QUESTIONING STRATEGIES
FOR THE SECONDARY
MATH CLASSROOM
Richard Roper
Secondar y
Mathematics
Specialist
Region 15 ESC
richard.roper@
netxv.net
QUESTIONING….WHY?
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a way of grouping
student’s thinking into six classifications
based on the complexity of their cognitive
ability
Knowledge, Comprehension, Application,
Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation
From Noun to Verb
Verbs describe actions while nouns do not
Remembering, Understanding, Applying,
Analyzing, Evaluating and Creating
QUESTIONING FOLDABLE
 Fold across the solid line
 Cut across the dotted line
 The bottom two tabs will be “Remembering” and
“Understanding”
 The next two tabs will be “Applying” and
“Analyzing”
 The top two tabs will be “Evaluating” and
“Creating”
 The title at the top of the foldable will be
“Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy”
 Use this foldable to record notes for the next
several slides
REMEMBERING
Able to retrieve information learned
Able to recall and restate information
Able to reproduce algorithmic events
Question Stems for “Remembering”
 What do you know about ….?
 How did ___________ happen?
 Who was the main character?
 Can you define the word _________?
 Identify the date of _________?
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES TO HELP
WITH REMEMBERING
Fact charts
Write down known information
Repeat important information
Label visual aids
Identify important points
Use an Outline to denote
UNDERSTANDING
Paraphrasing important passages
Interpreting …
Explanation of math/science algorithms
Rewording definitions into their own words
Question Stem for “Understanding”
 How would you explain …..?
 How would you rephrase….?
 Can you summarize the given passage?
 What was the main idea of the story?
 Can you give details about the _____?
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES TO HELP
WITH UNDERSTANDING
Retell a story in their own words
Give an example or a non-example
Allow them to come up with their own
definitions of a word
Ask them to condense a paragraph into a
single sentence
Summarize a sequence of events
APPLYING
 Making connections
 Relating key components of a short story
 Solving semi-complex problems
 Implementing a plan to ….
 Demonstrate
 Question Stems for “Applying”
 How would you use …..?
 What examples can you find for ……?
 How would you demonstrate……?
 What else could ______ have done in the story?
 What would the result be if …….?
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES TO HELP
WITH APPLYING
Ask student to predict
Choose the best statement that applies
What would the result be if ….
Make a scrapbook or journal
Construct a model that demonstrates how
something works
ANALYZING
 Sorting and organizing information
 Categorizing data into useful groups
 Compare and contrast ideas
 Use of sequencing to make info relevant
 Question Stems for “Analyzing”
 How would you organize_______?
 What are the properties of ______?
 Why did _______ happen?
 What ideas justify…..?
 What are the important steps in the ________ process?
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES TO HELP
WITH ANALYZING
Ask them what the facts are
Which statement is relevant
What conclusions can they come to
State your point of view
Prepare a report on a particular subject
Investigate the solution to a word problem
EVALUATING
Supporting a position
Defending in a debate situation
Criticizing a point of view
Hypothesizing a mathematical concept
Question Stems for “Evaluating”
 Do you agree or disagree with …..?
 How do you feel about …..?
 Which is better and which is worst?
 Which solution is the best and why?
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES TO HELP
WITH EVALUATING
Try to find the errors in a given statement
List a set of criteria to judge from
Pick a side and try to convince other of your
point of view
Form a panel to discuss the views of a
particular time period
Determine any inconsistencies in a system of
equations
CREATING
 Designing/Developing
 Generalizing a mathematical concept
 Drawing conclusions from a writing sample
 Inventing something used in a research project
 Question Stems for “Creating”
What would happen if …..?
How can you arrange …..?
How would you improve it?
What do you think would happen if ….?
POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES TO HELP
WITH CREATING
Ask students to test their theories
State a rule to a given problem
Create a timeline in history
Use a math problem to another math
situation
Compose a piece of music
Revise a passage to give a different plot
DOMINOES ACTIVITY
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Separate into two teams – divide the room
Group 1 can only ask Yes/No questions.
Group 2 can ask any questions.
All questions must be submitted in writing on the supplied char t paper.
The goal of the game is to correctly guess the mathematics rule that
will involve one of the four main operations: addition subtraction,
multiplication or division.
Each round will consist of asking one question to obtain information
about the rule.
The rule is then applied to a cer tain domino. If the domino fits the
rule, I will be placed on the red sheet of paper. If not, the domino will
not be placed on the red sheet of paper.
One question per round.
To win, your group must correctly identify the rule.
Hint: The rule will be m athematical in nature and
m ay consist of t he number of dots on
each side of t he domino or both.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONING
PRACTICES
 What type of questions needs to be used?
 How does the questions need to be introduced by the
teacher?
 How must a student interpret the questions to help
lead them into a meaningful discussion?
 How can basic knowledge lead to conceptual
thinking?
 How can conceptual thinking lead to procedural
techniques?
 How can procedural techniques lead to
metacognitive thoughts and problem solving?
THE ROLE OF THE QUESTION
Questions needs to use to the depth and
complexity of the instructional situation.
Questions should differentiate.
Questions should be introduced to add value
to or contribute to the knowledge gained both
for the student and for the whole group.
Questions should intrigue the whole group to
participate.
Questions should encourage ownership.
THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER
ASKING THE QUESTION
Become the facilitator of the discussion.
Use the appropriate question to level up on
the Bloom’s list.
Build in important “Wait Time” to allow for full
dissemination of the information.
Selection of student(s) to bring value to the
discussion.
Get students to talk more than the teacher.
THE ROLE OF THE STUDENT
Students lead the discussion.
Students must adhere to the protocol.
Agree to disagree but with mutual respect.
Discussion needs to have added value.
Students work together to further learning
process.
Obtain resources as needed.
TYPES OF RESPONSE
STRATEGIES
Wait Time
Think Pair Share
Random Calling
Class Survey
More than one Answer
Devil’s Advocate
LESS EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM
INSTRUCTION
 Mr. Turner works example problems on the board and
expects student to recreate his work.
 Students are given 50 ordered pairs and are expected to
graph them all.
 Students are given a set of numbers and expect to find
mean, median and mode.
 Mrs. Williams shows students where the formulas on the
formula chart.
 Students are working in groups with one person doing all
the work while the others are observing.
 Mr. Thompson requires that all students turn in their
work at the end of the class period whether they are
finished or not.
 Mrs. Perez reads a passage out loud.
MORE EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM
INSTRUCTION
 Mr. Turner puts a problem on the board and starts a class
discussion by asking “How could we solve this problem?”
 Students are given 10 ordered pairs and are asked to
determine if there is a correlation and to justify their
answer.
 Mrs. Perez asks students to read a short passage and
facilitates a class discussion on what the theme of the
passage was.
 Mr. Thompson asks students to recreate a scene from a
particular part in history?
 Mrs. Williams asks students to investigate formulas from
a formula chart and give examples of where a particular
formula would be used.
CONCLUSION
Effective questioning will have the most impact when
the question(s) is well thought out in advance.
Transitioning from traditional questioning methods to
well-prepared, meaningful and thought provoking
questions will require a great deal of patience.
Educators, such as yourselves, must be persistent and
perceptive while asking purposeful questions.
Unhelpful traditional questions must be replaced by
inquiry based questioning as a means to supplement
effective instruction.