They encourage students to make connections, predict, infer, and problem solve. Thick questions lead the learner to deeper thinking. They connect to background knowledge and have longer more thought provoking answers than thin questions.
These questions are needed, but they do not usually lead to stimulating discussions. Both types of questions have their place, but we should encourage students to see the value of the thick questions that lead to better conceptual understanding. Teachers can model the two types of questions and help students develop their questioning skills.
Thick questions promote math talk and engage children in higher level thinking. By explicitly teaching questioning techniques, and celebrating more than the quick answer, we empower students to ask more thought provoking questions. This helps them to become more self-sufficient problem solvers who can use inquiry to assess their work.
Questions that linger and inspire thought can motivate our young mathematicians and create an excitement for mathematics. Thick Questions: What if. Why did. Rework any questions as needed before adding them to the list. Keep this list visible for students as they complete their independent work. Students can choose their own topic within a larger selected category like for the animal inquiry project , or they can pick their own topic of interest.
When doing this activity with my elementary students, they already had specific topics for their inquiry projects, so they used those. My 6th graders picked any school-appropriate topic that interested them. Students can work independently or with input from their table group.
They can also use the questions created in the group activity as a guide, if needed. Students write their completed questions in their library journals.
These can also be turned in electronically through a variety of tools. This activity can be extended by having students use resources provided by the library databases or print books to locate the answers to their questions.
For additional support, students can be given question stems to help guide them. For older students, at least one of the thin and thick questions can be of their own creation. She earned her master's in secondary education and master's endorsement in K library science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Pentland, Courtney.
View all citation styles. Already a subscriber? Learn how to become a subscriber here. Note: I first came across the idea of thick and thin questions in relation to questions students could ask about reading material. I thought thinking about questions this way was also a great fit for inquiry. As such, some of the resources included that are created by others are from that original lens but can be adjusted for inquiry. Students will understand the difference between thin and thick questions.
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