Student of the Week Activities

*Interviewing:

Many wonderful stories result from interviews. During an interview, the reporter asks people questions about their experiences. the result can be a dramatic and funny adventure, like this one:

Jaws!
By Karin Fraser

One day last summer during school vacation, a boy named Billy Shannon was at the Don DeSar Beach. He was swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. He was swimming near the deep water markers, and he felt something rubbery slide against his leg and saw a fin.

He called "Help!" about five or five times. A few people went out of the water. The movie Jaws flashed through his mind. The lifeguard went to him in a jet-ski. He pointed out that they were dolphins.

Billy swam back to the shore. He went to the pool where his parents were. He was quite embarrassed. He told them the story, and they thought it was funny. His brother made fun of him, and Billy punched him in the jaw.

Tips for Interviewing

Prepare a list of questions beforehand.
Start with a question from your list, but then try to make the interview seem like a real conversation.
Listen carefully, write quickly.
When you take notes, politely say, "I want to write that down." The person will stop so you can write.
Ask the person to spell any names you're unsure of.
Remember that the meaning is more important than the exact words.

(*Please note that all of the information quoted above was taken from our district adopted language arts reference textbook entitled, Writer's Express. The selection on Interview is found on page 125.)

We are interviewing our Student of the Week, but it is important that you have an understanding of how interviews are conducted in general. Go ahead and make a list of good questions to ask. Use the guidelines above and be prepared for the interview. Remember that the purpose of our specific interview is to gather enough information about the Student of the Week, so that we can write a friendly letter that relates to things we know about the person we are writing to, namely, the Student of the Week!

**Writing Friendly Letters

Keeping in Touch - Do you ever run to the mailbox to see if anything is addressed to you? Everyone enjoys receiving mail, especially letters. Letters from friends make friendships stronger. Letters from relatives make you feel closer. The best way to make sure you receive a letter is to send one.

Parts of a Friendly Letter - Friendly letters have five parts: the heading, the salutation, the body, the closing, and the signature.

The heading includes your address and the date. Write it in the upper right-hand corner.
The salutation or greeting usually begins with the word Dear and is followed by the name of the person who will receive the letter. Place a comma after the name. Write a salutation at the left-hand margin, two lines below the heading.
The body of the letter contains your thoughts and ideas. Begin writing on the second line after the salutation. Keep the paragraphs short for easy reading.
Write the closing two lines below the body of your letter. Capitalize only the first word and follow it with a comma. Put your signature under the closing.

(**Please note that all of the information quoted above regarding Writing Friendly Letters was taken from our district adopted language arts reference textbook entitled, Writer's Express. The selection on Interview is found on page 116.)

Now, you should be all set to write your friendly letter. We have done this a few times before, so each time you just want to try to improve upon the last letter.

Please click here to see our district's Fourth Grade Writing Rubric. You can use it as a guide to help you develop your writing skills. You can also look at page 117 of your Writer's Express reference book for a model of a friendly letter.

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