3.13.A
The Standard
generate questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students choose a topic and generate questions that can guide an inquiry. They ask focused questions, then add or revise questions as they learn more.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can produce several clear, relevant questions about a topic. They can identify which questions will guide research and revise weak questions to make them more focused.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may write statements instead of questions or ask questions that are too broad, unrelated, or answered with yes or no. They may also stop after one question instead of adding follow-up questions.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Give students the topic “school gardens.” Ask them to write three research questions, circle the strongest one, and explain their choice.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Place a mystery object in a bag, reveal it, and have students write five questions on sticky notes for a class question board.
Show a photo of an unusual animal and ask, “What would we need to learn to explain how this animal survives?”
Play Question Sort Relay with cards students sort into researchable, too broad, yes-or-no, and unrelated groups.
Have students choose a school issue, such as cafeteria waste, and draft questions they could ask staff, classmates, or online sources.
Keep exploring
Related Standards
- 6.12.A
generate student-selected and teacher-guided questions for formal and informal inquiry;
- 5.13.A
generate and clarify questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry;
- 8.12.A
generate student-selected and teacher-guided questions for formal and informal inquiry;
- 4.13.A
generate and clarify questions on a topic for formal and informal inquiry;
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