Dr. Michael Calvert
Assistant Superintendent, South Allegheny School District, Pennsylvania
Been using Humy in his district since 2024
“We enjoyed the program last year and used it frequently.”
Interview assignment
Protecting the Planet Then and Now: Interview Environmental Changemakers
Choose from John Muir, Rachel Carson, Chico Mendes and Wangari Maathai
Grade 6ScienceCommunity
A ready-made interview for Grade 6, shared by a teacher on Humy. Students question one of 4 AI figures in a live chat. Humy grades the conversation against the rubric below.
Free teacher account · 20 AI messages a month · No credit card
- Format
- Interview
- Grade
- 6
- Grading
- Per criterion
Protecting the Planet Then and Now: Interview Environmental Changemakers
PreviewInteract responsibly with the AI and verify facts. Note that teachers have access to these conversations.
Choose a figure to interview
Hello, I'm John Muir. I'm ready for your interview. What's your first question?
The assignment
Where does your drinking water come from? What happens to the trees and animals near your home when land is cleared? People have asked questions like these for generations. Now you can interview someone who worked to protect the environment in their own time.
Choose one of these four historical changemakers:
John Muir explored American wilderness and argued for protecting places such as Yosemite. Ask why he believed wild places mattered.Rachel Carson investigated how pesticides affected wildlife. Ask how her research challenged the way people used chemicals.
Chico Mendes defended Brazil’s Amazon rainforest and the rubber-tapping communities that depended on it. Ask how people could earn a living while keeping forests standing.
Wangari Maathai organized women in Kenya to plant trees. Ask how planting trees helped both communities and the land.
YOUR MISSION: Discover what sustainability meant during your figure’s lifetime, what problems they faced, and which of their ideas might help us today.
Begin with an open-ended question, such as “What made you take action?” Listen closely, ask follow-up questions, and look for specific examples. Remember that an AI interview can make mistakes, so think carefully about its answers.
Select your preferred figure, then click “start assignment” to begin the interview.
Rubric
Students see this rubric before they start. Humy scores the conversation against it and writes feedback for each criterion.
Grade 6 · Maximum total: 16 points · Score the student's interview moves, not the AI figure's answers.
Figure-specific question: Muir—why wild places mattered; Carson—how research challenged chemical use; Mendes—how livelihoods could preserve forests; Maathai—how planting trees helped communities and land.1. Figure Choice and Opening
- Exemplary — 4 points: Chooses a listed figure, opens openly, and asks their figure-specific question.
- Proficient — 3 points: Chooses a listed figure and opens openly; figure-specific question lacks focus.
- Developing — 2 points: Chooses a listed figure but misses the open opening or specific question.
- Beginning — 0 points: Does not choose a listed figure or ask a relevant opening.
2. Sustainability in Its Time
- Exemplary — 4 points: Probes sustainability's meaning then, problems faced, and multiple concrete examples.
- Proficient — 3 points: Asks about sustainability then, problems faced, and one specific example.
- Developing — 2 points: Asks about past environmental issues but overlooks meaning or examples.
- Beginning — 0 points: Does not ask about historical sustainability or problems faced.
3. Ideas for Today
- Exemplary — 4 points: Asks which ideas help today and why, connecting historical examples.
- Proficient — 3 points: Asks which ideas might help today and requests a reason.
- Developing — 2 points: Mentions today's environment without connecting it to the figure's ideas.
- Beginning — 0 points: Never asks how the figure's ideas might apply today.
4. Live Dialogue and Claim-Checking
- Exemplary — 4 points: Sustains many turns; follows up on recent answers; verifies or respectfully challenges claims.
- Proficient — 3 points: Exchanges several turns, follows an answer, and checks a claim.
- Developing — 2 points: Asks some follow-ups but rarely checks claims or develops dialogue.
- Beginning — 0 points: Pastes prepared questions or offers minimal answer-based conversation.
The 4 historical figures in this assignment
Students choose one of these figures to talk to. Each is an AI version grounded in a curated biography and selected historical sources. As with any AI, students should check important claims.
In your classroom
Ready for your class in three steps.
Open it in Humy
Create a free teacher account, open this assignment and choose Copy to my assignments to make it yours.
Share the link
Students open it and type their first and last name. No email, no password.
Humy grades the conversation
Each chat is scored against the rubric, with feedback for each criterion. You see every result.
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What educators are saying
Jacob Chisom
World and American History, Monticello High School, Arkansas
Been using Humy in his classroom since 2024
“My students say it’s a welcome change of pace. I’m not a fan of the “sage on the stage” model, so I try to incorporate research-oriented and self-paced activities. With Humy, students have to take charge of their learning. They’ve become more adept at critical thinking, forming better questions, and improving their reading comprehension. The interview feature has been my go-to tool. I create assignments where students must ask historical figures a set number of questions, then summarize the responses to ensure they’re truly absorbing the material. This approach lets them actively explore the past rather than passively consuming information.”
Roger Campbell
7th-grade World History, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Been using Humy in his classroom since 2024
“Humy has helped me bring historical figures, sometimes long past, to life. When my students interact with these figures in real-time, it eliminates some of the perceived “ancient” characteristics of my curriculum. This has shifted my students’ thinking away from viewing history as abstract or irrelevant. Real-time interactions make historical figures relatable, even allowing students to ask off-topic questions that help put historical lives in a more relevant context for 13-year-olds. The feature I use the most is the interview feature. After teaching a topic, most recently Gandhi and Joan of Arc, I have the students ask pointed, focused questions. We practice good conversation techniques beforehand, teaching them to listen (or read) carefully and formulate thoughtful follow-up questions rather than just interrogating. It helps students practice effective conversation skills.”
Dr. Michael Calvert
Assistant Superintendent, South Allegheny School District, Pennsylvania
Been using Humy in his district since 2024
“We enjoyed the program last year and used it frequently.”
Jacob Chisom
World and American History, Monticello High School, Arkansas
Been using Humy in his classroom since 2024
“My students say it’s a welcome change of pace. I’m not a fan of the “sage on the stage” model, so I try to incorporate research-oriented and self-paced activities. With Humy, students have to take charge of their learning. They’ve become more adept at critical thinking, forming better questions, and improving their reading comprehension. The interview feature has been my go-to tool. I create assignments where students must ask historical figures a set number of questions, then summarize the responses to ensure they’re truly absorbing the material. This approach lets them actively explore the past rather than passively consuming information.”
Roger Campbell
7th-grade World History, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Been using Humy in his classroom since 2024
“Humy has helped me bring historical figures, sometimes long past, to life. When my students interact with these figures in real-time, it eliminates some of the perceived “ancient” characteristics of my curriculum. This has shifted my students’ thinking away from viewing history as abstract or irrelevant. Real-time interactions make historical figures relatable, even allowing students to ask off-topic questions that help put historical lives in a more relevant context for 13-year-olds. The feature I use the most is the interview feature. After teaching a topic, most recently Gandhi and Joan of Arc, I have the students ask pointed, focused questions. We practice good conversation techniques beforehand, teaching them to listen (or read) carefully and formulate thoughtful follow-up questions rather than just interrogating. It helps students practice effective conversation skills.”
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What do students do in "Protecting the Planet Then and Now: Interview Environmental Changemakers"?
They choose one of 4 AI figures, then read the task and the rubric and ask their questions in a live chat. When they finish, Humy scores the conversation against the rubric with feedback for each criterion.
How is it graded?
Automatically against the rubric on this page. Each criterion gets a score and written feedback that points to the student's own work. You see every result. Students see their scores too.
Who made this assignment?
A teacher on Humy who shared it with every school. Shared assignments are listed only after they pass Humy's automated content review, and Humy can take one down if it's reported.
Can I change it for my class?
Yes. Open it in Humy and choose Copy to my assignments. You get your own copy of the task, rubric, grade and questions to change before you share it.
Do my students need accounts?
No. Students open the link you share and type their first and last name. No email, no password.
Is Humy free to try?
Yes. A free teacher account includes 20 AI messages a month, shared with your students, plus all five assignment formats and auto-grading. No credit card.
Is Humy.ai safe and compliant for schools?
Yes. Humy.ai is used by more than 100 schools, universities and organisations. The platform is FERPA- and GDPR-aligned, supports SSO, and offers an IT-approval pack tailored for school procurement teams.
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