# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
contributed by Lisa Chesser

Using the right questions creates powerful, sometimes multiple answers and discussions. Aristotle said that he asked questions in response to other people's views, while Socrates focused on disciplined questioning to get to the truth of the matter.

Ultimately questions spark imagination, conjure emotions, and create more questions. The questions asked by a teacher or professor are sometimes more glaringly valuable than the information transferred to the students. Those questions spark a thought, which leads to a fiercely independent search for information.

If students are the ones gathering that information then they're the ones learning it and student-driven learning cements lessons into the students' mind making any lesson more powerful with this strategy. Even though the following list of questions are broken into Mathematics, Literature and Science and Social Science, it's really just a set of philosophically challenging questions that should be applied to any learning environment.

The questions are unrestricted and open the mind up to unfettered thought, perfect for innovation and understanding. The sections begin with Mathematical Questions because for the purpose of this list they're the most general and therefore the most useful.
Logical Questions
Within the realm of mathematics, there are certain types of questions that build up to those aha moments or topple barriers. Those are the questions that change a learner forever. They change a person because finally, the answers can only be found within.

The addition of philosophical questioning to mathematics enhances critical thinking in every learner. Basic principles of understanding help create solid ground, but questions build powerful architecture with which structures tower over one another.
Reflection & Collaboration
1. What do you think about what was said?

2. How would you agree or disagree with this?

3. Are there any other similar answers you can think of with alternative routes?

4. Does anyone in this class want to add something to the solution?

5. How might you convince us that your way is the best way?
Self-Reflection
6. How did you determine this to be true?

7. Why didn't you consider a different route to the problem?

8. Why does that answer make sense to you?

9. (in response to an answer):...what if I said that's not true?

10. Is there any way to show exactly what you mean by that?

Reasoning

11. Why do you think this works? Does it always? why?

12. How do you think this is true?

13. Show how you might prove that?

14. Why assume this?

15. How might you argue against this?

Analysis

16. How might you show the differences and similarities?

17. What patterns might lead you to an alternative answer?

18. How many possibilities can you think of and why?

19. Predict any number of results?

Connections

20. How does this relate daily occurrences?

21. Which ideas make the most sense and why?

22. Which problems feel familiar? Why?

23. How does this relate to current events?

24. What kinds of examples make this problem workable?

25. What other problems fit this style or example?
Literary Questions
Buried in every story lives a student's own life. Anyone can relate to at least one character or dive into at least one plot twist. But, the more foreign a story, the more important the questions should be.

Students may resist the idea that they can relate to certain characters depending on their ethnicity or economic background, but deep, concentrated questions show students the story really isn't that foreign at all and also guide students to deeper meanings.

The following questions could be applied to any story, no matter how long or short, difficult or easy. Vary them and add to them depending on how the discussion flows.

26. How did any of the characters or events remind you of yourself? Why?

27. How did the character's actions affect you? Explain.

28. If you were this character, how would the story change?

29. What surprised or confused you about the characters or events? Explain.

30. Why do you think the author wrote from this character's view?

31. What do you think the author is trying to accomplish?

32. How is the author thinking about the world?

33. How would the story change from another character's view?

34. Why do you think this story could actually happen, or not?

35. How can this story teach us something about our lives?

36. How do you think the characters resolved the major conflict in the story?

37. How would you have resolved it?

38. How would you change the end of the story and why?

Science and Social Questions

Within the idea of the Scientific Method, the hypothesis stands as the ultimate question. But, there are so many more questions a scientist must ask in order to answer that one question.

The challenging questions, however, make this a universal process streaming into other subject matter and delving into deeper waters. Here are some questions to sink into and use across curriculum as well as within science itself.

39. What's the purpose for this experiment or argument?

40. Would you elaborate on the purpose of this?

41. What issues or problems do you see here?

42. What evidence or data are given that help make this worthwhile?

43. What are some of the complexities we should consider?

44. What concepts help organize this data, these experiences?

45. How can you justify this information?

46. How can we verify or test that data?

47. What details can you add to make this information feel more complete?

48. Which set of data or information is most relevant or important?

49. How is all of this consistent or inconsistent?

50. How am I seeing or viewing this information? Objectively or subjectively? Should I then change my view?
A former Publications Specialist at Florida International University where she also received a bachelor's degree in English, Lisa Chesser left the publishing field to pursue a career in education. In her first three years of teaching Language Arts, she won an Excellence in Teaching Award for helping students achieve 50 percent learning gains. Because she's also a writer, an editor, and an artist by trade, students often take more interest in their learning environment because she teaches them the value of it in the workplace; metacognition This post was first published on openncolleges.edu.au; image attribution flickr user nationalassemblyforwales; 50 Questions To Help Students Think About What They Think
Middle & High School New Teacher Questioning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
50 Questions To Promote Metacognition In Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
contributed by Lisa Chesser Using the right questions creates powerful, sometimes multiple answers and discussions. Aristotle said that he asked questions in response to other people's views, while Socrates focused on disciplined questioning to get to the truth of the matter. Ultimately questions spark imagination, conjure emotions, and create more questions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I read An American Marriage by Tayari Jones recently. It's a powerful book. I couldn't put it down and inhaled it in a weekend.

When I finished, I wanted to talk about it, like, now. So I did. I texted my cousin. I read reviews. I talked to anyone who would listen.

In short, I did the work of a reader. As a teacher of readers, I'm reminded of how important it is for us to create space for students to experience this same magic and urgency, to have space to do the work.

That work is about so much more than just the physical act of reading. It's about wrestling with tough questions, thinking about themes and the way the big ideas relate to our own lives, looking at the way characters change over time.

As a literacy coach I've been working with teachers to design book clubs where students can build their literary analysis skills while engaging in reading communities.

Some of our core beliefs around this work:
Book Tasting
Yesterday I spent the day with my colleague Emily and her freshman students taking part in a book tasting. Emily and I curated a list of about 20 young adult titles with the help of lists from Nerdy Book Club, Project Lit, and our local librarian. We stacked books on tables and invited students to come to our Book Tasting.

The first round, we asked students to find a book that looked interesting. I held up Time Bomb by Joelle Charbenneau and read the first page. I asked them to do the same with their book - just read the first few pages. What's your gut reaction. We then asked students to rate the book on a scale of 1-5 on the menu they had (you can find lots of these all over the web).

For the second round, I book-talked Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Students moved to a new table and grabbed a new book. We set the timer for three minutes and let kids take a taste of the new book.

We worked through several rounds, letting kids talk to each other about books periodically (book-talking Thicker Than Water by Kelly Fiore). The goal to "taste" at least five books. Then we asked students to fill out a google form where they shared their top three choices, which we used to put students in groups (most of them got their first or second choice).
Teaching: Mini-Lessons
For a long time, I struggled with what teaching looked liked within book clubs. I understood letting kids read books they'd chosen. I knew students needed time to talk about their reading. For too long, though, I relied on the "role sheets" as outlined in Harvey Daniels's book Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups. (Daniels himself has since lamented teachers over-zealousness around the role sheets).

But, role sheets didn't do enough. I didn't feel like I was teaching and more importantly, I didn't feel like students were growing as readers and thinkers.

It finally clicked when I read A Novel Approach by Kate Roberts. I realized that there was space within book clubs for the mini-lessons that work so well in writing workshop. In fact, they were necessary. I've also had the opportunity in the last year to work with districts that are adopting Teachers College Reading and Writing Project's Units of Study for Reading, which has helped inform my thinking tremendously. I realized that when we're planning the teaching, we need to think about three things:

1. Name the skills we want students to be able to do better. What's the unit's focus?

2. Find a short text we can use as a shared read (we've been using Pixar shorts, children's books, and short stories).

3. Keep the mini-lessons mini. And give kids time to practice.

Planning
One of the keys of success for our books clubs has been in our planning. We've adapted Roberts's thinking about how to spend time. We've started calling them A-B-C days.

With these rhythms in mind, we start to map out our time. A week might look like:
Assessment
There are so many smart ways that teachers assess the work that happens in book clubs. During the process, we are talking with students all the time. We listen to their conversations. We engage in small group teaching when necessary.

For summative assessment, we've been thinking about having students do podcasts, or write blogs. Emily plans to have her students write multigenre projects about their books. Another colleague asked her students to create slide decks to share their learning.

We've also been thinking about how we might give students a chance to transfer their learning to a performance task. What if we give students a "cold" read and ask them questions that relate to the work they've been doing in book clubs? It mimics what many of our students have to do on state testing, and lets us know what we might need to re-teach in the next reading unit.

Book clubs have been transformative for so many of the students we've been working with. Kids who haven't read a book in a long time find themselves thinking and reflecting deeply on the texts they've chosen. Some students read more than one book in the 3-4 weeks we spend in this unit. They were talking to each other, trying to figure out meaning.

They are doing the work of readers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I read An American Marriage by Tayari Jones recently. It's a powerful book. I couldn't put it down and inhaled it in a weekend. When I finished, I wanted to talk about it, like, now. So I did. I texted my cousin. I read reviews. I talked to anyone who would listen.