Virginia SOL 9.R.1.A

ELA9th 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 topic into focused, researchable questions. They adjust a question when it is too broad, too narrow, unclear, or unsupported by available sources.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student writes an open-ended question with a clear subject, angle, and manageable scope. After scanning a few sources, the student revises the question and explains why the change helps.
Common Misconceptions: Students often write a topic or yes-or-no question instead of a research question. They may add random details or keep a question that available time and sources cannot support.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: Revise “How does social media affect teenagers?” after learning that available sources focus on sleep among high school students. Explain the change.

Lesson moves

Give pairs topic cards and sticky notes, then build a question ladder from broad to narrow and label each revision.
Write three versions of one research question, then explain which version best fits a two-page paper and why.
Play Question Clinic: teams diagnose vague, broad, narrow, and yes-or-no questions, then rewrite each one for a point.
Students choose a school issue and draft a focused research question that could guide a recommendation to the principal.

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