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Researchable Questions

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What is a Researchable Q?

  • Needs information from sources—
  • Other than yourself!
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  • Allows EXPLORATION, SYNTHESIS & THOUGHT!

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  • Not TOO BROAD
  • Not TOO NARROW

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Types of Questions…

  • FACT (MEMORY):

Answer is EASY to find—a basic fact, detail, or YES/NO

  • CONVERGENT:

Leads you to an expected end result or answer. The answer may take a little research, and requires explaining, listing, comparing/contrasting.

  • DIVERGENT (IDEA):

Leads you to predict, hypothesize, generate your own ideas, take a new direction…

  • EVALUATIVE (OPINION):

Judging, defending, justifying—may or may not be researchable…depends on “evidence” (research)

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Was President Abraham Lincoln assassinated?

  • Why was President Lincoln assassinated?
  • What impact did Lincoln’s assassination have on the United States?

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  • NOT RESEARCHABLE
  • FACT (YES/NO) Question

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What games were played during the ancient Greek Olympics?

  • Why did the Greeks create the Olympics?
  • What importance did the original Olympics have in ancient Greece?

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  • RESEARCHABLE
  • CONVERGENT Q

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Does McDonald’s or Burger King make a better burger?

  • Does McDonald’s or Burger King make a more nutritious burger?
  • What is the history of the hamburger?
  • How have hamburgers and fast food become a part of American culture?

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  • RESEARCHABLE— Yes and No!
  • EVALUATIVE (OPINION) Q

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How does Hawaii’s location and climate affect its economy?

  • RESEARCHABLE
  • DIVERGENT…?

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How are sports a reflection of a country’s culture?

  • RESEARCHABLE…?
  • DIVERGENT…EVALUATIVE Q?

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If George Washington had not been our first president, how might our history been different?

  • What kind of President was George Washington?
  • What impact did George Washington have the role of the presidency today?
  • RESEARCHABLE—?
  • DIVERGENT…EVALUATIVE Q?

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When did Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans?

  • What impact did Hurricane Katrina have on New Orleans?
  • How does Hurricane Katrina compare to Hurricane Ike?
  • How is New Orleans recovering from Hurricane Katrina today?
  • NOT RESEARCHABLE
  • FACT Q

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What are the advantages of solar energy over nuclear energy?

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  • How might alternative energy sources compete with traditional energy sources in our future?
  • RESEARCHABLE
  • CONVERGENT…DIVERGENT…EVALUATIVE…?

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Researchable Questions Presentation

by Teresa Diaz is licensed under a

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Based on “Using Good Questions to Guide Your Research”

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Student Example Questions

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How many deaths have occurred at Disney World?

Grant & Nicky

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How many pounds of fast food are sold every day?

Bryce & Matt

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What will pizza change into a century from now?

Bret & Morgen

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Emily & Chris

Why are raccoons considered “varmints”?

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Preston & J-Dawg

Is the Air Force the most important military branch?

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Jackson & Aage

What is the culture of hunting in Alaska?

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Aimeé & Jake

When did Kawasaki start making dirt bikes?

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Paulino & Christian

What is the most beautiful place in Spain?

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Dalton & Maddie

When was dance invented?

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Sean & Lexi

What was the importance of Buffalo in the old west?

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Jonah & Jessie

Who was the first football player to enter the Hall of Fame?