Question Formulating Technique (QFT)
This QFT video below is performed by Carly Pumphrey with my class. Carly was the one who brought this technique to my attention. It comes from a book that we had professional development on, "Make Just One Change" by: Santana Rothstein. I use this technique to get students to create their own questions to research about a topic such as 'Ecology'. The students will derive their questions from a driving statement/question that I post for them. They can complete this technique individually or as a group.
Here are the official procedures for completing a QFT:
Step One: Create a prompt
The most effective prompts for this activity are statements that are focused clearly enough so that there is a direct link to the purpose of the lesson and are neutral enough so that students feel freely respond to the prompt. Many teachers use prompts that begin with stems such as “Your role/task is to…” or “You want to / A group wants to.” A prompt could also be a description of a class project.
Examples:
- You want to prevent genocide from happening never again.
- Your role is to draft a class contract - a list of rules or expectations that we will follow this year.
- After World War II, the Allies want to achieve justice for the crimes committed by the Nazis.
- You will design a way to teach other students about media literacy.
You can also use visual prompts – a movie or a series of images – as a prompt. After students view the visual prompt, proceed to step two.
Step Two: Students generate questions
In groups, give students a fixed amount of time (5-10 minutes) to generate a list of questions, adhering to these rules:
1) Write down the questions exactly as they are said
2) Do not stop to discuss or answer the questions
3) Write down as many questions as you can
4) Statements should be rephrased as questions.
Step three: Students identify open and closed questions
Ask students to look at their lists and put an “O” by all of the open-ended questions (questions with many possible answers) and a “C” by questions that elicit one answer (a “yes/no” question or a question with a factual answer). Then, have students change one of their open questions into a closed question and one closed question into an open question.
Step four: Students prioritize questions
Have groups select 3 questions from their list. It could be the three questions they find most interesting or important or the three questions that they think need to be addressed first.
Step five: Groups share questions
When groups present their questions, ask them to share why they selected these three. The questions that the class generates can be used as the focus of a class discussion, a writing assignment, a research project, or as a tool to help you plan future lessons.
Step six: Reflections
Give students the opportunity to reflect on this process by writing in a journal and/or through a brief discussion. What did they learn about formulating questions? About the content? About their own priorities? About working with others? What challenges did they encounter? How did they manage these challenges? You might also give students the opportunity to select one or two questions, from their own list or from another group’s list, that they would most like to pursue and then write about why they selected this question.
Here are the official procedures for completing a QFT:
Step One: Create a prompt
The most effective prompts for this activity are statements that are focused clearly enough so that there is a direct link to the purpose of the lesson and are neutral enough so that students feel freely respond to the prompt. Many teachers use prompts that begin with stems such as “Your role/task is to…” or “You want to / A group wants to.” A prompt could also be a description of a class project.
Examples:
- You want to prevent genocide from happening never again.
- Your role is to draft a class contract - a list of rules or expectations that we will follow this year.
- After World War II, the Allies want to achieve justice for the crimes committed by the Nazis.
- You will design a way to teach other students about media literacy.
You can also use visual prompts – a movie or a series of images – as a prompt. After students view the visual prompt, proceed to step two.
Step Two: Students generate questions
In groups, give students a fixed amount of time (5-10 minutes) to generate a list of questions, adhering to these rules:
1) Write down the questions exactly as they are said
2) Do not stop to discuss or answer the questions
3) Write down as many questions as you can
4) Statements should be rephrased as questions.
Step three: Students identify open and closed questions
Ask students to look at their lists and put an “O” by all of the open-ended questions (questions with many possible answers) and a “C” by questions that elicit one answer (a “yes/no” question or a question with a factual answer). Then, have students change one of their open questions into a closed question and one closed question into an open question.
Step four: Students prioritize questions
Have groups select 3 questions from their list. It could be the three questions they find most interesting or important or the three questions that they think need to be addressed first.
Step five: Groups share questions
When groups present their questions, ask them to share why they selected these three. The questions that the class generates can be used as the focus of a class discussion, a writing assignment, a research project, or as a tool to help you plan future lessons.
Step six: Reflections
Give students the opportunity to reflect on this process by writing in a journal and/or through a brief discussion. What did they learn about formulating questions? About the content? About their own priorities? About working with others? What challenges did they encounter? How did they manage these challenges? You might also give students the opportunity to select one or two questions, from their own list or from another group’s list, that they would most like to pursue and then write about why they selected this question.
Student Example
Here is a student website she created for her project on 'Ecology'
Click me!
Password: school
Below is her QFT her project Ecology:
Click me!
Password: school
Below is her QFT her project Ecology: