This term you will build an app for a small group of Grade 4 or 5 students at a nearby school. Before you build anything, you will interview them, to find out what they care about and what they find hard. I will explain the whole project right after this warm-up.
Here are questions a Grade 12 student might ask a group of nine- and ten-year-olds. Some will get you something useful. Some will get you nothing. One or two should never be asked at all.
The cards
I give your group a set of cards and some magnets. Each card has one question on it.
- What app do you want us to make?
- Do you like math?
- Tell me about the last time you learned something that was really fun.
- What’s your full name and your birthday, so we can put them in the app?
- Why don’t you like reading?
- What do you do after school?
- Would you rather race against the clock, or take your time?
- Can you draw me what that looks like?
- Put your hand up if you like video games.
What to do
- Put the three heading cards across the top of your board: Keep, Fix, Never ask.
- Sort the nine question cards under the headings. Say why, out loud, before a card goes up.
- Choose one card under Fix. Reword it so a nine-year-old would give you a real answer. Write your new question on the board.
- Visit another group’s board. Find one card you would move, and say why.
What to listen for
- Questions about real past events beat questions about wishes.
- Yes/no questions end the conversation.
- “Why don’t you…” can feel like being in trouble.
- Some questions collect information you must never record: a last name, a birthday, where they live.
- In a group, children copy each other, and one confident voice can hide three quiet ones. Ask each child in turn, or let everyone answer at once (draw it, or hold up fingers), before anyone explains.
Keep one rewritten question from the board. You will use it later today.