Question Sorts Routine

This routine helps students sort questions to identify powerful questions that will guide inquiry.

Early in our new unit about Quality of Life, students created thick questions. A horizontal line was placed on the white board with tape. This horizontal axis represented how likely the question would generate insight, deeper understanding, creative action and new possibilities.

As a class, we sorted all of the questions along the continuum. Those at the far left were the questions that were least likely to inspire inquiry, those questions farther to the right were the "best" questions.

A vertical axis was placed, bisecting the horizontal line. This line represented how much we cared about investigating the question. A chart was established with 4 boxes. As a class, we discussed each question and moved it from the horizontal axis into one of the four boxes. The questions that ended up in the top right box were those questions that we deemed we cared the most about investigating which we had also decided would inspire the greatest inquiry.The questions in the lower left box were those questions that we deemed we cared the least about investigating and had decided were questions that were least likely to inspire great discovery or inquiry. The questions in the other two boxes were somewhere in between (on the continuum).

The questions in the top right box ended up being the main questions to guide our inquiry during the unit. Some of these questions include:

- How is my quality of life different than quality of life for people who live in a different city?
- I wonder how medicine affects quality of life?
- I wonder why some people have a great quality of life while others do not?

The students then sorted our guiding questions on our Inquiry board into the key concepts. 

This routine is a fantastic way to have students tune-in to the new unit! As well, it really helps students to critically assess their own questions. 

Thick Questions and Critical Thinking

Asking and documenting questions is a great routine to incorporate into any classroom. It is also one of the first steps in the inquiry process. I work with some fantastic colleagues who not only encourage kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 2 students to ask questions, they also make sure the student's questions are visible. Because of this, my grade 3 students have been extremely vocal with their curiosities. They are equally enthusiastic to write their questions down and post them around the classroom.

To build on this, we have been working on asking "thick" questions that better lend themselves to inquiry.

Thin questions:
-require a one-word answer
-can easily be answered with a simple google search

Thick questions:
-usually require a detailed answer
-inspire greater research
-result in a more in-depth understanding

To help students with this, we reviewed the language for thick questions.

The students then each took some time to think about the wonderings they have in connection with our current unit of inquiry about quality of life. Each student wrote down 3-5 thick questions on different post-it notes.

Then, students picked their top 2 questions and crumpled up their other wonderings. The class loved doing this! It's a great way to make a kinesthetic connection to critical thinking.

As a class, we discussed each question using the Question Sorts Routine. Following, we sorted the questions into key concepts. In the end, we had some awesome guiding question to post on our "I Wonder" chart on our inquiry board to help jump-start the unit.

Think- Pair - Share: lead up to inquiry

I like to introduce think-pair-share early in the year. It's simple for the students to use and they become familiar with the routine very quickly. You need to explain expectations and model appropriate behaviour; however, once the students have the hang of it, the routine helps them to think out loud and communicate with their peers.

Think-pair-share is pretty self-explanatory. The teacher presents a concept or question, each student takes time to think, they discuss their thinking with a partner, and then they share their ideas developed during partner-discussion with a small group, or as a whole class.

I recently used the routine as an introduction to an inquiry-based learning engagement. Throughout Sharing the planet, we have been studying rocks and minerals. As part of the unit, I posed the question: what are the uses for rocks and minerals in our world?

Students were given time to think. They paired up with a partner to discuss their ideas. Then, they shared with a small group and following, the class.

The routine worked great to get the ideas rolling! Each student wrote down one idea and we created a class chart.

The inquiry wasn't done just yet (as the students didn't know for sure if their ideas were accuratley answering the question). The next step was to research on iPads.

After our research, we had some additional class disscusion. The final step was ecouraging each student to bring in a picture showing the use of rocks and minderals in our world. We created a class collage to show what we learned.

What was so great about this project is that students came to their understanding completely on their own. It became a perfect example of the teacher acting as a learning facilitor as opposed to a direct instructor. This turned out to be a great opportunity to use a visible thinking routine to jump-start inquiry!

The Importance of Visible Thinking

To discuss the importance of making thinking visible, first consider all of the invisible thinking that goes on in the classroom. Students are composing ideas, making observations, and asking questions every single day, silently in their minds. The aim of visible thinking is to make student thoughts visible to the individual student, the teacher and the class, as a whole.

The Top Five Reasons Why Visible Thinking is Important

1. Visible thinking teaches students how to think and ask questions
Take a moment to consider how much we learn from watching, imitating, and adapting certain ideas to fit our own style. Imagine learning basketball for the first time without watching any players play basketball. Imagine being asked to knit a sweater without first being taught how to knit. Like these, thinking is a skill that students develop over time.  If they witness their peers thinking aloud, they will start to imitate. If they are able to see student questions around the classroom, they will better develop their ability to ask questions. By making thinking visible, teachers can encourage students to become deeper, more thoughtful thinkers.


2. Visible thinking helps students unclutter their thoughts
Often, students have so many thoughts that it becomes difficult for them to focus on their best ideas. Encouraging students to write down observations, ideas, and questions, helps them to release everything that is sitting in their mind. Once students have made their thinking visible, they can start to critique their own ideas. This helps students self-regulate to actively engage in their learning and develop their own metacognitive skills.


3. Visible thinking encourages students to collaborate 
One of the toughest challenges for some students is to collaborate with their peers. Some students are shy and feel overwhelmed in a group, while others experience difficulty communicating their ideas to the group. Visible thinking strategies and routines encourage collaboration among students as they are encouraged to release the thoughts and questions that may be hidden in their minds.  


4. Visible thinking encourages critical-thinking
Making thinking visible shows students how many amazing thoughts and questions happen in their brains every day. Students can look at their ideas and questions with a critical eye and evaluate their thoughts. Visible thinking encourages students to see that some of their thoughts are amazing, while others should be developed or changed. This critical-thinking skill is invaluable.


And finally...


5. Visible thinking helps teachers with formative assessment
Many of the ideas that students think and questions they wonder can go un-noticed if thinking is left invisible. As a teacher, I don't want to miss any of this! Visible thinking allows teachers to evaluate their students' thinking and understanding on a daily basis.