Questioning Techniques
Consider these questions:
- What is your favorite band?
- What is your favorite sport?
- What is your favorite food?
- What subject do you like best?
- Who did you vote for?
What do you notice about these questions?
Consider these questions:
- Explain what it is about U2 (or whatever band) that makes it your favorite band.
- Exactly what aspects of soccer make it so attractive to you?
- What is it about lasagna that makes it superior to all other foods in your opinion?
- Why is English your favorite subject and how did it become your favorite?
- Which campaign promises convinced you to vote for Obama?
What do you notice about these questions?
What is the value of each type of question?
Identify the type of question below (do NOT answer the question):
- Where do George and Lenny go to work in Of Mice and Men? ______
- How could the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets be resolved differently? ______
- Who is most at fault for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet? ______
- Who dies in the barn with Lennie? ______
- Why did George shoot Lennie? ______
- What is the American Dream for the characters in Of Mice and Men? ______
- Which character do you think is most responsible for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet? ______
How to create an open-ended question:
-could come in the form of a list, a few sentences or something longer. May involve opinions, backed by evidence.
** In order to create GOOD questions pertaining to the literature, make sure you are specific about characters, places, intents, etc.
- How do you know she dies? (BAD – not specific enough)
How does the reader know Mrs. Hutchinson dies at the end of the story? (GOOD – specific to the story)
- What could you do instead? (BAD – not specific enough)
What could the villagers have done instead of the lottery to ensure good crops? (GOOD – specific to the story)
Some possible question starter-ideas. They aren’t interchangeable, but a good place to start. Adding “why” or “explain” can also make a question more open-ended.
How do you know that...?
What do you think...?
Show me how you...
How did you...
Why did you...
How do you know?
What did you do first?
What can you tell me about...
Can you think of another way...
What do you think?
What do you think would happen if...
What could you do instead?
How did you do that?
What does it remind you of?
What can you do next time?
Tell me what happened.
How are you going to do that?
Is there anything else you could use?
What do you think will happen next?
What could be added?
What else can this be used for?
What else is like this?
Which aspects of ______made you think…