Family Story Project - 8 Activities

1.  Project background 

Instructions  1.1 View the presentation, Write Your Family History Step by Step (see Labo for the pdf).   1 Why is Ms. Alzo an expert in family history? 2 Write 3 or 4 suggestions, in your own words, the author gives in her Overview. 3 What is the difference between a family tree and a family story? 4 What are some famous story histoires? 5 Do stories have to be told in exact sequence? 6 What are some different formats for story telling? 7 Why does the author suggest using a timeline? 8 What tips does she give for writing a compelling story? 9 What documents can you use? 10 Why does the author like interviewing a person?

2. Interview preparation 

Instructions 

Prepare your interview with a family member. Answer the following questions..

2.1 What stories does my family have?

2.2 Who can I interview?

2.3 What do I do if the original person I want to interview is not free?

2.4 What is my driving question or topic (early childhood, teenage years, adulthood) for the interview?

General example: “What was it like for this relative to be alive in a specific historical and cultural context?” 

Specific example: “What was it like for my father to immigrate to Canada from the Philippines in 1975 when he was seventeen?”

2.5 What 8-10 questions could I ask in my interview?

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2.6 What kinds of photos can I use?

2.7 What primary documents can I use?

3. Interview transcription

Instructions

3.1 Post your recorded interview in your blog.

4.  Peer critique 

Instructions 

Read the transcript of the interview of your partner. Comment on the interview by answering the following questions. Share your comments orally with your partner.

4.1 What do you like most about the interview?

4.2 What parts do you find the most captivating?  How do you relate to them?

4.3  What questions do you have about the way the interview develops?  

What seems unclear to you about: names, places,  chronology of events, conflicts, and

who did what and why?

4.4  What would you like to find out more from the family member?

4.5  Is there any additional information that would describe the characters better or give you a better picture of the story?

4.6  Suggest revisions to the interview to make it read better.  

Can the organization  – the order of events for example – be improved?  

Can the sentence structure and vocabulary be improved?

4.7  In critiquing this interview, what ideas can you takeaway to improve your own interview?

Student example: Peer Critique 

Instructions: read the transcript of the interview of your partner. Comment on the interview by answering the following questions. Share your comments with your partner.

1 What do you like most about the interview?

The interview is very "chill" and I feel like it reflects the personality of the person interviewed. Even the most emotionally challenging moment (the tumor [question 9]), is discussed in a very calm way. I feel like the interview is a nice general overview of her step sister (her accomplishments, tough times, perception of life...).

2 What parts do you find the most captivating?  How do you relate to them?

I find very interesting the emphasis she puts on balance in life and I believe it is inspiring to see someone so calm and optimistic about life and its difficult decisions. It's not always easy to choose when facing a dilemma, but I can see that the trust her sister has in herself really permits her to live her life to the fullest. I am definitely inspired by this way of thinking.

3  What questions do you have about the way the interview unfolds?  What seems unclear to you about: names, places,  chronology of events, conflicts, and who did what and why?

The interview was pretty clear overall. She really highlighted the important parts of every question and answer. I do wonder, though, why she moved and where she lived before. Besides that, the chronology of the interview is logical and easy to follow.

4  What would you like to find out more about the family member?

I would like to know more about the big events that impacted her sister's life. Maybe a little more about how she felt during difficult times and how she got over those hard moments. But there again, focusing on the "tough parts" would definitely change the tone of the interview. Also, from the few answers in the interview, her sister does not seem like someone who would focus on the negative moments of life, so the interview wouldn't be as representative of her character.

5  Is there any additional information that would describe better the characters or give you a better picture of the story?

Maybe know a little more about her goals from now on. She seems to have her life set: graduated university, travel a lot, strong family, but what are her goals now that she has achieved so much already? Apart from that, I think where her sister is from (family, school, childhood goals) is well discussed in the interview.

6  Suggest revisions to the interview to make it read better.  Can the organization  – the order of events for example – be improved?  Can the sentence structure and vocabulary be improved?

I would maybe start with a short "introductory" question. Also, I would put the questions about school before those about family, simply because I feel that family is a more important topic, therefore starting with school to slowly introduce the character. Maybe the order 3-4-1-2-6-5-7-8-9-10. In addition, I feel like question 10 (about travelling) is a great way to conclude the interview on a positive/dreamy note!  About the sentence structure and vocabulary, it is very familiar and suits perfectly what we can understand about her sister's personality.

7  In critiquing this interview, what ideas can you takeaway to improve your own interview?

I will be more careful about the tone I use and make sure it is the same all throughout the interview. In addition, I would revise the order in which my questions are presented and make sure it keeps the reader interested.

Adapted from “Back in the Day, PDF.” 3.0 Buck Institute for Education 

 5. Revising the interview

Instructions 

5.1 Post your revised interview in your blog. Colour-code the changes you made based on your partner’s critique.

Use RED for editing changes (ordering for example), BLUE for revising sentence structure and vocabulary, and GREEN for changes to grammar, spelling and punctuation.

6. Slideshow preparation

Instructions 

Create a visual portrait of the family member you interviewed. Prepare the sketch using the following points or questions.

Guidelines: speak for 5-6 minutes. Keep the slides simple; use a lot of white space. Recount the portrait from the third person point of view. Make sure the fonts you use are big enough to read from the back of the room.

6.1 Title of the slideshow

6.2 Outline in bullet points. Remember to keep text on the slides to a minimum.

6.3 How can I best describe my family member through interesting details, quotes and actions?

6.4 What kinds of documents can I use? Remember to get permission from the person.

6.5 What brief video or audio clips can I include in the show?

4.6 How will I conclude the show? What are three takeaways that I would like to leave with my listeners.

7. Narrative preparation

Instructions

Prepare for the nonfiction narrative–a 550-word factual story–about the relative you interviewed using literary techniques, such as character, plot, setting, enriched vocabulary and figurative language you studied. Answer the following questions.

See the two student examples below.

Beginning the story

7.1 Who are the characters in the story?

7.2 What are some good descriptive words you can use for the characters?

7.3 What happy, exciting, tragic event could you use for the plot?

7.4 If there is a conflict in your story, what is opposing the person, such as another person, a difficult circumstance, bad luck , or another part of themselves? 

7.5 Suggestion: use a flashback you could use and then tell readers after how you got there.

Keeping the story going

7.6 What tension or drama can you create to move the story forward?

7.7 How can you create an air of mystery in the story to keep readers interested?

Ending the story 

7.8 How could you end the story in an interesting way with, for example, a surprise ending?

7.9 What similes or metaphors could you use to make the story more interesting? For example, you might say the person is “crazy like a fox,” or “smart as a fox.” Or you might say the person is “as awkward as a cow on ice.”

7.10 What additional information can I use in endnotes? (see Module 6.3 Revised for information about an “endnote.”)

Endnote 1
Endnote 2
Endnote 3

7.11 Summarize the plot of the story in three or four lines?