Second Grade · History · week 2

Interview a grown-up about their childhood

Conduct a short interview with a parent or grandparent to learn true facts about their childhood.

An interview is when you ask someone questions and listen carefully to their answers. Historians interview people to learn about things they cannot find in books -- because the person actually lived through it.

When you interview a grown-up about their childhood, you become a real historian. Their memories are a primary source: information straight from a person who was really there.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Help your child write down 3-4 interview questions before the interview, such as "What games did you play?" or "What was your school like?"
  • Sit with your child during a real interview with a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or older neighbor, in person or on a call.
  • Encourage your child to ask a natural follow-up question, like "what happened next?" when an answer is interesting.
  • Afterward, ask your child to tell you back one true thing they learned -- retelling locks the memory in.
Talk about it:
  • What is one thing you learned that surprised you?
  • How is asking a real person different from reading a book?
  • What question do you wish you had asked?

Mastery looks like: They can prepare real interview questions, conduct a short interview, and retell one true fact they learned.

Common stumbles: Asking only yes-or-no questions, or not listening closely enough to remember the answer afterward.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of History for this learner.
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