Asking Questions
By asking questions, you gain more knowledge. If you do not understand something you are studying, it is important to ask your teacher (or someone else who understands the topic) questions so they can help you master your understanding of the idea. You also can ask yourself questions in order to spark your interest in subjects you consider boring.
Getting Started
Some people are afraid to ask questions because they are afraid they will look dumb. Others do not like speaking in front of people. Remember, it is smarter to ask questions than to not understand something that might be on a test or that you might need to know later in life.
If you are afraid to ask questions, watch other students who frequently ask questions you were thinking. You can learn great tips just by watching them.
Start With the Basics
A Little More Advanced
Ask questions that fit in different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy
| Knowledge: | Definitions, Facts, Memorized Statements | |
| Comprehension: | Translate ideas into words, Explain in your own terms | |
| Application: | Apply knowledge to other ideas and use knowledge to solve new problems | |
| Analysis: | Indepth interpretation and application of ideas | |
| Synthesis: | Hypothesize, Make educated guesses using prior knowledge | |
| Evaluation: | Judge, Value, and Critique ideas |
Examples:
| Knowledge: | When was North America discovered? | |
| Comprehension: | Does that mean no one lived here before then? | |
| Application: | Did the discovery of North America introduce new foods into the Europeans' diet? | |
| Analysis: | How could Europeans "discover" North America if the Native Americans already lived here? | |
| Synthesis: | Do you think Europeans would have discovered North America sooner if they already had technology like airplanes? Does our space technology make it easier for us to find new planets than it was for the Europeans to find continents they did not know existed? | |
| Evaluation: | Do you think it was ethical for the Europeans to take over the Native American's land? Is it ethical for us to assume that extraterrestrial life forms (if there are any) are not as smart as we? |
Here is another method of asking questions. It is described more completely
in Writers INC (557).
| Description | Function | History | Value | |
| Problems | What is the problem? | Who or what is affected? | What caused it? | Why is it important? |
| Polices | What are its parts? | What does it do? | Why was it needed? | Is it practical? |
| Concepts | What is related to it? | How does it work? | When did it originate? | What is its worth? |
To use this method, identify whether you are discussing a problem, a policy, or a concept. Then decide if you want to know more about what it is (description), how it works (function), how it developed (history), or what its worth is to society (value). Each box gives an example of the type of question you would ask.
Questions That Spark Interest
You also can use questions to spark your interest in topics you might not enjoy. Ask yourself questions that connect the idea to things you like. For instance, if you do not like learning about the Civil War, but you do like computers, you could ask yourself, "What would computers be like if the South had won the Civil War?" Sometimes your questions will not have logical answers, but they will make you think about the topic you are learning.
Another method for staying focused on topics you do not like is to ask offbeat questions. In the previous example, you might ask yourself, "What would General Lee's favorite computer game be?" General Lee did not live in an era that had computers, but if you try to answer the question, you have to piece together other things you know about him, such as: What were his battle strategies? Was he a family man? Was he a risktaker, or did he stick to the triedandtrue methods? This method keeps you interested in the topic, and it helps you process the information you have learned.
For more information, see: Sebranek, Patrick, Verne Meyer, and Dave Kemper. Writers INC. Washington, D.C.: Heath, 1996.
Developed by Ben Silliman and Jessie Moore
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