The Art of Questioning

How to write thoughtful

questions!

It is open ended; that is, it typically will not
have a single, final, and correct answer.
Requires a claim, support and justification,
not just a simple answer
Thought provoking and intellectually
engaging; and often sparks discussion
Calls for higher-order thinking; such as
analysis, inference, evaluation, prediction. It
cant be answered by recall alone.
Raises additional questions and sparks
further inquiry.

World connection question
A question that connects the text with the real world.
If a civil law contradictes a divine law, is it acceptable
to refuse it like Antigone?

Open-ended question
An insightful question about the text that will require
proof and group discussion and construction of logic
to discover or explore the answer to the question.
Why did Jane Eyre leave Thornfield even though she
was in love with Rochester?

Universal theme / Core Question
A question dealing with a theme(s) of the text that will
encourage group discussion about the universality of the text.
After reading Antigone, can you identify the elements of a
tragic hero? How is Aristotle's catharsis demonstrated?

Literary Analysis Question
A question dealing with HOW an author chose to compose a
literary piece. How did the manipulate point of view,
characterization, poetic form, rhetorical devices, etc.?
How did Robert Frost communicate the theme of life's
obligations interfering with simple pleasures in his poem
Stopping by the Woods on Snowy Evening? What poetic
techniques communicate this meaning?




To keep a dialogue going
(with others and with a text)
To help point out what is
important and why it is
important in a text or topic
To see connections between
different parts and how they
fit together
To better understand what
question and prompts are
asking
To stimulate critical thinking

Defining
Describing
Identifying
Listing

Naming
Observing
Reciting
Scanning

What is the definition of
indigenous?
(definition)
Who is the narrator of
The Canterbury Tales?
(identification)
What characters appear
in chapter 1 of Lord of
the Flies? (list)
Analyzing
Comparing
Contrasting
Grouping

Inferring
Sequencing
Synthesizing
What words should be
defined?
How does the Millers
interaction with the Reeve
demonstrate Chaucers
argument about the common
people of medieval England?
(analysis)
If To Kill a Mockingbird is
partly inspired by the
Scottsboro Boys, what do
you think will happen in the
story?
(inference)
How do Katherine and
Bianca differ in terms of
embracing their given social
role?
(contrast)
Applying a principle
Evaluating
Hypothesizing
Predicting




Judging
Speculating
Imagining
What words should be
defined?

Are any of the
characters in The
Taming of Shrew really
who they claim to be?
(Judgment)
What do you think
happens to Katherine
as her marriage to
Peteuchio progresses?
(Speculation)


Your turn to develop
questions for Chapters1!