Bring in your own artefact interview activity

[Mumsaysno]

I have been shortlisted for an interview in a primary school for a TA position. I have to work for 20 minutes with a group of 10 mixed ability Year 4 children.

My task is to show the children my artefact and ask them to come up with questions they may want to ask me about it. Then lead a discussion about the artefact, encouraging the children to use appropriate descriptive language in their questions and answers.

I have to work on the following objectives:

1. I can take part in considered discussion about an artefact, taking turns and listening to what others say.
2. I can ask relevant questions with reasoning and use different types of scientific enquirers to answer them.

Never worked in year 4 before so am struggling a bit with what sort of language they will be looking for.

Any help gratefully received.

Thanks

What Year groups HAVE you worked with? Do you know what 'artefact' you might use? Personally, I would advise to have two or three available, in case the first one isn't successful/popular.

If you know something about the school, its environment, and strengths or weaknesses, that could be a starting point to select your 'artefact'. Thus, a school on a factory estate, or a rural school next to a farm, might suggest very different 'artefacts', but in each case something the children might be familiar with.

Include ALL the children as much as possible; entice the shy ones, or 'squash' the bossy, loud ones.

Try and keep it 'fun' for the kids, but also have SOME educational value. (I would guess how you control/interact with the children is more important than content.)

Have some 'jokes' or light-hearted moments, and try to make a DELIBERATE mistake, or slip of the tongue: Year 4 will LOVE thinking they have 'caught you out'!

Good luck, and ENJOY IT!

Have worked with year 1 and year 3 before. Not sure what artefact to take in. Was thinking of an old camera but not sure. Will look at the resources available in the school I'm working in at the moment. The school is a village primary

Yr 3 isn't going to be hugely different from Yr 4 I guess.

I have a VERY OLD plate camera (around 1916) but not much use to you!

Today's children probably won't be aware of the 'old days' when a roll of film had to be sent to a chemist or lab for processing. Children will want to see something being 'demonstrated', so unless you can demonstrate a 'pin hole' camera, or project an (upside down) image on a screen through a lens, they may not stay fascinated for too long.

Last Christmas' Royal Institution TV lecture was very good, and can still be seen via the RI web site I think. That was a woman demonstrating 'digital' technology in various ways. And the more recent BBC/OU 'Make it Digital' series of programmes might have ideas you could use.