Students will conduct informational interviews with professionals to learn about various occupations. In groups, students will research careers, develop interview questions, and interview a working professional. Students will record the interview digitally. Individually, students will then create an audio production—a commercial, talk show, or news report—based on the interview to share what they learned about a profession. The project aims to help students explore careers and strengthen research, collaboration, communication, and technology skills through an authentic experience of connecting with someone in the workforce.

1. Informational Interviews
As a end-of-year project, students will create an audio
commercial, a talk show interview, or a news report about an
occupation. Students will rely on available information to
prepare a set of interview questions and will then interview a
working professional about the world of work. The interview
will be digitally recorded and students will synthesize the
audio file to create a unique audio production.
Renata Geurtz
May 21, 2013

2. Anticipatory Introduction
Did you know that most Americans will have SEVEN careers
during their lifetime. Did you know that many of the jobs
available in 20 years don’t even exist today.
Knowing how to do career research is vital. Before accepting a
new job or changing careers, you will need to learn all you can
about the industry and the available jobs.
Up till know, we’ve researched industries, careers, occupations,
and jobs by reading what others have written. In this project,
YOU will interview a working professional and create an audio
recording so that others can learn from you.

3. Learning Outcomes
 Students will use Internet resources to research careers, job descriptions, and
companies.
 Based on the research, students will develop a list of interview questions about the
job/company.
 Working in groups, students will plan, conduct, and record an interview which can
be either in person, by phone, or technology supported.
 Working independently, students will create one of the following audio productions:
(1) commercial for a profession; (2) talk show interview; or (3) a radio news report
about the profession.
 Students will upload audio recording to school website.

4. Common Core Standards
 6-8.RST.2. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an
accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
 6-8.RST.3. Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out
experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
 6-8.RST.6. Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing
a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.
 6-8.RST.7. Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in
a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart,
diagram, model, graph, or table).
 6-8.RST.9. Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments,
simulations, videos, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text
on the same topic.

5. Workplace Standards
 1WP-E6. Speak in a content area (science, social studies), using vocabulary of
the subject accurately.
 3WP-E1. Utilize information acquired from several sources and transfer
information learned in one situation to another.

6. Technology Standards
 Strand 1: Creativity and Innovation
 Concept 1: Knowledge and Ideas: Use technology to generate knowledge and new
ideas.
 Concept 4: Original Works: Use technology to create original works in innovative ways
 Strand 2: Communication and Collaboration
 Concept 1: Effective Communications and Digital Interactions: Communicate and
collaborate with others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
 Strand 3: Research and Information Literacy
 Concept 1: Planning: Plan strategies to guide inquiry.
 Concept 2: Processing: Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use
information from a variety of sources and media.
 Strand 4: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making
 Concept 1: Investigation: Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions
for investigations
 Concept 2: Exploring Solutions: Plan and manage activities to develop solutions to answer a
question or complete a project.

7. Time and Schedule
 End of year project – cumulative project
 7 school days for the interview
 7 school days for the audio production

8. Materials and Technology
Resources
 Audio examples of commercials for a profession, a talk show
interview, and a news report on a profession
 Internet access
 Word Processing software
 Audio creation and editing software
 Digital recording device
 Parental involvement: drive to interviews
 Conference telephone or web-based meeting software

9. Pre-activities
Students should have a thorough understanding of how to
research careers – what questions to ask and what are
standard sources of workplace information.
Students should have prior experience with audio creation
and editing software.
Students should have prior experience of interviewing
members of the business community.
Students should have experience of working in groups.

10. Activities
Project has three parts (1) the interview with an employee; (2) the audio product; (3) self-
reflection (see assessment)
 The Interview – group project
1. Students select the Career Cluster (6 to choose from) they would like to investigate
(select 3 in preference order). Teacher assigns groups of 4 to 5 students to collaborate
on the interview. Each student will be assigned a responsibility on the group: (1)
interviewee contact, (2) note-taker, (3) digital recording, (4) researcher.
2. Teacher, parents, and students will identify potential interviewees.
3. Working in groups, students will research the profession of the interviewee and the
company for which he/she works. Students will write at least ten questions to be asked in
a semi-structured interview.
4. For peer feedback, students will share their interview questions with classmates.
Students will conduct a mock interview with each other.
5. As a small group, students will conduct the interview either with a visit to the place of
work, teleconference, or video conference. The interview will be audio recorded.
 A one-minute audio production – individual project
1. Each student will receive an audio file of the interview recording and will select what type
of production they will create: (1) commercial for the profession; (2) a talk show interview;
or (3) a news report.
2. Students will create a storyboard of their project and present in a small group for peer
feedback. Students will make revisions to their plans.
3. Students will use audio creation/editing software to create their product. Peer feedback
for suggestions/revisions.
4. Audio interview will be posted to school website.

11. Assessment
 Timeliness: were the major milestones met on schedule
 Interview questions: using a rubric, the questions will be evaluated for completeness, quality, and uniqueness.
 The interview: completed at least a 30 minute interview with recording.
 Peer participation: complete a peer evaluation to ensure all participated equitably.
 Storyboard: using a rubric, the storyboard will be evaluated for completeness and accuracy, ensuring that a 1-
minute audio production can be created.
 Audio: using a rubric, the audio production will be evaluated for accuracy and creativity. Was production
uploaded to school website?
 Peer evaluation: using an online evaluation, students will listen and evaluate a selected number of audio
productions.
 Self-reflection: students will submit a one page reflection, covering any aspect for their experience. They may
consider the following:
 What did you learn about the profession or company?
 What did you learn about interviews and creating audio productions?
 What aspect of the project was most interesting for you?
 What was interesting or challenging in working as a part of the team?

12. Extensions & Adaptations
 Extension: Student can create an audio production
which merges several audio files to create a synthesis
of interviews: “A Special report on a Career Strand”
 Adaptation: Increase the size of group to 5. Reduce the
length of the audio product to 30 seconds. The self-
reflection can be oral.

13. The CTE Program Model
students use literacy and writing
skills to research, analyze,
synthesize, and report
students collaborate with the
business community to
communicate and discover
students use
technology, literacy, and
work-based skills
students begin to
network with work
community
indirect instruction,
collaborative learning
between students, teachers,
and interviewee
students communicate
with interviewee in a
real-world context