Level 3 Questions Your Task: Create 5 Level 3 Questions over Animal Farm Chapters 1-5. A “Level 3 Question” is a semi-open ended question which generates discussion, inviting multiple opinions and theories about a text, causing students to analyze the text, specifically the characters and plot.

Level 3 Questions Cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no.” Bad Example: “Does Snowball run away?” “Yes.” 2. Are not reading check questions. Bad Example: “Who stole the milk?” “Napoleon.” 3. Do not have obvious answers. Bad Example: “How would you feel if you were chased off the farm?” “Bad.”

Level 3 Questions Those types of questions do not promote discussion! Our Goal: to have a discussion where: different views of Animal Farm are explored, the connections between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution are brought to light, and the big ideas and themes of the book are discussed.

Level 3 Questions Bad Question: “What events lead up to the revolution?” Why: This question only recounts events from the book. This is a reading check question. There is no analysis. Better Question: “Given what you know about the plot of Animal Farm, why was the farm the opportune place for Napoleon to build a dictatorship? Explain.” Why: This question invites multiple opinions and points of view, analyzing the plot.

Level 3 Questions Bad Question: “Why does Snowball leave the farm?” Why: This question only recounts events from the book. There is no analysis. It does not require discussion. Better Question: “Snowball is chased off the farm by the dogs. What effect does the event have on the other animals and the revolution itself? Explain.” Why: This question invites multiple opinions and points of view, analyzing the plot and characters.

Level 3 Questions Bad Question: “How do the animals feel about Napoleon?” Why: It is kind of an obvious answer: bad. It does not require discussion. Better Question: “How do the animals feel about Napoleon’s changes to the rebellion? How do you know?” Why: This question invites multiple opinions, but also asks for evidence from the text.

Level 3 Questions Bad Question: “Why does Farmer Jones have a lithograph of Queen Elizabeth on his wall?” Why: This question is too narrow and not meaningful to the main plot line. Better Question: “Based on what the pigs find when they enter Farmer Jones’ house, what inferences can we make about the type of leader farmer Jones was? Explain.” Why: This question invites multiple opinions and analysis, but also asks for evidence from the text.

Level 3 Questions Bad Question: “How would you feel if you were Mollie?” Why: The answer is obvious: bad, and does not generate discussion Better Question: “Based on Mollie’s actions, what is Mollie representative of in the Russian Revolution? Why?” Why: This question invites multiple opinions and analysis, but also asks for evidence from the text.

Level 3 Questions Now, look at your level 5 questions again. Take 5 minutes to evaluate them. Can they be answered with a simple “yes” or “no?” Are the answers obvious? Do they only ask your classmates to recount events from the book, not analyze the book? Are the questions irrelevant (not meaningful) to the text? If you said “Yes” to any of these questions, now is your time to edit/rewrite your questions. If you did write questions in the first place, now is your time to give it a try.