Listening Through Interviews

Overview

In this second lesson of Building Our Learning Community, students practice listening closely to a peer and using accurate notes to communicate what they learned. They build on prior work with classroom discussion norms by asking open-ended questions, paraphrasing, following up respectfully, and introducing a partner clearly.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Prepare thoughtful, open-ended questions for a partner interview.
• Listen for important details and record accurate notes.
• Paraphrase a partner’s ideas and ask respectful follow-up questions.
• Introduce a partner using organized, formal spoken language.
• Create a brief strengths-and-interests profile from interview notes.

Success criteria

• I can ask questions that invite more than a yes-or-no answer.
• I can paraphrase my partner’s ideas without changing their meaning.
• I can record specific, accurate details and use them in an introduction.
• I can speak clearly, listen respectfully, and build on others’ ideas.

Curriculum links

• Collaborative discussions: preparation, evidence from a topic, building on others’ ideas, and expressing ideas clearly.
• Discussion procedures: collegial norms, purposeful roles, and clear goals or deadlines.
• Adapted speech: formal English appropriate for introducing a classmate.
• Informative/explanatory writing: selecting and organizing relevant details to convey information.

Lesson structure (90 minutes)

1. 0–8 min · Listening challenge. Display the learning intention and open with the hook and learning-intention slides. Tell students to share two true statements about themselves and one hope for the school year with a partner; the listener may not interrupt and must later repeat one truth and the hope accurately. Students listen, then switch roles and briefly discuss which listening move helped them remember details.

2. 8–20 min · Model effective interviewing. Use the interview-model slides to contrast a closed question and an open-ended question, such as “Do you like music?” and “What role does music play in your life?” Model eye contact, attentive posture, paraphrasing (“So you are saying…”), and a respectful follow-up (“What makes that important to you?”). Students identify what the interviewer did well, suggest one improvement, and practice paraphrasing a short teacher-provided response with a partner.

3. 20–30 min · Prepare questions and roles. Distribute the partner interview and profile sheet. Students select or adapt four questions from the question bank, including questions about a strength, an interest, a learning preference, and a hope or goal. Explain that students should ask permission before recording sensitive information and may pass on any question. Assign roles for the first round: interviewer, speaker, and note-checker; in groups of four, two students may work as one interview pair while the other two observe, then switch. Students rehearse one open-ended question and set the goal of collecting at least three specific details.

4. 30–52 min · Partner interviews. Display the interview-directions and question-stem slides. Pair students with someone they do not usually work with. Allow 8 minutes for the first interview, 2 minutes for the note-checker to confirm details with the speaker, then switch partners and repeat. Students ask questions, paraphrase at least one answer, ask a follow-up, and record brief factual notes rather than writing every word. Circulate with a checklist, prompting students to clarify vague notes and use formal, respectful language.

5. 52–67 min · Write a strengths-and-interests profile. Students use their notes and the profile-writing section to draft a 4–5 sentence profile of one partner. Model organizing the profile with a clear opening, two or three relevant details, and a closing sentence connecting a strength or interest to the partner’s hope or goal. Students verify each detail with the partner before finalizing it, then rehearse the introduction aloud, focusing on volume, pace, pronunciation, and accurate wording.

6. 67–82 min · Small-group introductions. Use the introduction and audience-feedback slides to display the speaking task and listening norms. Place students in four groups of four. Each student introduces their partner for 60–90 seconds; listeners record one specific detail they learned and one connection to their own experience. After each introduction, one listener asks a respectful follow-up question and the speaker responds briefly. Students complete the peer checklist on the worksheet for one assigned presenter.

7. 82–90 min · Reflection and close. Invite two volunteers to share an example of strong paraphrasing or a useful follow-up question. Students complete the one-sentence reflection on the listening reflection prompt: “One listening move that helped me understand my partner was ___ because ___.” Collect the worksheets and briefly preview that the next lesson will use community strengths and interests to plan collaborative work.

Resources

• the complete interview lesson deck
• the partner interview and profile sheet
• Timer
• Pens or pencils
• Teacher observation checklist
• Four-group seating arrangement
• Board or document camera

Assessment

• During the challenge and interviews, listen for open-ended questions, accurate paraphrasing, respectful follow-up, and evidence that students are recording specific details.
• Check each profile for relevant, accurate information, logical organization, and appropriate formal language; use peer checklists to identify speaking and listening strengths.
• Review the one-sentence reflection to determine whether students can name a purposeful listening strategy and explain its value.

Differentiation

• Provide question stems such as “What is an example of…?”, “How did you…?”, and “Why is ___ important to you?” Students who need support may use a reduced set of three questions and a notes template with labeled boxes.
• Offer sentence frames for paraphrasing and follow-up: “I heard you say ___,” “Can you tell me more about ___?” and “How does ___ connect to ___?”
• For EAL students, preview key terms such as strength, interest, goal, and paraphrase with simple definitions; allow rehearsal with a supportive partner before presenting.
• For students with speech, hearing, attention, or writing needs, provide printed directions, flexible seating, extra processing time, permission to type or dictate notes, and the option to introduce a partner to a smaller group rather than the whole class.