The Art of Questioning: Catalyzing Insight, Innovation and Action
What makes a question powerful? How can you frame better questions? Read this powerful article. (Thanks, Justin.)
Suppose that you decided to have the entire 'curriculum' consist of questions. These questions would have to be worth seeking answers to not only from your point of view but, more importantly, from the point of view of students. In order to get still closer to reality, add the requirement that the questions must help the students to develop and internalize concepts that will help them to survive in the rapidly changing world of the present and the future.
Neil Postman.
Neil Postman's questions to "test" our questions. 
Test questions.doc
Meaningful Tasks from Questions that Matter
Why do we get to do this?
What do we leave in and what do we leave out?
IF you could study one thing, what would it be?
Why are we who we are?
Why do we do what we do?
If you choose to __________, what might be an eventual outcome?
How/where would you find the answer?
Why do people choose violent means to solve conflicts?
Why do humans choose conflict over compromise?
What excites you about learning?
What does the smartest person know?
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?
What is the most important work?
What does being successful look like?
What is success?
What brings you joy?
What is excellence?
What are your priorities?
What makes you ready to learn?
What creates internal motivation?
How has technology changed our society or what you are?
What gives you a sense of belonging?
What is belonging?
What can I do to make myself better as a person, which will lead to making our society better?
How would you describe the ideal Canadian?
What does it mean to be Canadian?
How do I gather valid information and data about issues in my greater world to influence and affect positive change?
How do I express my thinking and learning in a way that others can absorb and be influenced by?
What contributions can I make to improve my community (school, town, country, global community)?
What is my responsibility as a citizen/learner?
What if everyone in your community were the same?
Do all cultures eventually fall?
Socials Studies
Why must we learn about Canadian history?
What makes history interesting to you?
How has the invention/technology changed man’s view of himself?
How does this invention/technology relate to the challenges of our time?
Have conflicts between countries ever been necessary?
What if King Louis had never been executed?
Was the 20th century Canada’s century?
Was Napoleon a heroic or villainous contributor to the development of democracy?
Connects to SS 9 LO
select and summarize information about a historical person
defend a controversial position
analyse the contribution to the development of democracy
Describe and compare (topography, climate, and vegetation) the most and the least adventurous geographic region in Canada to live.
OR
Describe and compare (topography, climate, and vegetation) the best and worst geographic region in Canada to make a home.
(consider using Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett and or Weslandi by Paul Fleschman)
Connects to SS 9 LO
describe and compare North America’s geographical regions
construct, interpret, scales, legends, and maps
select and summarize information
plan, revise, and deliver formal written presentation
Is Democracy Dying? The rise of authoritarianism around the world. (consider the article in Macleans Mar 9th 2009)
FN 12; En 12 First Peoples
Is culture relatively absolute or absolutely relative? What are the ramifications of your perspective?
Science
What if the theory of evolution was never thought of?
What would happen if we could photosynthesize?
French
What does every speaker on the planet need to communicate in any typical day?
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.