Interview-Based Reports

 

Today's Snack: To make a yummy Banana Smoothie, just put one cup of vanilla yogurt, one cup of orange juice, and one ripe banana into a blender. Put the lid on tight! Blend on high until it's smooth. Pour into one large glass, or two small ones.

 

 

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Access to books or the library

Paper and pen or pencil

 

 

Two basic academic skills are (1) knowing how to interview someone and (2) knowing how to plan, research and write a report. A report is a different kind of writing from a creative, fictional story, or a personal narrative. In a report, the idea is to reveal information. That's why this kind of writing - fact-based, nonfiction writing - is called "expository" writing. You will expose and explain persons, places, things and ideas!

 

And here's how. Let's say you are assigned to interview someone and write a one-page report about anything you want. Here's the process:

 

1.       Find a Topic

 

2.       Look It Up

 

3.       Take Notes

 

4.       Outline Your Paper

 

5.       Create Your First Draft

 

6.       Revise and Edit Your Draft

 

7.       Present Your Paper

 

 

1. Find a Topic.

 

A good report will zero in on a topic. If you want to write something about dogs, don't just take "dogs" as your topic. What ABOUT dogs? Something you love about them? Or something controversial? Or some way that people spend time with their dogs, or help dogs in general? Let's say you want to report about good things going on for dogs in your community. Well, there are LOTS of good things going on for dogs in your community. Maybe you should just pick one, and zero in on that. OK! That's your topic.

 

 

 

2. Look It Up

 

So your topic is something good that's going on for dogs in your area. How can you find out where to find out more information? You can go to people: ask a parent, a neighbor who owns a dog, or ask your parent to help you call a veterinarian or a pet store. Your parent can help you learn how to use the phone book. Have a piece of paper and a pencil ready, to take notes. Say this: "Hi, my name is __________ and I am a student at __________ School. I'm doing a report on something good that's going on for dogs in our area. Do you have any ideas for me?" In many towns and cities, the Humane Society is the best-known place that helps dogs. Chances are, they will refer you there. You can look up their phone number in the phone book, and call them and repeat your question. You might ask to be referred to the public relations person. He or she will probably have lots of suggestions: pick-up service for neglected dogs and strays; doggie day-care; a dog-walking park; dog fitness activities, and many more. Choose just one of those, and tell the person you'd like a little more information about it. Let's say you choose dog fitness activities. Could you ask a few questions for your report? Ask for the person's name - ask the person to spell it, first name and last name, so you get it right -- and job title. Ask for their website to check for more information later, too.

 

3. Take Notes

 

As you ask questions and listen to the answers, take just a few notes so that you can remember the information. Can you write down everything the person says? No way! Just write down facts that you may have trouble remembering exactly in the future. Sample questions: What percentage of the dogs in our area are fat? What health problems do dogs get because they are fat? Do any breeds tend to get fat more than other breeds? What is the Humane Society doing to try to help dogs be fit? Have you held any special events that kids and their dogs could come to, to learn these fitness activities? How many people are doing these fitness activities compared to how many dogs there are in your area? What will motivate a dog owner to help a dog get fit? Ask the person what else you should know before you write your paper. During the interview, listen for one key idea from the person and write that one sentence down exactly. That's called a "quotation." You can use it in your paper. When you are finished, be sure to thank the person for his or her time. Ask what "courtesy title" the person uses - Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms. You will need that for your report. Offer to mail a copy of your report to them, and tell them when it's due. Do you have enough information? For a one-page paper, you'll probably need one to two pages of notes. But not everything you write will be based strictly on your notes. You can always go to their website to check for more information.

 

4. Outline Your Paper

 

Now it's time to make an outline! That's like a plan for your report. You need a beginning, a middle, and an ending. The paragraphs should all connect with one another, like cars on a train, so that the reader is brought from the introduction to the conclusion in a logical manner. First, you'll need a "thesis statement." That is the main thing that you are trying to explain. This introductory paragraph will explain your topic or subject in a nutshell. Your outline should contain your thesis in the first paragraph, three paragraphs of facts and information that back up your thesis, and then a concluding paragraph that tells the reader something that he or she can do about it. That's based on the idea that five paragraphs fit on one page very well, and that was your assignment - to write one page. Maybe your thesis will be "Over half of the dogs in our community are fat, but the Humane Society has a set of dog fitness activities that help prevent health problems like backaches and cancer." You could outline your paper like this:

 

Thesis - many dogs are fat, but Humane Society has fitness activities

 

Paragraph 2 - describe the health problems of fat dogs

 

Paragraph 3 - describe the fitness activities

 

Paragraph 4 - describe how, when and where to learn them and do them with your dog

 

Conclusion -- urge dog owners to help their dogs get fit

 

 

5. Create Your First Draft

 

Now sit down and write your report based on your outline. Basically, "prove" your point! Make sure to identify your source by name and job title, and include one direct quotation from your source. For this report, you might want to quote your source on the health problems of fat dogs. That might be the factual information that most people don't know. Use direct quotation marks, like this,

 

"Overweight dogs are much more likely to suffer back pain and get cancer," according to Jill Jones, public relations manager for the Humane Society.

 

Then, when you are not directly quoting her, but are including information that she gave you, you can include her last name and courtesy title (Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms.) - so you might write: Ms. Jones said the dog-walking park near 120^th and Maple Streets is a great place to exercise a dog.

 

 

6. Revise and Edit Your Draft

 

It's a good idea to let a little time go by before you come back to your first draft and make changes and improvements. It's also a good idea to let someone else read it, and suggest ways you could make your report even better. Check the spelling of unfamiliar words, even if you think you guessed right. A report is not very believable if there are misspelled words and ungrammatical sentences in it, or sentences just don't make sense and paragraphs don't "track," one into the next. Why should anybody pay attention to your ideas, if you can't Remember, the assignment was to write one full page, so you might need to go back over your notes or do further research in the library, the Internet, or a veterinarian, for more facts to share about dog fitness.

 

8. Present Your Paper

 

Now rewrite your paper, with pencil and paper or typing on a computer, so that it is neat and tidy. Put your name and the date in the upper right-hand corner of the report paper, if that's what your teacher wants you to do, and put the title on the first line, centered. Then skip a line, and start your introductory paragraph. Indent paragraphs about the distance that five alphabet letters take. Don't have any cross-outs or erasures that tear the paper. If an erasure shows, you should start over so that your paper is PERFECT!

 

 

And it will be! Because you made a strong plan, and followed it through! Congratulations!