/28 98-124
February 29/ March 3 125-153
March 4/5 154-183
March 6/10 297-331
Friday, February 15, 2008
Interview Project Set Up
Eugene IHS: Literature & the Arts
Interview Project
Interviewing is a useful form of research in many ways. To become more accustomed to interviewing, you will be conducting two interviews this semester. They will both be with the same person and be used to create a work of creative non-fiction. The following will be included in this project:
1. Class discussion and brainstorming
2. Role-playing
3. Question writing and practice anticipating results of questions
4. Tape recording interviews
5. Writing up interview material
6. Editing, revising, and rewriting
7. Managing time! Don’t procrastinate
8. Reviewing various models of interviews
9. Transforming the interview into creative nonfiction
You will need:
A. Someone to interview. They must be at least a generation older than you are and not a relative.
B. A script or a plan for asking them for the interview and phone numbers. Request time politely. You will set up two interviews at once. Do not wait until the first interview to set up the second. The first must be by ___________ and the second should be between _____________. Plan on at least 30 minutes for each interview.
C. Interview questions, prepared and rehearsed plus a tape recorder. You must record the final interview. Be sure to practice with the recorder ahead of time. It can be quite embarrassing if it doesn’t work. This tape will be submitted to me with your final write-up. You may tape both if you choose. Plan ahead! You may check out a tape recorder from the room but the amount of recorders is limited so plan ahead.
I am sending home a letter with you for your parents/ guardians to sign. Please return this by _____________. This will be a homework grade.
*******YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR INTERVIEWS SET UP BY ______________.
I am available every morning before school and evening after school for help with this assignment. Please schedule a time if you are struggling.
Interview Project
Interviewing is a useful form of research in many ways. To become more accustomed to interviewing, you will be conducting two interviews this semester. They will both be with the same person and be used to create a work of creative non-fiction. The following will be included in this project:
1. Class discussion and brainstorming
2. Role-playing
3. Question writing and practice anticipating results of questions
4. Tape recording interviews
5. Writing up interview material
6. Editing, revising, and rewriting
7. Managing time! Don’t procrastinate
8. Reviewing various models of interviews
9. Transforming the interview into creative nonfiction
You will need:
A. Someone to interview. They must be at least a generation older than you are and not a relative.
B. A script or a plan for asking them for the interview and phone numbers. Request time politely. You will set up two interviews at once. Do not wait until the first interview to set up the second. The first must be by ___________ and the second should be between _____________. Plan on at least 30 minutes for each interview.
C. Interview questions, prepared and rehearsed plus a tape recorder. You must record the final interview. Be sure to practice with the recorder ahead of time. It can be quite embarrassing if it doesn’t work. This tape will be submitted to me with your final write-up. You may tape both if you choose. Plan ahead! You may check out a tape recorder from the room but the amount of recorders is limited so plan ahead.
I am sending home a letter with you for your parents/ guardians to sign. Please return this by _____________. This will be a homework grade.
*******YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR INTERVIEWS SET UP BY ______________.
I am available every morning before school and evening after school for help with this assignment. Please schedule a time if you are struggling.
Parent Letter for interview
2008
Dear Parent or Guardian,
During this final semester, your son or daughter will do an interviewing project intended to encourage practice with using people as sources of information and as an exercise in creative non-fiction. The person your child selects needs to be: a good talker, willing to show interest and give the student time, and a non-family member at least one generation older. Your suggestions, guidance and help may be useful in this area.
In school, we will discuss interviewing, write, and role-play interview questions. Outside of school, the student will conduct two face-to-face interviews. The first interview is done to get a whole, but sketchy picture of the person’s life, career and interests (Due ____); the second and final interview (Due _______) focuses in depth on 1-3 subjects of interest to the student and to the subject that will help lead the students to create a work of creative non-fiction regarding the subject. The second interview should be audio taped. Tape recorders are available for check out from their teacher if needed but any help from parents in obtaining this will be greatly appreciated. Creative, interesting writing always results from the project. The writing phase of the project will begin after the first interview is completed. Following the conferences and rewrites, I will see and take a final grade on the writing. The writing will then be followed with a thank-you note mailed to the adult your child interviewed.
How can you help? Encourage whenever it’s needed. You may need to help the initial contact. Tenth graders are skilled users of the telephone and can make the call to set up the appointment themselves. Help with any phase of the brainstorming-- who to interview, ways to make the contact, what questions to ask. Help with the role playing -- role play what to say or request on the phone, role-play and rehearse before the interviews, role-play and rehearse before the interviews, role play to try out wording of questions, role-play with a tape recorder to avoid technical difficulties. Help with transportation if they need it. Keep this letter posted on your refrigerator door as a reminder of the due dates.
Thank you now, in advance, for your help. Please sign and return only the bottom portion of this slip to indicate that you have seen and discussed this assignment with your child. Call or send a note to school if you have further questions.
Caleb Kostechka Due Dates:
10th Grade Literature & the Arts
******************************************************************************
Please return this slip by ________________.
This indicates I have seen and discussed the project with my son or daughter.
Student Name:________________________
Parents/guardian signature___________________________
Dear Parent or Guardian,
During this final semester, your son or daughter will do an interviewing project intended to encourage practice with using people as sources of information and as an exercise in creative non-fiction. The person your child selects needs to be: a good talker, willing to show interest and give the student time, and a non-family member at least one generation older. Your suggestions, guidance and help may be useful in this area.
In school, we will discuss interviewing, write, and role-play interview questions. Outside of school, the student will conduct two face-to-face interviews. The first interview is done to get a whole, but sketchy picture of the person’s life, career and interests (Due ____); the second and final interview (Due _______) focuses in depth on 1-3 subjects of interest to the student and to the subject that will help lead the students to create a work of creative non-fiction regarding the subject. The second interview should be audio taped. Tape recorders are available for check out from their teacher if needed but any help from parents in obtaining this will be greatly appreciated. Creative, interesting writing always results from the project. The writing phase of the project will begin after the first interview is completed. Following the conferences and rewrites, I will see and take a final grade on the writing. The writing will then be followed with a thank-you note mailed to the adult your child interviewed.
How can you help? Encourage whenever it’s needed. You may need to help the initial contact. Tenth graders are skilled users of the telephone and can make the call to set up the appointment themselves. Help with any phase of the brainstorming-- who to interview, ways to make the contact, what questions to ask. Help with the role playing -- role play what to say or request on the phone, role-play and rehearse before the interviews, role-play and rehearse before the interviews, role play to try out wording of questions, role-play with a tape recorder to avoid technical difficulties. Help with transportation if they need it. Keep this letter posted on your refrigerator door as a reminder of the due dates.
Thank you now, in advance, for your help. Please sign and return only the bottom portion of this slip to indicate that you have seen and discussed this assignment with your child. Call or send a note to school if you have further questions.
Caleb Kostechka Due Dates:
10th Grade Literature & the Arts
******************************************************************************
Please return this slip by ________________.
This indicates I have seen and discussed the project with my son or daughter.
Student Name:________________________
Parents/guardian signature___________________________
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Letter to Mr.K
Letter to Mr.K
Transition
1. What have been your strengths/ weaknesses in making the transition to sophomore year?
2. As a student, what are your strengths? In what areas would you like to improve?
3. What has been your greatest success in high school this year?
4. What is your action plan for making the improvements you’d like to see? What’s your plan to maintain your strengths?
5. What has been the best thing we have done in class this year?
6. Which activity, assignment, or project was the biggest challenge? Do you have suggestions to make this stronger?
7. How have you contributed to our classroom community? What can you do to make our class a better place to learn and feel safe?
Transition
1. What have been your strengths/ weaknesses in making the transition to sophomore year?
2. As a student, what are your strengths? In what areas would you like to improve?
3. What has been your greatest success in high school this year?
4. What is your action plan for making the improvements you’d like to see? What’s your plan to maintain your strengths?
5. What has been the best thing we have done in class this year?
6. Which activity, assignment, or project was the biggest challenge? Do you have suggestions to make this stronger?
7. How have you contributed to our classroom community? What can you do to make our class a better place to learn and feel safe?
Friday, February 8, 2008
Gilgamesh Final Discussion Questions (Not The Study Guide)
READING GROUP DISCUSSION:
BOOK I:
1) This book opens with a positive description of Gilgamesh ending with the word “perfect.” Then, in the next paragraph the description changes, and the word “arrogant” is used. What is the “true” picture of Gilgamesh?
2) The solution to the trapper’s problem is the introduction of sex to the wild man by Shamhat, who is not what we would call a prostitute, someone who sells her body for personal gain, but a priestess of the goddess of love who has dedicated herself to being a servant of the goddess. Discuss the ways in which her union with Enkidu changes him. Is this a change for the good? What does he gain, and what does he lose?
BOOK II:
1) Now that Enkidu has gained some self-awareness, Shamhat continues to teach Enkidu. What lessons does he learn from her in this book?
2) The book begins with a violent fight but ends in the beginnings of friendship. What is your theory about why this happens?
BOOK III:
1) Much of this book is a debate between the two friends. The argument is over whether the two should journey to the Cedar Forest and kill the monster Humbaba. Do you agree or disagree with: Enkidu’s objection to the adventure? Gilgamesh’s reason for insisting on the adventure? His mother Ninsun and the elders’ objection to the adventure?
2) There is disagreement over whether to kill the monster Humbaba. Presented with all the arguments, whose side would you take and why?
BOOK IV:
1) This book is notable for its repetitive descriptions and the interpretation of dreams. Each day the two men travel exactly the same amount of miles, set up camp the same way, and each night Gilgamesh has an ominous dream which Enkidu interprets as favorable. Repetition, interpretation of dreams—what do you see as the importance of this book to the narrative? Why do you think that Enkidu interprets all Gilgamesh’s dreams as “favorable”?
2) The monster Humbaba is portrayed as pathetic, comic, and scary. Did you find yourself sympathizing with him at all as you read, and if so, why?
BOOK V:
1) The two friends exhibit real fear in this book. In this way, they are unlike other heroes in later epics—Beowulf and Odysseus, for example. For Gilgamesh and Enkidu, fear is not a shameful trait. What does sharing their fear accomplish?
2) With the help of the god Shamash, the two defeat the monster in an epic battle. When Humbaba begs for his life, why does Enkidu persuade Gilgamesh to refuse?
BOOK VI:
1) Of the six insulting examples Gilgamesh throws at Ishtar, which one is most convincing to you? Why?
2) Deeply insulted, Ishtar prevails on her father, the sky-god, to let her have the Bull of Heaven to wreak vengeance on Gilgamesh and his city. The images of the gigantic bull are fierce, but again, the two friends work together to kill the
monster. What does Enkidu’s action at the finish of the battle tell us about him?
BOOK VII:
1) At the end of Book VI, Enkidu has a frightening dream, and in Book VII he recalls it for Gilgamesh along with another bad dream. Gilgamesh tries to interpret the dreams as favorable, but Enkidu realizes that his fate has been sealed. How has Enkidu angered the gods?
2) When Enkidu realizes his fate, he curses both the trapper and Shamhat, who brought him to the city of Uruk, but Shamash offers a more balanced view. What is his view, and how does Enkidu react to it? Discuss why you do or don’t believe that Enkidu is the villain in this myth.
BOOK VIII:
1) The loss of Enkidu is devastating to Gilgamesh. How does he express his grief and how does he honor his friend’s memory? What would he do today?
2) After Enkidu’s death, the epic goes in a new direction. Gilgamesh begins a long, beautiful lament for his dead friend. Discuss the changes that Gilgamesh undergoes as a result of his friendship with Enkidu.
BOOK IX:
1) Gilgamesh now realizes that he, too, will die and allows his life to fall apart; he does not bathe, shave, or take care of himself (somewhat reminiscent of the original Enkidu) because he is terrified about death. On his journey to find Utnapishtim, the first stage—the trip through the tunnel—is successful. What are the dangers in this first part of the quest?
2) So many dreams appear in this myth. What two examples can you remember from any of the books of the myth explain the purpose of dreams in Gilgamesh?
BOOK X:
1) The tavern keeper, Shiduri, seems to offer Gilgamesh good advice for living after Enkidu’s death. Why doesn’t Gilgamesh pay attention?
2) What is the significance of Gilgamesh’s passage through the darkness underneath the twin-peaked mountain?
BOOK XI:
1) When Gilgamesh asks Utnapishtim to reveal the reason the gods made him immortal, the man recounts the ancient story of the Flood. This is the “vision” of the “primeval days before the Flood” promised in the Prologue. But this vision doesn’t seem to help Gilgamesh find the answer to his question, “Must I die too?” Scholars differ on the reasons for including this account of the Flood; why do you think the narrator included it?
2) In the Prologue, the unknown narrator takes the reader proudly through the city of Uruk. These same lines are spoken by Gilgamesh at the end of the tale. What is significance of this? What has Gilgamesh learned by the end of his epic journey?
BOOK I:
1) This book opens with a positive description of Gilgamesh ending with the word “perfect.” Then, in the next paragraph the description changes, and the word “arrogant” is used. What is the “true” picture of Gilgamesh?
2) The solution to the trapper’s problem is the introduction of sex to the wild man by Shamhat, who is not what we would call a prostitute, someone who sells her body for personal gain, but a priestess of the goddess of love who has dedicated herself to being a servant of the goddess. Discuss the ways in which her union with Enkidu changes him. Is this a change for the good? What does he gain, and what does he lose?
BOOK II:
1) Now that Enkidu has gained some self-awareness, Shamhat continues to teach Enkidu. What lessons does he learn from her in this book?
2) The book begins with a violent fight but ends in the beginnings of friendship. What is your theory about why this happens?
BOOK III:
1) Much of this book is a debate between the two friends. The argument is over whether the two should journey to the Cedar Forest and kill the monster Humbaba. Do you agree or disagree with: Enkidu’s objection to the adventure? Gilgamesh’s reason for insisting on the adventure? His mother Ninsun and the elders’ objection to the adventure?
2) There is disagreement over whether to kill the monster Humbaba. Presented with all the arguments, whose side would you take and why?
BOOK IV:
1) This book is notable for its repetitive descriptions and the interpretation of dreams. Each day the two men travel exactly the same amount of miles, set up camp the same way, and each night Gilgamesh has an ominous dream which Enkidu interprets as favorable. Repetition, interpretation of dreams—what do you see as the importance of this book to the narrative? Why do you think that Enkidu interprets all Gilgamesh’s dreams as “favorable”?
2) The monster Humbaba is portrayed as pathetic, comic, and scary. Did you find yourself sympathizing with him at all as you read, and if so, why?
BOOK V:
1) The two friends exhibit real fear in this book. In this way, they are unlike other heroes in later epics—Beowulf and Odysseus, for example. For Gilgamesh and Enkidu, fear is not a shameful trait. What does sharing their fear accomplish?
2) With the help of the god Shamash, the two defeat the monster in an epic battle. When Humbaba begs for his life, why does Enkidu persuade Gilgamesh to refuse?
BOOK VI:
1) Of the six insulting examples Gilgamesh throws at Ishtar, which one is most convincing to you? Why?
2) Deeply insulted, Ishtar prevails on her father, the sky-god, to let her have the Bull of Heaven to wreak vengeance on Gilgamesh and his city. The images of the gigantic bull are fierce, but again, the two friends work together to kill the
monster. What does Enkidu’s action at the finish of the battle tell us about him?
BOOK VII:
1) At the end of Book VI, Enkidu has a frightening dream, and in Book VII he recalls it for Gilgamesh along with another bad dream. Gilgamesh tries to interpret the dreams as favorable, but Enkidu realizes that his fate has been sealed. How has Enkidu angered the gods?
2) When Enkidu realizes his fate, he curses both the trapper and Shamhat, who brought him to the city of Uruk, but Shamash offers a more balanced view. What is his view, and how does Enkidu react to it? Discuss why you do or don’t believe that Enkidu is the villain in this myth.
BOOK VIII:
1) The loss of Enkidu is devastating to Gilgamesh. How does he express his grief and how does he honor his friend’s memory? What would he do today?
2) After Enkidu’s death, the epic goes in a new direction. Gilgamesh begins a long, beautiful lament for his dead friend. Discuss the changes that Gilgamesh undergoes as a result of his friendship with Enkidu.
BOOK IX:
1) Gilgamesh now realizes that he, too, will die and allows his life to fall apart; he does not bathe, shave, or take care of himself (somewhat reminiscent of the original Enkidu) because he is terrified about death. On his journey to find Utnapishtim, the first stage—the trip through the tunnel—is successful. What are the dangers in this first part of the quest?
2) So many dreams appear in this myth. What two examples can you remember from any of the books of the myth explain the purpose of dreams in Gilgamesh?
BOOK X:
1) The tavern keeper, Shiduri, seems to offer Gilgamesh good advice for living after Enkidu’s death. Why doesn’t Gilgamesh pay attention?
2) What is the significance of Gilgamesh’s passage through the darkness underneath the twin-peaked mountain?
BOOK XI:
1) When Gilgamesh asks Utnapishtim to reveal the reason the gods made him immortal, the man recounts the ancient story of the Flood. This is the “vision” of the “primeval days before the Flood” promised in the Prologue. But this vision doesn’t seem to help Gilgamesh find the answer to his question, “Must I die too?” Scholars differ on the reasons for including this account of the Flood; why do you think the narrator included it?
2) In the Prologue, the unknown narrator takes the reader proudly through the city of Uruk. These same lines are spoken by Gilgamesh at the end of the tale. What is significance of this? What has Gilgamesh learned by the end of his epic journey?
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Gilgamesh Study Guide
Literature and the Arts Name: __________________________
Gilgamesh Study Guide
SETTINGS
Name and briefly describe each of the following.
Approximate time the story takes place:
City:
Geographic Area:
Home of the evil giant:
CHARACTERS
For each of the following, identify the character and give a brief description of important characteristics.
Our hero! The protagonist:
Mother:
Father:
Man created by the gods to challenge and befriend the hero:
Evil giant:
PLOT LINE
What task do Gilgamesh and Enkidu set out to accomplish?
Who takes on the role of a mentor (remember Odyssey?) in the story?
List two challenges that Gilgamesh faces.
At the conclusion of the story, what important lesson has Gilgamesh learned?
Gilgamesh Study Guide
SETTINGS
Name and briefly describe each of the following.
Approximate time the story takes place:
City:
Geographic Area:
Home of the evil giant:
CHARACTERS
For each of the following, identify the character and give a brief description of important characteristics.
Our hero! The protagonist:
Mother:
Father:
Man created by the gods to challenge and befriend the hero:
Evil giant:
PLOT LINE
What task do Gilgamesh and Enkidu set out to accomplish?
Who takes on the role of a mentor (remember Odyssey?) in the story?
List two challenges that Gilgamesh faces.
At the conclusion of the story, what important lesson has Gilgamesh learned?
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