Generate and Address Questions

The mere formulation of a problem is far more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle requires creative imagination and marks real advances in science. (Attributed to Albert Einstein)

Students quickly tire of answering "fake" questions. Shift the focus from reading and answering the questions of others to creating and addressing personal questions that may or may not have specific answers. Use questioning prompts to assist in this work. Use skim and scan techniques to identify information.

For lots of ideas for using questioning in the classroom, read Q Tasks: How to Empower Students To Ask Questions and Care About Answers (Google Limited Preview) by Carol Koechlin, and Sandi Zwaan and Out of the Question
(Google Limited Preview) by Sally Godinho and Jeni Wilson.

Ideas to Foster Good Questions
(Adapted from Godinho and Wilson (2007)

• Model interesting and varied questions
• Make time for questions through the lessons
• Instead of asking students questions, tell them the answers and have them pose appropriate questions.
• Display questions around the room with the answers that have been found by students
• Create situations that arouse student curiosity
• Initiate awards for the best questions
• Use student questions for discussion
• Ask questions that make students want/need to seek outside of the classroom
• Discuss different types of questions and identify them when used
• Have students design quizzes for others
• Using questioning taxonomies and strategies to structure and vary questions
• Play games with questions.

Real-World Questioning

Explore Questions. Model questioning by involving young people in real-world questioning environments. As children are reading nonfiction, ask them to create two lists of questions

• Who, What, When, Where, Why Questions. Use these to provide background information about the topic. Use the article/book to generate the question and the answer. Use additional reasons to add additional information.
• Open-ended, I Wonder... Questions. Use these to stimulate deep questions. Use additional resources and discussions to address these questions.

Explore examples of questions at Creating Comprehension Questions for Nonfiction

• Activity:
  1. Explore questions and answers
  2. Choose your favorite question.
  3. Explain why.
  4. Create a list of follow-up questions.
  5. Find at least one of the answers.
• Resource:
  • Ask A Scientist from Ology
  • Go to Ask a Scientist. Explore the archives.

Practice Ws. Focus on practice answering direct questions using the Ws: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?. Provide helpers that facilitate understanding and asking questions

• Standards
  • English Standard 2.2.4. Ask and respond to questions (when, who, where, why, what if, how) to aid comprehension about important elements of informational texts. (Core Standard)
  • English Standard 3.2.3. Show understanding by identifying answers in the text. (Core Standard)
• Enhance Direct Questions (Koechlin & Zwaan, 2006)
  • Who (is, are, was, were, did, does, can, could, would, should, will, might)
  • What (is, are, was, were, did, does, can, could, would, should, will, might)
  • When (is, are, was, were, did, does, can, could, would, should, will, might)
  • Where (is, are, was, were, did, does, can, could, would, should, will, might)
  • Why (is, are, was, were, did, does, can, could, would, should, will, might)
  • How (is, are, was, were, did, does, can, could, would, should, will, might)
  • Which (is, are, was, were, did, does, can, could, would, should, will, might)
• Facilitate Direct Questions (Koechlin & Zwaan, 2006)
  • What. Answer with facts, words, lists, sentences
  • Where. location, destination, place, environment, habitat
  • When. date, time
  • Who. person, people, animal, victim, participant, partner, friend, enemy
  • How. instruction, process, steps, procedure, methods
  • Why. reasons, causes
  • Which. alternative, decision, problem, priority, solution, order, rank
• Activity:
  • Read Questions and Answers.
  • Identify the Ws
  • Write your own follow-up questions.
• Resource:
• Ask a Question from Dear Highlights

Transform Direct Questions. Ask students to think about questions before as well as after reading.

• Before reading, ask students to examine the cover and blurb. Based on this information and prior knowledge as them to write about what they wonder:
  • I wonder who...
  • I wonder what...
  • I wonder when...
  • I wonder where...
  • I wonder why...
  • I wonder how...
• After reading the book. Ask students to go back and write new statements
  • I know who... because I read that ...
  • I know what... because I read that ...
  • I know when... because I read that ...
  • I know where... because I read that ...
  • I know why... because I read that ...
  • I know how... because I read that ...
• People Who Made History (Books by Russell Freeman) - Indian Chiefs, The Wright Brothers, The Life and Death of Crazy Horse, Lincoln: A Photobiography, , Martha Graham: A Dancer's Life,The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights, The Adventures of Marco Polo, Confucius: The Golden Rule
• Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of a Champion (Google Limited Preview) by Russell Freedman
• Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery (Google Limited Preview) by Russell Freedman
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Google Limited Preview) by Russell Freedman
• Lincoln: Photobiography (Google Limited Preview) by Russell Freedman

Use the ReQuest Procedure with Students. In the article the ReQuest Procedure (Journal of Reading, 1969), Manzo describes now to match needs with question types. This process was adapted by Carol Koechlin, and Sandi Zwaan

• On the Line Questions. Answers to these questions are facts found directly in the text.
• Between the Lines Questions. Answers to these questions come from clues in the text. Inferences must be made based on the reading.
• Beyond the Line Questions. Answers to these questions are reflective and made by creating connections with the text and prior knowledge or new information.

Ask students to create a chart that lists the question and how the answer is found. The goal is to create more between and beyond questions than on the line questions. Trade questions and ask students whether they agree with the developer's categorization of the questions. Consider using the Think-Pair-Share approach to developing each type of question.

Stress High Level Questioning

It's sometimes difficult to determine whether young people are comprehending information or simply applying their reading strategies and testing skills. Go beyond recall and recognition type questions and focus on questions that ask students to synthesize information.

• Why did you select this book?
• How did you read this book? (all at once, from beginning to end, randomly)
• Does the content match the cover and book blurb? How?
• What do you like and dislike about the book?
• What did you find most interesting? Why?
• What was the least interesting or slowest part for you? Why?
• Did this book remind you of other books you've read? Who?
• How is this book unlike other books you've read in the past?
• How did reading this book compare to fiction books you've read with similar themes? Which genre do you prefer? Why?
• How is this book alike or different from websites you've found on this topic? Which format do you prefer? Why?
• When was the book written? How would this book be different if it had been written at a different time?
• Why would someone else like to read this book?
• How would this book be different if it have been written for an older or younger child?
• What do you know now that you didn't know before your reading?
• What did you learn?
• What was surprising?
• How does it relate to your life and experiences?
• What suggestions do you have for the author?
• What would you like to ask the author?
• What are your other questions?
• What else would you like to know about this topic?

Primary Grades (Science: Life Science) - Gail Gibbons Books (Teacher Resources - PDF1, PDF2, PDF3, Teacher Guides) (Ages 4-8). Use LookyBook for online reading of Gail Gibbons' books.

Develop Comprehension Questions

Godinho and Wilson suggest that when planning key questions:

• Make questions clear and succinct.
• Sequence questions in a logical order.
• Match questions to students experience and abilities.
• Focus on eliciting higher-order thinking, generalizing, and conceptualizing rather than recalling factual information.

It's sometimes difficult to create high-quality questions. Think about questions in each of the following areas (Shell Education & Greathouse):

• Facts. Questions based on who, what, when, why, and how
• Sequence. Questions based on order: what happened first, last, and in-between
• Conditions. Questions asking the student to compare, contrast, and find similarities and differences
• Summarizing. Questions that require the students to restate, paraphrase, choose main ideas, conclude, and select a title
• Vocabulary. Questions based on word meaning, synonyms and antonyms, proper nouns, words in context, technical words, geographical words, and unusual adjectives
• Outcomes. Questions that ask readers to draw upon their own experiences or prior knowledge, which means that students much understand cause and effect, consequences, and implications
• Opinions. Questions that ask the author's intent and require the use of inference skills
• Document-based. Questions that require students to analyze information from a source document to draw a conclusion or form an opinion.

Question Starters (low level to high level)

• Identify the...
• Describe how...
• The main idea is...
• Explain the...
• List the facts and opinions...
• Relate .... to ....
• Describe the significance of ...
• Predict what would happen if...
• Compare/Contrast... with ...
• Describe the relationship between... and ....
• What are the causes and effects of...
• What would happen if ... (connected, interacted, combined, spoke to)...
• What are the possible solutions for...
• Develop a plan for..
• Develop a new point of view for...
• Describe how ... influences ...
• Create alternatives to ...
• Design the most important elements .... why...
• Design the best best alternative... why...
• Judge the impact of...
• Defend your opinions...

Connect English and Science Standards

Primary. Explore resources related to how animals move.

• Standards
  • English Standard K.2.3. Generate and respond to questions (who, what, where). (Core Standard)
  • English Standard 1.2.3. Respond to who, what, when, where, why, and how questions and recognize the main idea of what is read. (Core Standard)
  • Science Standard K.1.1. Raise questions about the natural world.
  • Science Standard K.3.2. Investigate that things move in different ways, such as fast, slow, etc.
  • Science Standard 1.1.2. Investigate and make observations to seek answers to questions about the world, such as "In what ways do animals move?"
• Activity
  • Use both online and print resources to generate and address questions about the features of animals.
  • Provide multiple experiences asking questions and answering questions
• Resources
  • Animal Moves (Primary w/ audio)
  • Loudest, Strongest, Longest! (Grade 1 and Grade 2 w/ audio)
  • Biggest, Strongest, Fastest by Steve Jenkins
  • Move! by Steven Jenkins
  • Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest (Google Limited Preview) by Steve Jenkins
  • Slap, Squeak, & Scatter: How Animals Communicate (Google Limited Preview) by Steve Jenkins
  • What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? (Google Limited Preview) by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
  • What Do You Do When Something Wants To Eat You? (Google Limited Preview) by Steve Jenkins