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
Revolutionary War Newsroom: Interview a Witness with 9–10 Questions
Choose from Thomas Gage, Abigail Adams, Alexander Hamilton and 7 more
Grade 8US HistoryCommunity
A ready-made interview for Grade 8, shared by a teacher on Humy. Students question one of 10 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
- 8
- Grading
- Per criterion
Revolutionary War Newsroom: Interview a Witness with 9–10 Questions
PreviewInteract responsibly with the AI and verify facts. Note that teachers have access to these conversations.
Choose a figure to interview
Hello, I'm Thomas Gage. I'm ready for your interview. What's your first question?
The assignment
Imagine your newspaper is about to publish a story on the Revolutionary War event you have researched. What would you ask someone who lived through that era? Choose one historical figure to interview through AI, then investigate what their answers reveal—and what they might leave out.
YOUR NEWSROOM MISSION: Ask 9–10 questions that uncover facts, viewpoints, and difficult choices connected to your event. Use the conversation to sharpen your newspaper story, not to replace your research.
Choose your interview candidate:
Thomas Gage — British commander facing unrest in Massachusetts.
Abigail Adams — letter writer urging leaders to remember women.
Alexander Hamilton — Washington’s aide with ambitious plans for the new nation.
Benjamin Franklin — diplomat seeking crucial French support.
John Adams — independence advocate confronting political risks.
Paul Revere — messenger who helped warn colonists of British troops.
Samuel Adams — organizer of resistance to British policies.
Molly Pitcher (Mary Ludwig Hays) — figure associated with battlefield support at Monmouth.
Deborah Sampson — woman who served in the Continental Army disguised as a man.
Phyllis Wheatley — poet whose life raises questions about liberty and enslavement.
Build your interview: Ask 2 historical questions about events, 2 perspective questions about beliefs, 2 challenge questions about obstacles or contradictions, 1–2 why questions, and 2 follow-up questions based on the answers you receive. Compare important claims with your research; an AI portrayal can be mistaken.
Select your preferred figure, then click “start assignment” to begin your interview.
Rubric
Students see this rubric before they start. Humy scores the conversation against it and writes feedback for each criterion.
Grade 8 TEKS-aligned historical inquiry: ask about a researched event, examine perspectives, and test claims before using them in a newspaper story. Score the student’s interview choices—not the AI figure’s answers.
Maximum total: 20 points. Each criterion earns only its listed point values.1. Historical and “Why” Inquiry
- Exemplary — 4 points: Two precise historical and 1–2 why questions probe the researched event.
- Proficient — 3 points: Required questions address the event, but some invite shallow answers.
- Developing — 2 points: Historical or why questions are missing or mostly vague.
- Beginning — 0 points: Questions do not meaningfully investigate the event’s history or causes.
2. Perspectives and Difficult Choices
- Exemplary — 4 points: Two perspective and two challenge questions probe beliefs, obstacles, and contradictions.
- Proficient — 3 points: Both required pairs appear, but one lacks a meaningful probe.
- Developing — 2 points: One required pair is incomplete or questions avoid difficult choices.
- Beginning — 0 points: Questions reveal little about beliefs, obstacles, or contradictions.
3. Newsroom Question Plan
- Exemplary — 4 points: Asks 9–10 event-focused questions of one chosen figure, including two follow-ups.
- Proficient — 3 points: Asks 9–10 focused questions, but includes only one follow-up.
- Developing — 2 points: Asks 5–8 questions or frequently drifts from the researched event.
- Beginning — 0 points: Asks fewer than five relevant questions or interviews no figure.
4. Live Interviewing
- Exemplary — 4 points: Sustains many turns, builds two follow-ups on recent answers, and checks claims.
- Proficient — 3 points: Responds across several turns with two relevant follow-ups, but rarely checks claims.
- Developing — 2 points: Makes one answer-based follow-up or engages only briefly.
- Beginning — 0 points: Pastes a question list in one or two messages without engaging answers.
5. Checking the Record
- Exemplary — 4 points: Compares important claims with research and respectfully challenges unsupported details.
- Proficient — 3 points: Checks an important claim against research but leaves others unexamined.
- Developing — 2 points: Questions a claim without comparing it with research.
- Beginning — 0 points: Treats the AI portrayal’s claims as verified facts.
The 10 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.
Thomas Gage
British General and colonial official who served as Commander-in-Chief of British forces in North America and Governor of Massachusetts during the early stages of the American Revolution
Abigail Adams
Early advocate for women's rights and the second First Lady of the United States.
Alexander Hamilton
Founding father, first Secretary of the Treasury, and key figure in the creation of the United States' financial system.
Benjamin Franklin
Polymath, Founding Father, and inventor.
John Adams
Second President of the United States.
Samuel Adams
American statesman and Founding Father, known for his role in the American Revolution and his advocacy for independence from Great Britain.
Molly Pitcher (Mary Ludwig Hays)
Revolutionary War folklore figure known for carrying water to soldiers and helping with cannon duty.
Deborah Sampson
American Revolutionary War soldier who disguised herself as a man to serve in the Continental Army.
Phyllis Wheatley
First published African American female poet.
Marquis de Lafayette
French military officer who supported the American Revolution.
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.
Open this assignment in Humy
Signed up but don't see it? Open Assignments → Community library.
Collections with these figures
All collectionsMore assignments
All assignments
US History
Entscheidungen im Weißen Haus: Interviewe einen US-Präsidenten über Krisen, Macht und Vermächtnis
CommunityInterviewGrade 8
with Abraham Lincoln and 3 more
US History
Marx and Engels in Conversation: What Are Marxism and Communism?
CommunityInterviewPanel of 2Grade 8
with Karl Marx and 1 more
Literature, English Language Arts
Talking with Jane Austen about Gender Roles in Literature
Humy teamInterviewGrade 9
with Jane Austen
Trusted by educators worldwide
- Conversations
- 375,000+
- Real exchanges between students and historical figures
- Messages exchanged
- 4,142,000+
- Across every figure, classroom and language
- Historical figures
- 1,200+
- Each informed by a curated biography and selected sources
- Languages supported
- 50+
- From English and Spanish to Arabic and Korean
Paying customers
Used by 100+ schools, universities and organisations
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 "Revolutionary War Newsroom: Interview a Witness with 9–10 Questions"?
They choose one of 10 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.
Ready when you are
Give this assignment to your class.
Free teacher account · 20 AI messages a month · No credit card.