Questioning 101

It’s all about asking the right

questions

Hornets Nest Elementary School

Millie Snyder, Principal

D.J. Midgett, Media Specialist

I Can Teach That Kid How to Conduct Research with A

Coat Hanger and aComputer.

QuestionsAllow us to make sense of

the world. They are the most powerful tools we

have for making decisions and solving problems, for inventing, changing and improving our lives as

well as the lives of others. Jamie McKenzie

Powerful Questioning

Leads to Information Power

The ability to… Fashion solutions Make decisions Create plans

That are original, cogent, and effective

Information GapWe, as educators, must address

the ever increasing gap between

The rich and the poor

Not the economic gap,

But the information one…

The FUTURE is held in the hands of the informational rich

David Thornburg, Futurist

Research & Write

First step of the R&W cycle

Requires lots of prior planning

Probably the most difficult and critical step of the cycle

Definitely MESSY!

Why Research & Write

Students learn best when they USE what they find out, to construct their own answers to higher-level questions

Constructivism

Why Questioning?

Once you have learned how to ask relevant and appropriate questions, you have learned how to learn and no one can keep you from learning whatever you want or need to know

Teaching as a Subversive Activity

Why Questioning?

Taps Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

Using the cerebral cortex

Where do I begin? Think about thinking.

(Metacognition) Talk about questions Discuss the differences

between questions and statements

Brainstorm question words, stems or kernels

Questions & Statements

Make a statement. Write it on a sentence strip. Turn the statement around and

make it a question. Write the question on a

sentence strip. How does the statement begin? How does the question begin?

Questioning Web Sites From Now On www.fno.org

– The Great Question Press: Squeezing Import from Content

21st Century Literacies http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/21stcent/sitemap.html

Questioning www.questioning.org Questioning Strategies

– http://www.css.edu/USERS/ggaetz/Student.pages/Questioning_Strategies_webpage.html

Inquiry Page– http://inquiry.uiuc.edu/

Question Words

Ask students to list some question words - words that begin questions.

With each word they give you, use it in a simple question (or if it isn’t a question, use it in a statement).

If the word they give is the beginning of a yes-no question, give an example and stress that the question is a simple one.

Deck of Questions

Take six index cards. Write a question word on each card. What do you notice about many of the words? Now sort the cards into two piles Words that promote skinny or simple answers Words that promote fat or complex answers

Question Words

Who? What? When? Where?

How? Why? What if?

Person Thing Time Place

Require thoughtful more elaborate answers.

How do I plan for the How do I plan for the use of technology in use of technology in

questioning and questioning and research?research?

CONTROL the questions

Don’t Begin with the TopicBegin with an essential question that

encompasses the topic

Kindergarten The Wind

First Grade Animals

Second Grade Whales

Third Grade City Wildlife

Fourth Grade Careers

Fifth Grade Stars

Essential QuestionThe BIG Question

Allows students to build their own answer

Uses the information gathered to analyze, evaluate, and/or synthesize

Usually begins with how, why, what if, or which

Can’t be “looked up”, but must be built using researched information

Essential Question Examples How does the wind help and hurt us? How are animals alike and different from

us? Why are whales endangered and how can

we protect them? Why have we, in our society, forced

animals to live in cities? How can we accomplish our dream job? How will learning about the stars help us

to learn more about the Earth?

Supporting QuestionsLittle Questions that Hold Up

the Big One Work backwards from

the essential question to come up with supporting questions

Limit your number of supporting questions

K-2nd three to five 3rd-5th five to eight

Supporting Questions 1. What is city wildlife? 2. Where do they live in the city? 3. What do wildlife in the city eat? 4. How does mankind "feed" these critters? 5. What plants grow wild in the city? 6. What wildlife is found in your backyard or on

your school ground? 7. What changes have we caused in our

environment that affect wildlife?

Why have we, in our society, forced animals to

live in cities?

Find the Resources and Answers before you start.

Tools Q & A Chart: Questions and Answers Graphic Organizer

Planning Open Court Stories Variety of resources Availability of resources TECHNOLOGY

Planning for Technology Use Questioning with

Students– Inspiration or Kidspiration– Thinking Maps

Planning for Resources– Authentic Websites– TrackStar

Gathering Information– Search Engines– Digital Camera– Document Camera– Video Microscope– Scanner

Sorting & Sifting Information– Search Engines– NoteStar

Synthesizing: Creating a Work Product– Student Writing Center– PowerPoint (trading cards,

biocubes, artifact cubes)– Online graphing software

(graphs of all types)– Spreadsheets (timelines)

Evaluating– PowerPoint (Presentations)– RubiStar

Online Tools: www.hprtec.org ThinkTank

– Research organizer TrackStar

– Organize and annotate websites NoteStar

– Organize projects and take notes online Web Worksheet Wizard for Teachers

– Project Poster for Students – student created quick & easy web pages

RubiStar– Create and find rubrics

QuizStar– Create Quizzes

Online Tools for Classroom Use Kathy Schrock: http://kathyschrock.net/cooking/ Bibliography Maker Boolean Machine (for searching) Citation Maker and Citation Machine Create a Graph Create a Venn Diagram Project Interactive (math tools) SurWeb (online multimedia presentations &

photo collections) Timeline Maker

Using Conventional Software in Non-Conventional Ways

Excel or other spreadsheet Timelines Charts Graphic Organizers

PowerPoint Trading Cards Billboards Biocubes Artifact Cubes

PETSGuinea

PigsHamster or

Gerbil Rabbit DogRats and

MiceHermit Crab

Food

Problems

Cages

Daily Care

Page # Who When

Where did

they come

f rom?

Where did they

settle in America?

209 Native American I ndians Asia Alaska

210 Christopher Columbus

212-213 J ohn Smith

214 Pilgrims

217 Servants and Slaves

219 Dutch

220 J ewish

221 Germans

232 Mexicans

233 Carribeans

234 Cubans

235 Asians

Our Country and I t's People

I mmigrants: Coming to America

What five countries are listed in

the story as being in Asia?235

Communication Invention Links Notes

Alphabet Index & TimelineSeparate section for communication

Alphabet Index & TimelineSeparate section for communication

Search for inventions or inventorsNational Inventors Hall of FameTimeline of Everyday InventionsInventions & Discoveries

http://www.factmonster.com

www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/

http://inventions.about.com

Triceratops Description

– 15-20 feet tall– 25 feet long– 5-7 tons

Diet– Plants such as palms

and cycads Fossils Found

– Western Canada– Western U.S.

Deborah Teague Midgett• Birth Date: 9/10/54• Birth Place:Columbia,

S.C.• Family: 1 sister, 1 brother;

oldest• Favorite Things:

– Red– Teaching– Scrapbooking

• Positive Qualities: – Organized– Creative

• Dreams for the Future: Write a Book

Harriett TubmanBorn as slave in 1820 in Bucktown, Maryland

Suffered pneumonia from checking owner’s muskrat lines in the icy river

Escaped to Pennsylvania at the age of 29

Freed her sister and family by taking them along the Underground Railroad

Acted as a spy for the North during the Civil War.

Made a home for freed slaves on her own property. Died in 1913 at the age of 93.

Baking Powder Bottle

Tyler Green

Mrs. Bailey’s Third Grade

Composition

It is made of green glass and had a cork top.

Size

It measures 4 ½ inches tall and six inches around.

Shape

It is shaped like a cylinder.

Purpose

It was used to store backing powder

Adjectives

Dull

Smooth

Breakable

Questioning Session with Students

Guide their thinking Steer them towards the big

picture Give them Think Time Record questions Think about the

relationship of their questions to the essential and supporting questions

If you keep working at it—they will generate the right questions.

Create Categories

Group their questions into categories

Align the categories to your supporting questions

Model how you categorized

Circle keywords

Concept Question Board

Record and display your questioning session

Utilize the Concept Question Board

Make copies of your transparencies to compare later work

Use Realia Real Stuff! Wind

– Pinwheels, Kites, Anemometers, Bubbles

Habitats– Sailboat, Moss, Shells,

Rocks, Vines, Storytelling

– Artifacts like old bottles, antiques, folk toys

Communication– Record player, photo copier,

Braille, typewriter, radio Stars

– Telescope, sextant, compass, spyglass, GPS

Comparing Real Stuff

NAME____________________________________________________TEACHER_________________________________________

TABLE NUMBER ___________ BOTTLE CONTAINED ______________

COLOR

SHAPE

SIZE

COMPOSITION

PURPOSE

SYMBOLS/WORDS

Old Bottle New Container

Use Authentic Web Sites

Pumpkins Habitats Community

Helpers

Online Pumpkins Farmshttp://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/

pumpkins/farms.html#OL

Virtual Field Trips http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/fieldtrips2.htm

Real People Interviews http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/

The Mystery Coat HangerAn example of how it’s about process,

not content What do I know?

– Name– Services– Location?– Phone Number

What do I want to know?– Where is it located?– How old is it?– Is it still there?

How do I find out?

Clue ResourceNameTownAddressPhone NumberDescription

Internet Site KeywordsWhat We

Found

The Mystery Coathanger

Clue ResourceName Marotta's Dry Cleaners phone book

Town Welland Port Colborne atlas

Address 169 E. Main St. 49 Clarence St. street map

734-3231 734-3178 834-6455 call the numbers

Description refrigerated cold storage vaults furs-cold

tailoring suits made to measure cleaners don't do that today

cleaners and shirt launderers

Internet Site KeywordsWhat We

Foundwww.google.com Marotta's Dry Cleaners nothing

www.switchboard.com 734-3231 734-3178 834-6455 nothing - no area codes

www.google.com Welland AND "Port Colborne".on.ca told us

Ontario, Canada

www.portcolborne.com could there be a site like charlotte.com request info form

www.portcolborne.com received an email from museum curator

Marotta's cleaners was no longer there, but the

building was. It is now a jewelry store.

The Mystery Coathanger

Kindergarten – Second Grades

MODEL, MODEL, MODEL

May need to assist in rewording the question

Explain what you are doing

Model thinking for them

Kindergarten: How are apples and pumpkins alike and

different? What color are apples and

pumpkins? What shape are they? What do they need to grow? What do the plants look

like when they are growing?

How long does it take for them to grow?

How big do they grow? How do we eat them?

First GradeHow do plants and animals in a habitat

depend on each other? What is a habitat? Why is the soil in a

habitat important? Why is the temperature in

a habitat important? Why is the water in a

habitat important? What kind of plants live

in certain soils? How much water and

temperature do the plants and animals need?

What kind of plants do the animals need?

Second GradeHow do fossils tell us about dinosaurs?

How big was your dinosaur? How do we know? How much did your

dinosaur weigh? How do we know? What did your dinosaur eat? How do we know? Where did your dinosaur

live? How do we know?

Revisit Questioning at Revisit Questioning at the End of the Research the End of the Research

& Write Cycle& Write Cycle

Evaluate the product in terms of the

supporting questions and essential question