Sports Reporter Partner Interview
In pairs, one student plays a sports reporter and interviews their partner about the lesson with a pretend microphone, then they switch. A few reporters share what they heard. It builds active listening, reflection and communication skills.
How to play
- Make pairs seated face to face around the space. One is the reporter, the other is the athlete; the reporter uses a fist as a microphone (30 sec).
- Call out the first question: "What did you do best today?" The reporter asks it and listens to the answer for 40 seconds.
- Second question: "What was hard, and how did you keep trying?" Third: "What tip would you give a beginner?" (40 sec each).
- Switch roles: the athlete becomes the reporter and asks the same three questions (2 min).
- Bring the class together in a semicircle. Three or four reporters go "live" and report what their partner said, while the partner stays quiet (1.5 min).
- The interviewed partner gives a thumbs-up if the reporter got it right.
Rules
- The reporter listens without interrupting until the athlete finishes.
- Use quiet voices so nearby pairs aren't distracted.
- On air, report only what your partner said; no making things up.
- Respect answers even if you see it differently.
Variations
Easier
One question per person, and you model a sample answer.
Standard
Three questions per turn and a final live report by several reporters.
Harder
The reporter makes up a fourth question about game strategy.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the interview happens at the student's chair, with the partner seated at the same level.
- Hearing impairment: partners sit face to face, and the questions are written on a whiteboard.
- Shyness or autism: the student picks a trusted partner and can skip the live report.
Learning goals
- Listen carefully and summarize what a classmate says.
- Reflect on successes and challenges from the lesson.
- Share useful tips with classmates.
Teacher tip
The live report lands best when you introduce it in your best TV sportscaster voice. Mix up the pairs so the same friends aren't always together.
PatioLab has "Sports Reporter Partner Interview" and 3999 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More cool-downs for Elementary
4-7-8 Guided Breathing
Guided 4-7-8 breathing: breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7 and breathe out for 8, to calm the class at the end of the lesson.
5-Senses Mindfulness
Using the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, students calmly notice 5 things they can see, 4 they can hear, 3 they can touch, 2 they can smell and 1 they can taste.
Animal Breathing Dice
A giant die with six animals on it decides which breath the group does: snake, lion, bunny, elephant, puffer fish, or turtle.
Animal Yoga Pose Charades
In small groups, one student secretly draws a card and acts out the animal with a slow yoga pose; the others guess silently and then everyone copies it.
Astronauts on the Moon Story
Students travel to the Moon as astronauts, where everything moves in slow motion because of low gravity, then return to Earth feeling heavy.
Autumn Leaf Journey Relaxation Story
Lying down with soft music, students listen to the journey of a leaf that lets go of its tree, floats on the wind, drops into a river, and reaches the shore, relaxing…