Family Interview:  The Junior High Years

 You will be interviewing one of your parents, grandparents, or relative about what it was like being in school at 12 or 13 years old, in junior high school.  There are some questions below that you can use to ask questions.  Feel free to ask more questions.  Remember you need to be very thorough.  If they answer something and you think of another question you should ask it and get more information.

 Once you have all the answers to your questions you will need to write this up in a biographical account.  That means to find an interesting way to present it to the reader.  You will need an interesting title.  The first sentence should be a hook: an interesting tidbit from the interview, a humor anecdote or incident to lead with and later describe.  You will have plenty of examples from years past to look over.

 You will need to bring your rough draft to class and have it peer edited by at least two class members.  Your final draft will be due a week later (see calendar for specific date.)

 

Example questions:

 

  1. What was the name of the school you attended?
  2. Where was this school (city, state, country)?
  3. What was the daily schedule like?
  4. Did you wear a uniform?
  5. What were your classes/ subjects?
  6. What were your favorite subjects/ teachers?
  7. What did you like to do in your free time?
  8. What clubs or organizations did you belong to?
  9. What sport(s) did you play?
  10. What was your favorite position?
  11. What music did you like?
  12. Did you watch TV and what shows?
  13. Who were your best friends?
  14. What was the funniest thing to happen to you?
  15. What was the worst experience you had in 7th grade?
  16. What books did you read?
  17. What awards did you receive?
  18. What was going on in history or your country when you were in junior high?

 

Example of how to improve your final draft:

 

“My Dad’s Junior High”              change to                “Frisbee Champ of PS 145”

  My dad went to school                                          When he won the Frisbee

in New York City.                                                   Championship, my dad thought he

                                                                                 was flying as high as the Frisbee he

                                                                                 threw that day.

 

“Going to School in                        change to                           “Dodging Bullets”

Viet Nam”

  My mother went to school                                           There were many times

in Saigon.  During the Viet Nam                                     that the students were forced to

War.  It was scary.                                                        duck under their desks because

                                                                                     of  the enemy action and bullets

                                                                                     flying around the school.

 

Final Draft

 After the peer editing, you will need to complete a final draft.  It will need to be typed (preferably) or written in black or blue ink.  See calendar or white board in class for due dates.  The following is an example.

  

                        Edgar Poe

Humanities ¾

September 15, 2001

 

               “Frisbee Champ of PS 145”

 

    When he won the Frisbee Championship, my dad thought he was flying as high as the Frisbee he threw that day.  ( give details of the where and when, name of school, city, state)

   His school was a typical mid west junior high with grades 7, 8 and 9.  (What was a typical day like, subjects, school activities such as dances, sports, teachers?)

   When he was finally able to get home, he would spend his afternoons playing stick ball in the abandoned lot two houses down on the corner of Elm and Oakwood Drive. (What did he do in his free time, hobbies, friends and any particular incidents that were memorable.)

   It seems like an easy sport but it is actually far from it.  (Describe the incident mentioned in the title give all the special details.)

 

Using the writing strategies of grade seven outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, students:

2.1 Write fictional or autobiographical narratives:

a. Develop a standard plot line (having a beginning, conflict, rising action, climax, and

denouement) and point of view.

b. Develop complex major and minor characters and a definite setting.

c. Use a range of appropriate strategies (e.g., dialogue; suspense; naming of specific

narrative action, including movement, gestures, and expressions).