Writing discussion Questions

Knowledge questions “Who is…” “What is…” What is Maori? Where is New Zealand?

Comprehension/understanding questions “What is meant by…” “Explain how…” Explain how the government of New Zealand is protecting the Maori language. What does Harrison mean when he says that indigenous knowledge is exploited?

What do you think questions “Have you ever…” Do you think your language is related to your identity? Is it important for society to try to save languages that are in danger of disappearing?

Other questions to ask Analysis Questions beginning with “Why...” “How would you explain...” “What is the importance of...” “What is the meaning of” Example: What is the importance of indigenous knowledge in today’s world?

Other questions to ask Compare and Contrast “Compare...” “Contrast...” “What is the difference between...” “What is the similarity between...” Example: What are the similarities between the two articles in Unit 2? What are the differences?

Other questions to ask Cause and Effect “What are the causes/results of...” “What connection is there between...” Example: What is the cause of Harrison’s distress as he writes about when languages die?

A good discussion begins with Good discussion questions. Here are some types of questions that you’ll wan to avoid and that can lead to non-productive discussion Simple yes/no – dead end, encourages guessing Elliptical – too vague, it is not clean what is being asked Leading/Slanted – conveys the expected answer