Research Questions

Writing Good Research QuestionsSpring Glen SchoolGrade Four

Two types of questions:Big QuestionSmall Question

The Big Research QuestionBegins with Why or HowRequire longer answer to satisfy the questionOpen-ended questionA good project uses multiple resourcesGets you thinking and directs your research

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Examples of Big QuestionsHow do airplanes fly?Why do butterflies migrate?How did George Washington become the first president of the United States?Why did the northern states fight the southern states in the American Civil War?

Smaller QuestionsSupport the Big Question in a research projectUsually start with Who, What , Where, WhenBut can also be How and Why questions, if shorter answersAnswers support the Big Research Question. They are RELEVANT.NOT a fun factAvoid small questions that can be answered with a Yes or No. (because the REAL question that follows is Why?)Questions that can be answered with a few words or Yes/No are called Closed-ended Questions.

Examples of Small QuestionsWho invented the first airplane?What did it look like?Where do butterflies live throughout the year?How long does it take to migrate in one direction?What did George Washington study in school?What jobs did he have?Where did the first battle of the Civil War take place?When did the Civil War end?

Your Job todayWork in groups of two or three. No more.Create questions about Jeff Kinney, the author and illustrator of the Wimpy Kid series. Put your names at the top of the paper and write your questions neatly as a group.Ask yourselves what do we want to know about him and his work? Well look at the questions and ask ourselves how well find the answers the next time we meet.

CreditsClass Dojo image Clip art from ClipArtPanda.comBasic idea from http://www.schooltube.com/video/2bd6901fcc554395a272/The%20Research%20Question%20Part%20I