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CKEC ISLN
Social Studies
UPDATE
October 2014
Debbie Waggoner
KDE Regional Instructional Specialist
Social Studies & Mathematics
www.debbiewaggoner.com
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Projected Timeline At A Glance…

September 2014 Targeted Focus Groups

October 2014 First Read KBE and compile feedback
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November 2014 Representative sub-group of standards
writers will meet to review Feedback and Refine Draft
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December 2014 Second Read

January 2015 Public Comment Period

2015-2016 Implementation
+ Focus on Inquiry enhances
classroom practice…
+
THE QUESTION
FORMULATION
TECHNIQUE (QFT)
Students' Questions as a Catalyst for:
Deeper Learning, Joy in Teaching and a Healthier Democracy
Based on the Keynote presentation for Ky Council of Social
Studies Conference September 2014 Erlanger, KY
By Dan Rothstein
The Right Question Institute: Cambridge, MA
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The Big Idea
Students are more successful
when they learn to ask their
own questions
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The Vision: High School
Students in Boston, MA
“When you ask the question, you feel
like it’s your job to get the answer.”
ENGAGEMENT!
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Components of the Question
Formulation TechniqueTM
 A Question Focus
 Rules for Producing Questions
 Producing Questions
 Categorizing Questions-Open/Closed
 Prioritizing Questions
 Next Steps
 Reflection
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Rules for Producing Questions

Ask as many questions as you can.

Do not stop to answer, judge, or discuss.
 Write
down every question exactly as it
was stated.

Change any statements into questions.
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Experiencing the Question
Formulation TechniqueTM
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Question Focus
Some students are not
asking questions in my classroom
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Producing Questions
Some students are not
asking questions in my classroom
1.
2.
3.
Ask Questions
Follow the Rules
Number the Questions
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Categorizing Questions:
Closed/Open
Definitions:
 Closed-ended
questions can be answered with
a “yes” or “no” or with a one-word answer.
 Open-ended
questions require
more explanation.
Directions: Identify your questions as closedended or open-ended by marking them with
a “C” or an “O”.
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Discussion
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Change Closed to Open and
Open to Closed -Ended
Questions
Directions: Take one closed-ended
question and change it into an openended question
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Prioritizing Questions
 Review
your list of questions
 Choose
the three questions you consider
most important.
 While
prioritizing, think about your QFocus:
Some students are not asking
questions in my classroom
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Prioritizing Questions
 Why
did you choose those three
questions as the most important?
 Where
are your priority questions in the
sequence of your entire list of questions?
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Share
1.
Questions you changed from closed to
open
2.
Your three priority questions and their
numbers in your original sequence
3.
Rationale for choosing priority questions
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Reflection
 What

did you learn?
How did you learn it?
 What
do you understand differently now
about asking questions?
Classroom
Example: Secondary
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Teacher: Megan Harvell, Boston, MA
Topic: American History –The Civil War
Purpose: Pre-reading activity to engage students
Question
Focus:
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Student Questions
Why are you taking a pen?
1.
Why are they fighting?
11.
2.
Are they fighting?
12.
Why are they in court?
3.
Are they part of the government?
13.
Who hit who first?
4.
Where were they?
15.
Who died?
5.
Who are they?
16.
Why are they smiling?
6.
Were they signing anything?
7.
Who else was there?
8.
Why are you hitting him?
9.
Why didn’t they call 911?
10.
Was this related to slavery?
11.
Why is he hitting him with a bat?
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C3 Dimension 1
1.
Why are they fighting?
11.
2.
Are they fighting?
12.
Why are they in court?
3.
Are they part of the government?
13.
Who hit who first?
4.
Where were they?
15.
Who died?
5.
Who are they?
16.
Why are they smiling?
6.
Were they signing anything?
7.
Who else was there?
8.
Why are you hitting him?
9.
Why didn’t they call 911?
10.
Was this related to slavery?
11.
Why is he hitting him with a bat?
Why are you taking a pen?
Supporting Questions
Compelling
Questions
“Focus on descriptions,
definitions,
and
enduring issues
and
processes
on which
is general
concerns. They
dealthere
with curiosities
agreement
withinwork;
the social
studies
about how things
interpretations
disciplines,
and require
students to
and applications
of disciplinary
construct
thatissues
advance
concepts; explanations
and unresolved
that
claims
understanding
in response”
requireofstudents
to construct
arguments
in response.”
C3 Framework p.23
C3 Framework p.23
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Educator Observations
 Novice Teachers
 “I’ve never seen my students so engaged as when they are using
the QFT.”
 Veteran Teachers
 “I’ve prided myself in my 33 years of teaching in the good
questions I ask of my students. But, I saw that they go through this
process and they ask great questions that I never, ever would have
thought of.”
 University Professors
 “I have been stunned by the depth and breadth of questions that
my students have created during QFT sessions – and I feel that I am
just beginning to learn how to use the technique.”
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The Skill of Asking Questions
 For
getting to better answers
 For
increasing engagement and ownership
 For
demonstrating inquiry in the classroom
 For
a little more joy in a very demanding
profession
 And…
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The Research Confirms the
Importance of Student Questioning
Self-Questioning (metacognitive strategy):

Students formulating their own questions proved to be
one of the most effective metacognitive strategies

Engaging in pre-lesson self-questioning improved
students rate of learning by nearly 50% (Hattie, p.193)
Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 meta-Analyses Relating to
Achievement by John Hattie. 1st Edition, December 26, 2008.
+ Tools for QFT

Tips for Facilitating the QFT – Question Formulation Technique
packet pages 18-19
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Designing the Question Focus packet pages 20-21
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Assessing Facilitation of the QFT packet page 22
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QFT on one page packet page 23
Also on the Agenda…
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Design a Question Focus to try the QFT for your grade level

Reading Strategies for Social Studies

21st Century Curriculum Implications and district planning
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Burning Questions about the Disciplinary Content Strands