Age range: KS2-3
Time: 15-20 minute starter
‘Lucky Dip’ Interview questions
Is your class getting stuck when describing themselves? Or are you getting lots of similar writing that doesn’t show personalities? Shake up your pupils’ autobiographical writing with a quick-fire starter of ‘lucky dip’ questions.
Resources
A set of ‘lucky dip’ questions for each group. You can use them in a host of different ways:
Interviews
The simplest approach is to put children into pairs, each one taking a card with a question to ask the other. Encourage more able pupils to ask follow-up questions.
‘Just a minute’
Remember the radio show where comedians have to talk about a topic for a minute without hesitating, repeating any words or deviating from the topic? Challenge your pupils to give an answer to a lucky dip question for a whole minute in front of the class (if they find it easy, add in one of the radio show rules).
Card game
If you print out the questions onto different cards, you could use them in a competition. For example, each group has a pack of cards which are turned over one by one. A child can win a card by being the first to give an answer to it.
*Stuck for questions? Give these a try:
- Tell me your best joke OR your worst joke.
- Tell me about the people you live with.
- What’s the view outside your room?
- What’s the weirdest fact you know?
- Tell me something interesting you’ve learned this week.
- How would your friends describe you?
- What’s your favourite snack and why?
- What sauce do you put on everything you eat?
- Tell me about something that makes you smile.
- What do your family do (and eat!) for celebrations?
- If you could have any animal (real or fantasy) for a pet, what would it be and why?
- What’s your secret talent?
- If you could have a superpower, what would it be, and why?
- What’s the funniest or most embarrassing story your family would tell about you?
- What’s the silliest thing you’ve done this week? Or ever?
- Have you ever met or seen someone famous?
- What would your ideal party or birthday day be like?
- What would you wear?
- Have you ever broken a bone or had an accident?
- If you could go anywhere on holiday, where would you go and why? What would you do?
- How do you play your favourite game?
- What’s something that you wonder?
- What was the last movie/TV show/book/game you’ve seen/read/played? Would you recommend it?
- What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten OR where’s the strangest place you’ve ever been?
- Tell me something silly you believed was true when you were younger.
- Tell me about something you did that made you feel proud.
- Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a spooky experience?
