Work of Literature: __________________________

Comprehension question:

These questions begin with or involve words like defend, distinguish, estimate, explain, give examples, infer, predict, paraphrase, summarize, understand facts, interpret, justify. These questions challenge to student to understand the text’s full meaning.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Application question:

These questions begin with or involve words like demonstrate, modify, relate, show, prepare, solve, give examples, manipulate or generalise, use material in new situations, apply theories to practical situations, demonstrate correct procedures. These questions challenge the student to apply the information in the text to another situation.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Analysis question:

These questions begin with or involve words like brainstorm, differentiate, point out, separate, and discriminate. Break material into its components so that organizational structure is understood, recognize unstated assumptions and logical fallacies, distinquish between fact and inference, and evaluate the relevancy of data. These questions challenge students to break the text into smaller parts and understand how it works as a whole.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Synthesis question:

These questions begin with or involve words like combine, devise, compose, organize plan, reorganize, revise, rewrite, generate, put parts together to form a new whole, write a well-organized essay, write creatively, form a new idea for classifyng ideas and events, solve a problem. These questions challenge a student to go beyond the text and create something similar but new.

________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

 

Tasks:

  1. Alone, write four questions about last night’s reading.
    1. Good questions are not easily answered.
    2. Good questions ask students to ponder, analyze, infer, and create.
    3. Good questions do not ask students to recall, list, summarize, or restate. We have machines that perform these task easily and cheaply.
    4. Good questions are difficult to write.
  1. In partners (2), compare questions, explore answers, and revise the original questions.
    1. Switch questions with your partner.
    2. Attempt to answer your partner’s questions.
    3. Share your answers with each other.
    4. Determine whether the questions challenge students to think deeper and more creatively, more analytically about the work.
    5. Share with each other suggestions for improving the questions. If you wish, you may then submit the same question, as long as that question is superior to the two original questions.
  1. In teams (4), compare questions, explore answers, and revise all original questions.
    1. Partners switch questions with the other set of partners.
    2. Each pair may work together to answer the other pair’s questions.
    3. Share your answers with each other.
    4. Determine whether the questions challenge students to think deeper and more creatively, more analytically about the work.
    5. Share with each other suggestions for improving the questions. If you wish you may then submit the same questions, as long as those questions are surperior to the four original questions.
  1. In large group, each team will ask one of their superior questions of the group. The other groups will attempt to answer the question. All questions will be read and responded to by the other teams.

5. Teacher will evaluate the questions by the above criteria.