QUESTIONS FOR QUALITY THINKING
KNOWLEDGE- Identification and recall of information
Who, what, when, where, how _____________________?
Describe_______________________________________?
COMPREHENSION (Understanding) – Organization and
selection of facts and ideas
Retell__________________________in you r own words?
What is the main idea of ___________________________?
APPLICATION – Use if facts, rules, principals
How is _________ an example of ___________________?
How is _________ related to _______________________?
Why is ________________________________significant?
ANALYSIS – Separation of a whole into components parts
What are the parts or features of _____________________?
Classify ________ according to ______________________.
Outline/diagram/web ______________________________.
How does_________ compare /contrast with ___________?
What evidence can you present for ___________________?
SYNTHESIS – Combination of ideas to form a new whole
What would you predict/infer from __________________?
What ideas can you add to _________________________.
How would you create/design a new _________________?
What might happen if you combined ____ with ________?
What solutions would you suggest for ________________?
EVALUATION – Development of opinions, judgments, or
decisions
Do you agree____________________________________?
What do you think about __________________________?
What is the most important ________________________?
Prioritize _____________ according to _______________?
What criteria would you use to access _______________?
How would you go about deciding __________________?
STRATEGIES TO EXTEND STUDENT THINKING
¾ Remember “wait time”
Provide at least three seconds of thinking time after a question and after a response.
¾ Utilize “think-pair – share”
Allow individual thinking time, discussion with a partner, and then open up for class
discussion.
¾ Ask “follow-ups”
Why? Do you agree? Can you elaborate? Tell me more? Can you give an example?
¾ Withhold judgment
Respond to student answers in a non-evaluative fashion.
¾ Ask for Summary to promote active listening
“Could you please summarize Stacy’s point?”
¾ Survey the class “thumbs up, thumbs down”
“How many people agree with the authors point of view?
¾ Allow for student calling
“Erin would you please call on someone else to respond?”
¾ Play devils advocate
Require students to defend their reasoning against different points of view
¾ Ask students to “unpack their thinking and think aloud”
“Describe how you arrived at your answer.”
¾ Call on students randomly
Avoid the pattern of only calling on those students with raised hands and be sensitive to
culture and gender equity.
¾ Encourage student questioning
Allow students to develop their own questions.
¾
Cue student responses
“There is not a single correct answer for this question. I want you to
consider alternatives.