8.12.A

ELA8th GradeThe student engages in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes for a variety of purposes.

The Standard

generate student-selected and teacher-guided questions for formal and informal inquiry

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students develop focused questions about a topic, both independently and from teacher prompts. They turn broad or closed questions into open-ended questions suited to brief or sustained inquiry.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can create several relevant questions from a topic, source, or teacher prompt. They can select a focused, open-ended question and revise it as they learn more.
Common Misconceptions: Students may treat a topic as a question or write questions that are too broad to investigate. They may rely on yes-or-no questions, ask only for facts, or choose questions they can already answer.
How to Assess It: Give this exit ticket: Choose a school issue and write one background question and one open-ended inquiry question. Circle the question that could guide longer research.

Lesson moves

Post a photo or object, then have pairs place sticky-note questions under factual, interpretive, and researchable headings.
Ask, “Which question would lead to the strongest investigation, and why?” Students choose from three examples and defend their choice.
Give teams broad or yes-or-no question cards and award points for rewriting each as a focused, open-ended inquiry question.
Choose a current school issue and draft three questions that could guide a student survey, interview, or news article.

Keep exploring

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