Every journalism teacher knows the gap: students can summarize, summarize well even — but ask them to sit across from a real person and get a real story, and they freeze. This unit closes that gap. The Interview Techniques Bundle is a complete, classroom-ready journalism unit for high school students. It covers the full arc from foundational skills through professional-level practice, with three original writing assignments and a source-tracking framework used by real newsrooms. What's included (7 components): 1. Lesson Slideshow (34 slides, PPTX) Designed for classroom projection — large text, one idea per slide, readable from the back of the room. Covers question types, follow-up technique, the power of silence, note-taking vs. recording, on/off the record, body language, and source representation. Includes a full Teacher Notes on each slide with slide-by-slide talking points, discussion prompts, pro tips, and classroom activities. 2. Press Conference Role-Play Pack (4 standalone scenarios) The teacher plays the character. Students ask the questions.
See it on Teachers Pay Teachers — $23.19
Four fully developed scenarios — each a complete, self-contained packet: Mayor Sandra Reyes — city council president arrested on embezzlement charges Coach Marcus Webb — season-ending playoff loss and an injured star player Dr. Patricia Chen — measles outbreak and anti-vax misinformation Jordan Vale — musician launching a new album amid a public songwriting dispute Each scenario includes a student briefing sheet, a social media rumor set (3 rumors per scenario, graduated from credible-ish to conspiracy-level junk), a teacher character guide with opening statement and deflection scripts, an optional breaking point that rewards the right follow-up question, a walkout option for trolly or inappropriate questions, and a hard news writing assignment. 3. Partner Interview Activity Students interview a classmate for 10–15 minutes and write a 200–350 word feature that goes beyond the obvious. Includes an Obvious vs. Not Obvious comparison table, strong vs. weak lead examples, a question-writing worksheet (students write their own — no handed-to-them question bank), interview notes pages, writing space, and a 100-point rubric. 4. "How Childhood Has Changed" Feature Assignment An intergenerational oral history meets data journalism assignment. Students interview an older family member or adult, interview 2–3 peers, and find two pieces of national data (Pew, Gallup, CDC, etc.) to write a 600–1,200 word feature. Includes three version options (childhood broadly, school experience, or level-specific), a full data source guide, three story structure options, and a 100-point rubric. The kind of assignment students remember years later. 5.
Source Diversity Tracker + Teacher Discussion Guide A professional-grade sourcing audit tool adapted for student newsrooms — the same practice used by NPR, the BBC, and Nature. Students log gender, age, race/ethnicity, and source role for every interview. The class pools their data and compares it to school demographics. The included teacher discussion guide walks through three structured discussion sequences on official source bias, whose stories get told, and how to set specific sourcing goals. 6. Pacing Guide + Common Core Standards Alignment A 15-day day-by-day schedule with activities, materials, and CCSS standard codes for every lesson. Includes full standards alignment tables for Writing, Reading Informational Text, Speaking & Listening, and Language — 18 standards total, each with the standard text and a specific explanation of how this unit addresses it. Plus differentiation strategies, extension ideas, and cross-curricular connections (History, Health, Statistics, Oral History). CCSS Standards addressed: W.9-10.2–10, W.11-12.2–10 | RI.9-10.1, 6, 7, 8 | RI.11-12.1, 6, 7, 8 | SL.9-10.1–4, 6 | SL.11-12.1–4, 6 | L.9-10.1, 3 | L.11-12.1, 3 Grade level: 9–12 | Subject: Journalism, ELA | Duration: ~3 weeks (15 instructional days)
Designed for grades 9-12.
Starmaker English and Journalism Tools 
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