HIT: formulating quality questions

[Peta Ward <petaw@IAFRICA.COM>]

I promised to post a HIT on my query for quality questions.  Received more mail
asking for a HIT than I did answers but here is what I did get and many thanks
to those who did respond.

By the way there is an interesting article at the following URL
http://www.fromnowon/oct87/
click on the link to question.html
there are further articles in the September issue at
http://fromnowon/sept97/
click on online.html and online2.html

Also worth looking at the tasks set on the Web Quests accessible from the Web
Quest page.

Responses:
1.
Weaving one of Bloom's taxonomic levels into a question is helpful.
"Compare and contrast the Pelloponesian wars with the second World
War"--I had a student, a brilliant 6th grader think this one up
for himself--but if I had to guide another student in navigating
this question I would have to go back to school and get another
Master's Degree in military history--or convince the classroom teacher
to do so!

"Describe the significant issues at stake in the Pelloponesian wars,
describe which side you would choose to fight on and explain why"
--is pretty good because it makes the student personalize the
information.

"Propose a peaceful solution to the conflicts that drove the Pelloponesian
wars and explain how this could have been achieved.  Feel free to
propose changes of political leadership."  --also good because it
requires the student to play with the information in a creative way.
However, I would hesitate to assign it unless I consulted with a scholar
first.

2.

1)  (From my own high school years)  What made Americans feel they had the
right--or maybe the duty--to take over this geographic area from the
Atlantic to the Pacific?

2)  (From my experience as an elementary librarian)  Why would someone want
to trash the cafeteria?  [I should explain--I caught 5th graders planning
to do so and, since they had not *done* anything yet, sat down to explore
their complaints with them and research possible remedies via the school
library, the central public library, and correspondence with other fifth
graders.  The school district eventually took most of their advice, too.]

3)  (From my study of educational administration)  How can a small city
ensure that its school budget is approved by the voters?

3.
>SOCIAL STUDIES RESOURCES K-12
>
>Social Studies Links- links to historical fiction books, reference and
>lesson plans about Social studies
>http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/social.htm
>
>Social Studies Lesson Plans- large list of lesson pklans sources
>http://www.csun.edu/%7Ehcedu013/plans.html#Lesson Plans
>
>Core documents of US History- Declaration of Independance, Bill of
>Rights, Constituion and other famous documents
>http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/dpos/coredocs.html
>
>Sites for Children Past and Present 1- links to biographies, world
>history, cultures of the world and early US history
>http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/people.html
>
>Sites for Children Past and Present 2- links for georaphy, maps, post
>Civil War US history, politics, news and current events
>http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/people2.html
>
>History channel online- where the past comes alive
>http://www.historychannel.com/
>
>Schoolhouse Social Studies- links to cultural (Afr-AM, Native Am et al),
>geographical and history sites
>http://teacherpathfinder.org/School/socstud.html
>
>Online Activitiies- large site of interactive Social Studies activities
>for Kids
>http://www.csun.edu/%7Ehcedu013/onlineactivities.html
>
>Kidweb- Geography- links to maps and flags of world
>http://www.npac.syr.edu/textbook/kidsweb/geography.html

4.

We are a high school of 2000 students in grades
10,11, and 12.  Our school is part of the coalition of
essential schools and the coalition has units of work
designed around "essential questions".   Several of our
teachers use this concept in assigning research papers.
Some examples of essential questions from the
coalition:
*Is there a cultural war in this country?
*What is the best comprehensive health program for the
average young adult?
*What impact would bilingualism have on our society?
You may want to look at some of the coaltion literature
which explores essential questions in more detail.


----
Peta Ward : Librarian
Hilton College Library
Private Bag 6001,Hilton,3245
Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
Tel:(027) 0331-430100       Fax:(027) 0331-430080
e-mail:petaw@iafrica.com   http://www.hilton.kzn.school.za

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