- slide 1 of 2
Teaching Questioning Techniques
Getting students to question as they read makes them better readers. Teaching Questioning Techniques will help. Here are types of questions good readers and thinkers ask:
- Comparison
- What are the differences between the history of Canada Day and the history of Bastille Day?
- How are Lennie and Candy's dog similar in Of Mice and Men?
- Induction
- Based on Romeo's infatuation with Rosaline, his obsession with Juliet, and his preoccupation with death, what can we conclude?
- Based on Lennie's past, what can we conclude will happen in Soledad?
- Deduction
- Based on the rules of the ranch, what do you conclude will happen to Lennie and George?
- Based on the rules of tragedy, what do you think will happen at the end of this play?
- What must happen for the conspirators plot to work?
- Classification
- What qualities do the ranch workers all share in Of Mice and Men?
- In what ways does Juliet go against the expected role of daughters?
- Is Julius Caesar a work of tragedy or history?
- Error Analysis
- What errors in judgment does Friar Lawrence make while counseling Romeo and Juliet?
- Why does the town of Sighet fail to realize they need to escape in Night?
- Abstraction
- What pattern does Romeo demonstrate with his decision making?
- Is there anyone else we've read about that demonstrates the same pattern?
- How can you avoid demonstrating this pattern in your life?
- Analyzing Perspectives
- Why would Juliet's father react so angrily to Juliet's denial of Paris?
- How might Capulet react if he discovers Juliet's marriage to Romeo?
- Comparison
- slide 2 of 2
How to Teach Literature by Teaching Questioning Techniques
Teachers often wonder how to teach literature, especially to students who may not enjoy reading. Try the following lesson plan:
- Write the above information on the board and have students copy it in their notebooks..
- Spend an entire class period discussing questioning techniques and providing typical answers (feel free to discuss professions where questioning is essential: doctors, teachers, lawyers, financial planners, etc.).
- Arrange students in groups and have them come up with one question for each type.
- Discuss questions as a class.
- Read a literary selection of your choice and have them complete the following assignment (the above examples should give you an idea of what to look for):
Directions: Create a test: 20 questions must be multiple choice. 10 questions must be true and false. 10 questions must be short answer. 2 questions must be essays.
- Your multiple choice questions must have at least two of each question type.
- Your T/F questions must include at least one of each question type.
- Your short answer questions must include one of each type.
- Your essay questions should incorporate the question types.
- You must provide a key (including one for the essays).
- You must label what type each question represents.
Reasoning in Essays
Using reasoning and intelligent thought is a rare commodity in high demand.