The Literature Based Interview Process

Step 1

Step 2

Read the book. For elementary school age students it may be helpful if you read the book to the class while your students read along.  

Note: If you are using a specialist, the specialist must also read the book.

There are two ways of beginning an ASK project.

1. You can start with a book.

It may be a book your class reads every year, a new book, or a classic. Once you have the book selected you need to arrange for an interview with either the author or a specialist in the theme of the book. Networking with your friends and peers can often help you find a specialist.

2. Or you can start with a specialist and then identify a book.

You may meet a interesting person who knows a lot about or has experienced an event. For example, you may have a holocaust survivor living in your community that would be willing to be interviewed by students. Or you may know someone who served in Vietnam, works with homeless families. All of these people could serve as your expert or specialist for an ASK project. We would all like to interview authors, but they can be hard to get or very expensive.

In the Spring of 2000, we had Miyoko Matsubara visit us and be our specialist. Miyoko was a survivor of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. To learn more about Miyoko visit the Hiroshima section of our web site.

Networking is the key to finding the right person for an ASK project.

A list of books for possible ASK programs has been developed by Dr. Kettel. Also, you may wish to look at the list of past and future ASK programs that have been done during the past six years.

 

Students may read the book as an individual assignment during class or at home. You may wish to read segments of the book orally to illustrate possible journal entries or to foster class discussion of issues or themes developed in the book.