Writing Foundation Questions
David Jakes
How much structure is in your instruction?
Lesson plans generally are highly structured. There are reasons
for this: lesson structure
provides a pathway for learning, including a set of achievable goals,
information resources,
opportunities to repurpose and apply that information, and techniques for
gauging
understanding. Yet when students are asked to do research, and specifically
research on the
World Wide Web, it is often typical for teachers to have students search the Web
for 2-3
class periods about a topic, often without specific questions to answer
(essential and
foundation). The end result is edutainment, without much being accomplished.
Foundation questions structure and guide research. Students know
what they have to
answer and they know that their answers will provide the raw information that
will be used
to construct their answer to the essential question. In this case, structure is
good and highly
desirable, given the immensity of the Web and the general inability of students
to quickly
locate applicable high-quality information resources. Remember: at this point we
are still
setting the stage for the knowledge building that occurs at the end of the
learning process
represented by the Project Page.
Writing Foundation Questions:
Foundation questions are "What is..." questions. Their answers
should be factual.
Foundation questions should not require that students make a judgment; that is
the
purpose of the essential question. When writing foundation questions, begin by
using words
like: Determine, List, Define, Identify and What (think on the low end of
Another Example:
Essential Question: What plan could be developed to reduce the
impact of zebra mussels on
the Great Lakes ecosystem? Your plan can include three strategies.
Foundation Questions:
1. What does a zebra mussel look like?
2. What is the native habitat of the zebra mussel?
3. Discuss how zebra mussels entered the Great Lakes.
4. Where are zebra mussels found in the Great Lakes. What are their densities?
5. List the negative consequences of the zebra mussel infestation.
6. List the positive consequences of the zebra mussel infestation.
7. List and describe the methods for controlling the zebra mussel.
Further application: after students are comfortable with the
inquiry-based process,
it is perfectly acceptable for students to develop foundation questions. The
teacher
should evaluate these before they are used for research purposes.
Copyright 2002 by David Jakes and Internet Innovations, Inc. All rights reserved.