Questioning Strategies

The essential inquiry question is introduced at the very beginning of the lesson, and is the main focus point throughout the lesson. The question should be answerable by the end of the lesson. The question should be connected to the students learning objectives. The question usually begins with a what, how, or why question. How and why questions are more geared towards math and a what questions are more geared towards science. The essential question should encompass the overarching purpose of the lesson and the lesson should be focused on answering the essential question by the end in a informal or formal way.

Scaffolding questions are meant to guide and prompt students in discussions. The questions are to encourage students to think critically and deeply to understand the information from the lesson and make a connection to it. The questions are asked during a lesson to help push students towards being able to answer the essential inquiry question. These types of questions will help build students understanding of the material. These questions can be asked to individual students, small groups, or even in whole group discussions.