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Investigating a Text through Question Generation

Reading to Learn

Rationale: A key component of reading comprehension is a student’s background knowledge. As students read, they automatically activate schemata associating with the reading material. In order to appropriately accommodate or assimilate new information into a schema, children need to be able to ask questions as they read that will help them integrate their background knowledge into large blocks of text information. Question generation allows readers to gather information and read critically; therefore, it is one of the most effective reading comprehension strategies. In this lesson, through explicit instruction, students will learn how to generate effective questions as they read to improve comprehension.

1. Does my question cover important information?

2. Does my question bring information together?

3. Can I answer this question?

Printout articles of “Snowflake Photography” by Karin Lynn Kandur for each student from https://www.highlightskids.com/audio-story/snowflake-photography and display on SmartBoard.
Copies of “Watching a Beekeeper” for each student
Separate copy of comprehension questions at the bottom of “Watching a Beekeeper” article
Question Generation Assessment Worksheet for each student

Procedures:
Say: Today we are going to learn how to ask ourselves questions that will help us make sense of the information in a text, so we can remember it easily. Sometimes we read lots of words and information, and it can be hard to understand. By asking good questions, we can discover the big ideas. We usually already know something about the topic we are reading about, so sometimes it is helpful to consider what we know, and then see how that information relates to the new information.

Say: When we ask a question, we want to look at the big picture of the text. It is impossible to remember all of the small details of everything that we read. What is another strategy we use that helps us take a large text and squish it down so we can get the gist or big idea? Wait for response. Summarization! Yes, summarization helps us write a statement or topic sentence about the most important ideas in a text. Similarly, we want to think of questions to ask ourselves that bring lots of information together into a short question. It’s like we are detectives searching for all of the important clues of a text that will help us figure out the big idea. We want to leave out any unimportant information. (Pass out cutout magnifying glasses to students.) Everyone cut out your magnifying glass to look through as you read text to remind you to look for the big ideas just like a detective.

Say: There are three questions we want to ask about our questions: Display on SmartBoard

1. Does my question cover important information?

2. Does my question bring information together?

3. Can I answer this question?

Say: If the answer is yes to these three questions, then it is a good question to ask yourself as you read. Let’s get some practice together reading and asking good questions. Let’s look at this fascinating article and see if we can be detectives and discover the big ideas and important information in this article.

Say: First, let’s look at some vocabulary in the articl,e so we can be sure to understand what it is talking about. Let’s look at the word evaporate. Evaporate means a liquid changes into a gas. Rain evaporates from the ground after a storm because it disappears from the ground into a gas. When we wipe up water with a towel, the water is not evaporating; it is absorbing into the towel. In the morning, the grass is usually wet with dew, but it evaporates into the air, so in the afternoon, the grass is dry. Which of these could evaporate: sweat or a towel? Can a can evaporate? Can water spilled on the bathroom floor or dirt on the rug evaporate? Finish the sentence: The water evaporated after… (Possible answer: I spilled it on the wooden floor.)

Say: Ok, great! Let’s look at the article, “Snowflake Photography,” and keep in mind the definition we just learned of evaporation. First, I am going to write down three things I already know about snowflakes. (Teacher writes on board: Snowflakes are small. You can build things with snow. It has to be very cold for it to snow.) Keeping these things in mind, I am going to read the article using my magnifying glass and see how it relates to what I already know. I am going to make note of new facts that I think are interesting and important. Teacher reads articles aloud. That was very interesting! I learned some things that I did not know before as I read this article. I should write these things down. Teacher writes on board. I learned that a large lens with a microscope has to be used to take a picture of a snowflake. I learned that the picture has to be taken quickly so the snowflake doesn’t melt and evaporate. I also learned that snowflake photography is a very unique hobby.

Say: Now I am going to take what I already knew and what I learned and ask myself a question about the big idea of the text. Remember the three things we want to consider when we ask a question. (Display “Questions about Questions” on the board.) A good question might be, “Why is snowflake photography so rare?” I think snowflake photography is rare because it can only take place in very cold climates, and a person must have a special camera that can capture a tiny snowflake in just a few seconds before it melts. Let me look back at my “Questions about Questions” to see if this is a good question. 1. I know that I covered important information because I had to incorporate the important facts I wrote down as I read the article. 2. My question also makes bring ideas together about what I already knew about snowflakes being cold and melting quickly and relate that to what I learned in the article about how pictures are taken of snowflakes. 3. Finally, I know it was a good question because I was able to come up with my own answer.

Assessment: Now it’s your turn to try coming up with some good questions. You are going to read the article called, “Watching a Beekeeper.” I wonder if bees sting beekeepers a lot. That doesn’t seem like a very fun hobby! Let’s see why Frank is a beekeeper. Follow the instructions on your worksheet as you read. You can use your magnifying glass to help remind you to look for important ideas. Students should read passage and generate their own questions with the Question Assessment first and then answer comprehension questions that correlate with the article. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yWJBx3luKcBZmolhFEZABOW-UPZ53JYfp2tBYo2USQg/edit)