Open Ended Questions

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open ended questions

Ask, and get your students to ask each other THICK questions:

  • What if…?
  • How did…?
  • Why did…?
  • What would happen if…?
  • What caused…?
  • What might…?
  • How would you feel…?
  • What character traits describe…?
  • Why do you think…?
  • Why is…?

Here are some THICK questions for fiction and some for nonfiction.

open response questions

 

Open Response “THICK” Questions for Fiction
Grades 3-5

BEFORE Read the title and book jacket, and flip through the text, then:

  • Write what you know about this topic ~ the setting, the situations in the pictures. . .
  • Make a prediction. What clues helped you? Read the first page. Do you need to revise your prediction?
  • Write questions you have about this text.
  • Do you think this story will be funny, sad, scary, or something else? Why?
  • Read the first page. Does the author make you want to keep reading? Do you think you will like this story? Why or why not?
  • Do you think this story COULD happen in real life? Why or why not?
  • Where does the story take place? What makes you think so?
  • Who is the main character? What clues did you use?
  • Do you have any connections? Is the author, illustrator, or subject matter familiar to you?

DURING

  • What questions do you have so far? Were previous questions answered?
  • Describe in detail what you think the main character or setting looks like. (Visualizing)  What adjectives and adverbs in the story helped you to visualize?
  • What connections are you making?
  • Which words are you stuck on? Did you figure out their definitions? What are the meanings?
  • What do you think will happen next? How do you think the story will end?
  • Who is your favorite character so far, and why?
  • If a character is telling the story, who is it? Describe this character.
  • Does the main character remind you of yourself? Compare and contrast.
  • What are some clues of how the main character is feeling?
  • What are some reasons that the main character does what they are doing?
  • How does the story make you feel and why?
  • What problem does the main character have? How do you predict they will solve it?
  • Is the story what you thought it would be about? If not, what surprised you?
  • Summarize what has happened so far.
  • If you could talk to the main character, what would you say?
  • Would you like to live in this place or time? Tell why or why not.
  • What obstacles does the setting provide that the main character must overcome? Would this story work in another setting?
  • Is there an antagonist (someone who provides an obstacle) to the main character? What details lead you to say this?

AFTER

  • CHARACTER TRAITS:  In a word, describe the main character. Support this one-word using specific actions of the character from the story.
  • Was the author trying to teach a lesson? If so, what was the lesson?
  • Would you recommend this book to others, and if so, to who?
  • What unanswered questions do you have?
  • Tell what the problem was and how the character solved his problem.
  • If the story happened to you, how would you feel?
  • Were you surprised at any parts? Which parts?
  • What advice would you have given the main character?
  • Which character did you like most and why?
  • Which character was most like you? How?
  • Describe how the character changes from the beginning to the end of the story.
  • What was the climax of the story?
  • Was this fiction or realistic fiction? How do you know?
  • What connections did you make?
  • Summarize the ending.
  • What 5 questions would you ask the author? Pick one, and write how you think the author might answer it.
  • What was the author’s message?
  • How would the characters’ actions change if there was a different setting or time period?
  • How would the solution change if it happened in a different setting or time period?
  • Did the characters change during the story or stay the same?
  • Describe 2 events that portray a character’s personality.
  • What scene would make a good trailer for a movie? Would this book work well as a movie?
  • If you eliminated one of the characters, how would the story change?
  • If you were the main character, would you have done things differently? If so, what? How? Why?

Open Response “THICK” Questions for Nonfiction
Grades 3-5

BEFORE

  • How will the pictures and other visuals help you to understand the text?
  • What do you think you will learn about? (Look at the cover, title, table of contents, pictures, and nonfiction text features.)
  • Do you know anything about this topic already? Write down what you know.
  • Look for subtitles, bold words, pictures, or graphics. What do these tell you?
  • Write down questions you have about this topic that you hope to learn.
  • Why would the author write this?
  • Why did you choose this book to read?
  • What do you visualize when you think about this topic?
  • Do you think you will enjoy reading this? Why or why not?
  • If you already know about this topic, where did you learn it?
  • Do you have any connections with the topic?

DURING

  • What words are you stuck on? How can you find out what they mean?
  • How does the information relate to what you already know?
  • Are you confused? How can you fix that?
  • Have any of your questions been answered? What questions do you still have?
  • Find two words that are key to the section you are reading now. Why are these words important?
  • Write 3 important facts that you have learned so far.
  • Explain what happened in the last paragraph you read.
  • Describe what you visualized as you read.
  • What has surprised you about this topic?

AFTER

  • Was the author trying to persuade you or change your mind in this text? If so, how?
  • Write what you have learned about this topic.
  • What was the most important thing you learned and why? What was the most interesting thing you learned and why?
  • Did you change your mind about anything after reading this text?
  • Did what you read make you think of something else that you already know about?
  • How do you know this is nonfiction? What words let you know?
  • Why did the author write this?
  • Do you think other people should read this? Why or why not?
  • What questions do you still have?
  • How can you use the information that you have learned?
  • Does this book make you want to learn more about this topic? Why or why not?
  • How did you read this book differently than a fiction book?
  • Describe some professions related to this topic. What kinds of work do these people do?
  • What cause/effect relationships did you learn about?
  • Do you think bias exists in this book/article?

You have to ask the right questions! Try these Common Core Question Stems!

Copyright 05/09/2012

Edited on 03/06/2024

 

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