I wonder...
Wonder - Explore - Question Take time to set the foundation for a successful PSI experience.
Cultivate a Culture of Wonder
One Option… Start with what you know. I know a lotsomea little cookingbaking lasagna Why do things mix to make food great or terrible? What am I an expert in already?
I know a lotsomea little Roman Empirearchitecture inventions materials equipment war tactics gods and goddesses religion Human Bodyhow it works brainwaves skeleton and all the bones Mayareligion war gods food architecture how they fell inventions Empire (overall)
What I think I know about this topic is that the Romans were very advanced in their technology and architecture. For example, Romans were the first to use concrete to build buildings. Another example is, Romans used sewers and canals so dirty water could leave the cities and canals/waterways would travel water from one city to another. What I don’t think I know about is the war tactics of the Romans, also their religion.
After collecting 2-3 potential topics, check out the resources. Help students evaluate each topic by looking at the number and types of resources available. Depending on what they find, students may recognize they need to widen or narrow topics in order to find resources. What if I want to research unicorns? … or a cure for baldness?
But what if I want to research something I know nothing about - like Indie music? How am I supposed to fill out that chart?
Try it out. Explore! Start with a broad topic you know nothing about. Take 10 minutes. Do whatever you need to do to get to a point where you can design a research question. Pied-Noir Algeria Yarn Bombing State of Jefferson Slow Loris
Tacit Knowledge and Skills You Used That Students May Not Have Choosing which sources to read (evaluation) Deciding upon a “good” question Using advanced search strategies (reading levels, keywords, related terms) Understanding your own learning style Exploring before generating question Thinking beyond ourselves to generate question Rereading for understanding
Fast thinking is automatic, intuitive. Eighty percent of what we do each day is based on this type of thinking. Also referred to as tacit knowledge or skills. Slow thinking requires full attention. It’s deep, critical, and analytical - a critical skill for success. What tacit knowledge and skills to you hold when doing research that you think your students have not developed?
Questions drive the inquiry. Encourage students to address the question rather than answer it.
Closed Questions: Usually answered with “yes” or “no,” just a few words, or a single fact. what, where, when, how much or how many Open Questions: Can’t be answered simply. The answers are made up of many pieces of information. how, why
Questions That Analyze explain, compare, contrast, show relationships Questions beginning with: how, why, in what ways How can nanotechnology improve medicine? Why should there be laws about going to school in this country? In what ways can virtual reality help city planners? Now that I have a topic, what about the question?
Creative Thinking Questions lead you to come up with your own ideas about a topic Questions beginning with: might, would, could, should Should students be allowed to choose which assignments they complete? Could computers take the place of classroom teachers? Now that I have a topic, what about the question?
A good research question... makes you think. opens doors. It demands more than a yes or no answer. does not have an immediate answer, because it requires some thinking, feeling and application to previous knowledge. propels you to develop understanding which creates a new knowledge set.