Virginia SOL 11.R.1.A

ELA11th GradeEvaluation and Synthesis of Information

The Standard

Formulate and revise questions about a research topic broadening or narrowing the inquiry as necessary.

Virginia Standards of Learning for English

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students turn a general research interest into a clear, workable question. They revise the question when sources reveal that the inquiry is too broad, too narrow, or missing a useful angle.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student writes a clear, open-ended question that can be answered with credible evidence. The student revises its scope, wording, or focus as new information appears.
Common Misconceptions: Students often submit a topic or a yes-or-no question instead of an open-ended research question. They may make questions too broad to answer, or so narrow that credible sources are scarce.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Start with “school start times,” write one focused research question, then explain one choice that narrowed its scope.

Lesson moves

Build a question funnel with index cards, moving from “social media” to a question naming one platform, group, outcome, and timeframe.
Write two versions of a question, then explain which version would lead to stronger research and why.
Play Scope Switch: teams draw topic cards and revise each question after receiving a “broaden,” “narrow,” or “change focus” command.
Choose a local issue, such as bus delays, and draft a research question for a school board report.

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