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“I get it; science is just like spelling. You just have to memorize it and it doesn't make any sense.”—Anonymous U.S. elementary school student
"The student's quote, sadly, reflects some classrooms' approach to teaching science: Learn the facts and don't deviate from that script. However, before organizing scientific data into “facts,” science begins by asking questions as a form of intellectual exploration. Young children are full of questions, spawned by true curiosity rather than a desire to impress. But over the course of their education, students and adults ask fewer questions and more passively accept facts as “the way things are.”
-Vale RD. The value of asking questions. Mol Biol Cell. 2013 Mar;24(6):680-2. doi: 10.1091/mbc.E12-09-0660. PMID: 23486404; PMCID: PMC3596240.
Why Do Questions belong in the Science Classroom?
to ignite interest
to reinforce a fact or concept
to stimulate thinking ("What would happen if...?")
to get a class consensus
to activate prior knowledge
to acknowledge misconceptions
to help students develop a mind-set
It is the basis of science itself...curiosity!
What Makes a Powerful Question?
Good questions are:
Open-ended
Thought-provoking
Aligned to learning goals
Connected to phenomena or real-world contexts
Encouraging of multiple perspectives
Creating a Culture of Inquiry
Creating a Culture of Inquiry
"Notice and Wonder" routines
Driving questions for units
Question boards or journals
Model your thinking aloud
Celebrate curiosity, not just correct answers
Use sentence starters:
“What if...?”
“How might…?”
“Could it be that…?”
Use wait time and turn-and-talk to encourage risk-taking
Bloom’s Taxonomy with Question Depth
Teaching the water cycle- Write a question about it? How deep does your question go?
Remember: What are the steps of the water cycle?
Understand: How does evaporation differ from boiling?
Apply: Where do you see condensation in real life?
Analyze: What factors affect the rate of evaporation?
Evaluate: Which variable had the greatest impact?
Create: What would you put in your investigation to test your hypothesis?
Questioning.mp4Questions to help launch the Unit
Questions to help launch the Unit
1st grade
Questioning 3rd.MOVQuestions following an Investigation
Questions following an Investigation
3rd grade
Students
Build Ownership
Educator
Scaffold Learning
Demonstrate an understanding of questioning
Demonstrate understanding of the different kinds of questions and how these questions are used for different purposes
Ask many different types of questions in different situations
Ask questions that lead to inquiries
Notice and name when students appropriately use different types of questions
Expose students to different kinds of questions through modeling. Pose questions that deepen thinking
Create a classroom environment that supports and encourages the asking of questions
Provide opportunities to ask questions and find answers in a variety of ways.
Provide opportunites for students to discover the difference between testable and non-testable questions.
Generate and Improve Questioning Techniques
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