The Philosophers ToolkitQuestioning

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Value of Questioning

• Help create new knowledge• Draw people into conversation• Help gather information• Help find focus• Help identify trends/themes• Promote reflection• Guide conversations

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Different types of Questioning• People have categorised questions in a variety

of ways.• Here we will be looking at five different ways

to formulate questions:1. Random questions (using a question builder)2. Open and closed questions3. Questioning toolkit4. Bloom’s questions5. Consecutive & non-consecutive discussion

questions

• As the text or object of examination is considered, any questions that come to mind are listed.

• This form of questioning is like an initial brainstorm.

• Questions are expressed as they are formed and immediately recorded.

• One or more questions can be chosen for discussion, others can be discarded or kept for further use.

• Can use a question builder.

1. Random Questions/ Question Builder

The 4 step Question BuilderStep 1

First word (choose one for each question)

Step 2Second word

(choose one to add to your first word)

WhatWhenWhichWhoWhyHow

Is/are/do (for a question in the present)Did/was (for a question in the past)Would/could/can (for a question about possibility)Might (for a question about prediction)

Step 3 – Write your 4 different questions in the spaces below:

Write question 1 here:

Write question 2 here:

Write question 3 here:

Write question 4 here:

Step 4- Now have a go at answering your own questions or swap with a friend. You can present your responses in any format you wish. Here are some ideas; a PowerPoint presentation, a poem, a report, a letter, a lecture, a mindmap, classroom discussion…

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Criteria Closed questions Open questions

Definition Closed questions are ones that have correct responses.

Open questions do not have a specific response or ‘correct’ response

Example •What colour is your shirt?•Where did you buy your red shirt?

•Why do you like that colour?•Why are you wearing red today?

Types Can be from the text or object of consideration itself or outside it.

Can be discussion questions or questions for debate

2. Open and Closed Questions

A boy is about to go on his first date, and is nervous about what to talk about. He asks his father for advice. The father replies: ``My son, there are three subjects that always work. These are food, family, and philosophy.''

The boy picks up his date and they go to a soda fountain. Ice cream sodas in front of them, they stare at each other for a long time, as the boy's nervousness builds. He remembers his father's advice, and chooses the first topic. He asks the girl: ``Do you like potato pancakes?'' She says ``No,'' and the silence returns.

After a few more uncomfortable minutes, the boy thinks of his father's suggestion and turns to the second item on the list. He asks, ``Do you have a brother?'' Again, the girl says ``No'' and there is silence once again.

The boy then plays his last card. He thinks of his father's advice and asks the girl the following question: ``If you had a brother, would he like potato pancakes?''

Essential Questions Subsidiary Questions Hypothetical Questions

Telling Questions Planning Questions

Organizing Questions Probing Questions Sorting & Sifting Questions Clarification Questions Strategic Questions

Elaborating QuestionsUnanswerable Questions Inventive Questions Provocative Questions Irrelevant Questions

Divergent Questions Irreverent Questions

McKenzie says there are a range of different types of questions we can ask – see the list is below. Visit his website (called fno – From Now On) to find out more about each one before you use it. Website reference:http://fno.org/nov97/toolkit.html

When questioning a piece of text it is not necessary to use all of the different types of questions. The ones used will relate to the topic and style of what it being questioned.

3. Questioning Toolkit

http://fno.org/jan08/new.html

Level of Thinking Meaning Useful Verbs Sample Questions

1. KNOWLEDGEKnowing and remembering. Students are asked to simply identify and describe things to show that they have remembered and learned.

Arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize, name, order, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce, state.

How many..? Name the…Which is true or false…? Who spoke to…? What is…..?What happened after…..?

2. COMPREHENSIONUnderstanding. Students are asked to explain a concept or interpret what they remember.

Classify, describe, discuss, explain, express, identify, indicate, locate, recognize, restate, review, select, translate.

Who do you think…? What was the main idea? Who was the key character? Can you provide a definition for….?

3. APPLICATIONMaking use of what is known. Students are asked to apply their knowledge in a practical way.

Apply, choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret, operate, practice, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write.

Do you know another instance where..? Group as characteristics such as…Can you relate this to an experience of your own? What questions would you ask to..?

4. ANALYSISExplaining what is known, breaking the whole into parts. Students need to discover the relationship between the parts to categorize, compare and contrast. They develop skills in distinguishing fact from opinion.

Analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test.

How similar to this was…? What was the underlying theme? Why did changes occur? What are some of the problems of…? Distinguish between…?

5. SYNTHESISPutting together the known into something new. Students are encouraged to think creatively, to see new ways of doing things, to take risks, consider the unexpected, develop something original.

Arrange, assemble, collect, compose, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, manage, organize, plan, prepare, propose, set up, write.

Can you see a possible solution to..? Can you create new and unusual uses? Compose a song about… Design a…to show…What would happen if…?

6. EVALUATIONJudge the outcome. Bloom considers evaluation to be the highest level of cognitive skill. Students develop critical thinking skills, they learn about relevance, reliability, truth and accuracy of information. The earlier they develop these skills the better, but they do need a good understanding of the content and need to develop some of the earlier skills first.

Appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose, compare, defend, estimate, judge, predict, rate, select, support, value, evaluate.

Is there a better solution to…? Judge the value of…Can you defend your position about….? How would you have handled…? What changes would you recommend? Do you believe…? How effective is…? What do you think about…?

4. Blooms Taxonomy Questions

Q: Is this a question?

A: If this is an answer!

5. Consecutive & Non-consecutive Discussion Questions

• Consecutive questions are ones where one questions builds upon another and therefore need to be asked in a given order.– First questions come straight from the stimulus

material– Then they turn to life or personal world– Then they become more general

• Non-consecutive questions circle around a particular topic and explore it from different angles.

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