Asking Powerful Questions

Assessment

Criteria for Evaluation
Students provide evidence of their learning as they:

• ask powerful questions
• provide rationale.

The above criterion is based on social studies grade level outcomes.

SKILLS AND PROCESSES
RESEARCH FOR DELIBERATIVE INQUIRY
K.S.7	•	ask questions to make meaning of a topic
1.S.7	•	ask questions to make meaning of a topic
2.S.7	•	participate in formulating research questions
		develop questions that reflect a personal information need (ICT)
3.S.7	•	evaluate whether information supports an issue or a research question
4.S.7		formulate new questions as research progresses
5.S.7	•	draw and support conclusions based on information gathered to answer a research question
6.S.7	•	formulate questions to be answered through the research process
7.S.7	•	formulate new questions as research progresses
8.S.7	•	formulate new questions as research progresses
9.S.7	•	formulate new questions as research progresses
10-1 S.7	•	develop, refine and apply questions to address an issue
10-2 S.7	•	revise questions on an issue as new information becomes available
20-1 S.7	•	develop, refine and apply questions to address an issue
20-2 S.7	•	revise questions on an issue as new information becomes available
30-1 S.7	•	develop, refine and apply questions to address an issue
30-2 S.7	•	revise questions on an issue as new information becomes available

Cross-curricular Links
Cross-curricular links for the skill of asking questions are found within English Language Arts General Outcome 3:

3.1 Plan and Focus
Determine information needs

Assessment for Learning (formative)
The Student Self-Assessment Checklist feedback tool provides a structure for formative assessment. Although designed for students to use independently or with peers, teachers can also use the tool in personal conferencing contexts with students. Over time, students gain experience in using criteria to evaluate their questions. As students internalize the criteria for powerful questions, they may not need to use this checklist in a formal way each time.

Assessment of Learning (summative)
Summative assessment takes place after students have had the opportunity to practise, receive descriptive feedback and adjust the quality of their questions. Summative assessment is not recommended during students’ first experience with the skill of asking powerful questions, but will be more appropriate when applied in a new learning context.

When appropriate, the summative feedback tool, a Teacher Rubric can be used by teachers to evaluate the quality of the questions generated by students. Note that this rubric requires teachers to make a holistic professional judgement about the quality of the questions each student has created by anticipating the ability of the questions to generate a quality response.

The formative tool (Student Checklist) works hand in hand with the summative tool (Rubric). As students work to improve the quality of their questions and compile more evidence in the Yes column of the checklist, their position on the rubric moves towards the higher levels. Exemplars of student work can provide another source of support for students in helping them understand what quality responses look like.