Below is a document that you can use to write your answers to the questions in the initial thoughts section.
"Good learning starts with questions, not answers."
Guy Claxton, Bristol University
1. How does this quote apply to your current practice?
2. How does this quote inspire you to grow your questioning STRATEGIES in your classroom?
As you go through this module think about your answers to these questions.
What Do you Currently Know about Leveled Questioning?
Place the questions below in the t-chart on the document provided above.
As you go through the module think about were you put the statements on the t-chart.
- What is photosynthesis?
- Who is your your favorite character in the story and why?
- Name the pattern you see?
- How can you tell if your analysis is reasonable?
- What is the title of the book?
- What information is given?
- How can this pattern help you find an answer?
- How is the formula for photosynthesis similar to respiration?
As you go through the module think about were you put the statements on the t-chart.
Want to know more about research on questioning? Here are some great resources on designing rigorous questions for your students. For complete publication details please see the reference section.
Rigorous Curriculum Design, Larry Ainsworth
Common Formative Assessment, Kim Bailey and Chris Jakicic
Driven by Data, Paul Bambrick-Santoyo
Assessment for Learning, Paul Black, et al
The Heart of Coaching, Thomas Crane
Assessment as Learning, Lorna Earl
Leading in a culture of Change, Michael Fullan
Implementing Change, Gene Hall and Shirely Hord
Difficult questions are unlike complex questions. Think about the differences between these types of queries.
Here are some ideas. Difficult questions:
Example of a difficult question:
Name the fifty states in order from greatest to lease according to the number of letters in each state's name.
Complex Questions
Example of a complex question:
What elements might a state consider in selecting a city to become the capital?
Consider these criteria when writing essential questions. Essential questions are the sum of what you will examine, often written in definition format. Essential questions:
Guided questions offer scope and sequence to the essential question. These question are more detailed and support the big idea offered in the essential question. Guided questions:
SCAMPER questions. SCAMPER is based on the idea that everything new is a modification of something that already exists. It is one way to frame Complex questions.
Examples of SCAMPER questions:
Substitute- What if the wolf were an octopus?
Combine- What would a neon look like (lion and zebra)? What advantages and disadvantages would it have in the wild?
Adapt and adjust- What of people were born with wheels instead of feet? What adjustments would we need to make?
Magnify- What if worms could grow to a length of five feet? What might happen if flowers never wilted?
Put to other uses- How could you use only kitchen utensils to create a garden?
Eliminate or minify- What if people were born without legs, how would we get around?
Rearrange or reverse- What if the Fourth of July was a winter celebration?
Now it is your turn to try!
Here are some ideas. Difficult questions:
- Include extensive memorization of facts, details, or text
- Focus on isolated facts or information
- Learning experiences are characterized by irrelevance of the knowledge or skills
Example of a difficult question:
Name the fifty states in order from greatest to lease according to the number of letters in each state's name.
Complex Questions
- Students use knowledge and skills to perform authentic work in the discipline
- Curriculum and instructional focus is on conceptual understanding
- Teachers connect knowledge and skills to students' lives and interests
Example of a complex question:
What elements might a state consider in selecting a city to become the capital?
Consider these criteria when writing essential questions. Essential questions are the sum of what you will examine, often written in definition format. Essential questions:
- Link concepts and principals
- Forms the structure and anchors the unit of study
- Broad and open-ended
- Cannot be answered with one sentence
- Leads to other questions and investigate
Guided questions offer scope and sequence to the essential question. These question are more detailed and support the big idea offered in the essential question. Guided questions:
- Break the essential question into hierarchical parts
- Are more detailed and specific
- Help students scaffold in order to make connections to the essential question
- Help students create generalizations
- Link subtopics to the Essential question
SCAMPER questions. SCAMPER is based on the idea that everything new is a modification of something that already exists. It is one way to frame Complex questions.
- S substitute
- C combine
- A adapt
- M magnify, modify, minify
- P put to other uses
- E eliminate or minify
- R rearrange or reverse
Examples of SCAMPER questions:
Substitute- What if the wolf were an octopus?
Combine- What would a neon look like (lion and zebra)? What advantages and disadvantages would it have in the wild?
Adapt and adjust- What of people were born with wheels instead of feet? What adjustments would we need to make?
Magnify- What if worms could grow to a length of five feet? What might happen if flowers never wilted?
Put to other uses- How could you use only kitchen utensils to create a garden?
Eliminate or minify- What if people were born without legs, how would we get around?
Rearrange or reverse- What if the Fourth of July was a winter celebration?
Now it is your turn to try!