SQ3 Asking Informed Questions

This is the only activity in Part 1 and it is required for successful completion of the Inquiry Design ModelThe Inquiry Design Model (IDM) (Swan et al, n.d.) is a distinctive approach to creating instructional materials that honors teachers’ knowledge and expertise, avoids over-prescription, and focuses on the key elements envisioned in the C3 Inquiry Arc. .

Overview

Students will use what they have learned from Supporting Questions 1 and 2 to craft informed questions about how the American AbenakiAbenaki tribes, families, and people who live in the United States. Vermont has four recognized Abenaki tribes; for more information visit Abenaki Alliance.  have maintained their culture. An informed question is based on factual evidence demonstrating understanding about a topic about which one wants to learn more. Asking good, informed questions empowers students to become better researchers and writers. Added bonus: ELA and social studies teachers can collaborateTo work with one or more other people on a project, sharing ideas, knowledge, and skills to reach a common objective.  on developing informed questions for research papers.

The time allotted for a brainstorming session with grades 3–5 students can vary. For a large class, you may want to allow at least 50–60 minutes so everyone has a chance to participate.

Materials

There are no materials needed for this activity.

Worksheet(s)

There are no new worksheets needed for this activity.

Resources

No new resources should be needed to ask informed questions.

Guiding the Inquiry1. Inquiry is asking questions, seeking knowledge, and investigating information.  According to the C3 Framework, inquiry is at the heart of social studies. 2. A comprehensive curricular unit designed for the C3 Framework that includes the key components of questions, tasks, and sources. The inquiry format leads students through the investigation of a compelling question.

• Explain to students that an informed question uses prior knowledge and requires additional research to find the answer.
• Introduce your brainstorming session ground rules, for example, to accept all ideas, build on the ideas of others, generate many ideas, and allow everyone to participate.
• Review basic question words with your students—who, what, where, why, and how.
• Ask students what informed questions they can ask to learn about how the American AbenakiHistorically, this name was used by the French to refer to many different Indigenous communities in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. During the colonial wars, some New England Indians moved to southern Canada as war refugees. They were joined by refugees from other tribes and together became known as Abenaki. (Calloway, 1994) have maintained their culture.
• If students hesitate, provide them with new facts and challenge them to develop informed questions to learn more about these facts. Invite them to formulate scenario-based questions based on context.
• Record their questions on a whiteboard or on sticky notes.
• When the brainstorming is completed, proceed with a discussion of the recorded questions. Have students code questions they can already answer and those they need to learn more about.