THICK VS. THIN QUESTIONS
• PROUDLY PRESENTED BY MRS. DAVIS TO
CLASS 5-301
THE RATIONALE FOR QUESTIONING:
“Without questioning skills, you’re just
a passenger on someone else’s tour
bus. You may be on the highway but
someone else is doing the driving.”
Jamie McKenzie
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• Good readers ask questions before reading,
during reading, and after reading. Questions
are asked of the author or about the content
of the reading. Asking questions helps the
reader monitor and understand their reading.
"When I ask a question, I ask something that
can be answered as I read or after I finish
reading." Today, we will look at the skill of
generating questions and the difference
between thin vs. thick questions.
Thick vs. Thin
Questions
What’s the difference?
Thick Questions
• Don’t have just one right answer.
• They begin with:
• Why...
• How come...
• I wonder...
• “What would happen If?…”
• “What does he/she means by…”
THICK QUESTIONS
THICK questions address large,
universal concepts…
For instance, “What is
photosynthesis?”
You could not answer that
question with one word. The
answers are long and involved
and need to be researched.
Thin Questions
Questions that can be answered
with
a number or a simple “yes, or No”
fall in this category.
For instance, “How many planets are
there?”
You use thin questions to
understand specific details.
GRADUATION DAY OF JAKE MOON:
THICK OR THIN?
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What does the old man at the Dumpster do when the boys shout insults at him?
What did Jake find in the freezer on his first day of fourth grade?
Why was the first title called “the Twist?”
Why do you think the story switched from third person into first person in the first
chapter?
What was Skelly’s nickname for Thorbert Piddler?
How does the author show the changes in Jake as he ages throughout the book?
What new choices does he have in his life, and how does he decide to face these
choices?
Describe the inner conflict Jake struggles with as he remembers the old Skelly yet
has to deal with the Alzheimer's afflicted Skelly.
What is the significance of the title of the story?
YOUR TURN….CAN YOU COME UP WITH SOME THICK
AND THIN QUESTIONS FOR JAKE MOON?
How do I formulate
“Thick Questions” ?
By using a Question Matrix.
SITUATION
CHOICE
PERSON
REASON
MEANS
Present
What is/are?
Where/when
is/are?
Which is/are?
Who is/are?
Why is/are?
How is/are?
Past
What
did/do/does?
Where/when
did/do/does?
Which
did/do/does?
Who
did/do/does?
Why
did/do/does?
How
did/do/does?
What can?
Where/when
can?
Which can?
Who can?
Why can?
How can?
Probability would/could?
Where/when
would/could?
Which
would/could?
Who
would/could?
Why
would/could?
How
would/could?
Prediction
What will?
Where/when
will?
Which will?
Who will?
Why will?
How will?
What might?
Where/when
might?
Which might?
Who might?
Why might?
How might?
Thin Questions
EVENT
Possibility
Thick Questions
What
Imagination
OR LET’S MAKE IT SIMPLER…
READING PARTNERSHIPS:
• AS YOU MEET WITH YOUR READING PARTNERS AND
DISCUSS FICTION & NON-FICTION TEXTS, YOU
SHOULD START TO FORMULATE SOME GOOD THICK
AND THIN QUESTIONS…
• NEXT STEPS: THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN TURN
THIN QUESTIONS INTO THICK ONES?
• EXAMINING & INTEGRATING POHL’S “THINK TO
LEARN” QUESTION STEMS INTO OUR
CONVERSATIONS