Types of Questions

1. Types of Questions English III

2. Types of Questions • Not all questions are created equal • Certain types of questions lead to more interesting discussion • Factual • Interpretive • Evaluative

3. Factual Questions Only one correct answer Answer is based on a concrete detail Ex:(“How did Chris McCandless die?”)

4. Factual questions do not lead to good discussion • Good for checking your understanding • But • Don’t generally lead to a deeper discussion • Not very interesting to consider • Complicated factual questions might require outside research to answer accurately (ex: “How much was the poll tax Thoreau refused to pay?”)

5. Interpretive Questions More than one possible answer, but answers must be supported by evidence. Answers aren’t wrong unless they are based on a misreading of the text. EX: Why did Krakauer include the chapter about his own experience at Devil’s Thumb?

6. Interpretive questions are great for discussion • Direct our attention into the text • Require close attention to detail and meaning • Can be debatable, leading to interesting conversation and multiple points of view • BUT • Can get to a point where we read the text “to death” • Stays strictly within the text; no connection to “the real world”

7. Evaluative Questions These have no right or wrong answers as they require opinion, belief, or point of view. May lead you to judge the quality of writing or connect to ideas in the text EX: What aspects of society would you want to leave behind?

8. Evaluative Questions are good for discussion • Allow us to bring unique perspectives to the conversation • Create a real-world context for the reading • Convey a sense of importance in the reading • BUT • Unless the group is self aware, these can lead away on tangents (“…my grandmother…”)

9. Bring a mix of questions But focus more heavily on INTERPRETIVE QUESTIONS. These will lead us to more deeply analyze the text.