This term, Grade 11 English B students have been involved in a unit of study on Drug Abuse. They engaged in various learning experiences, including finding examples of the glorification of drugs in the media, debating issues related to drug use, creating pamphlets on various drugs and their effects, and investigating reasons why people use drugs in the first place.
Most recently, students learned about the different conventions of interviews. After viewing the reality television show “Intervention,” students wrote interview scripts between family members and an interventionist, based on what they had learned throughout the unit.
As a final task, they grouped themselves and tried to create an original episode of “Intervention,” incorporating different features of the show, including setting and tone. They then presented these videos to their peers and voted for winners based on the categories of being most realistic, most unique and most professional.
Throughout this unit, students had opportunities to practice speaking and writing for different purposes, and they developed new vocabulary. They also confronted some controversial topics and developed new understandings about a relevant issue.
Please see one of the winning intervention videos below.