How to Take Question-Writing Notes
- Studies show that question-writing is a more effective way to help you remember information than answering questions! This is a strategy you can use whenever you have to read something for class.
- As you read, write open-ended discussion questions. You can't ask your discussion group, "In what year was the Trojan War?" and expect to have a discussion! Questions should be open-ended (this means they don't have a single, factual answer). Don't write multiple-choice, fill in the blank, or true/false type questions! Instead, your questions should seek to have others explain their thoughts and ideas about something in the text.
Helpful Question-Starters:
Level 1: Knowledge Questions
Level 2: Comprehension Questions
Level 3: Application Questions
Level 4: Analysis/Evaluation Questions
Level 5: Synthesis Questions
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Level one questions help clarify what happened in the text. They are NOT good discussion questions. You should NOT write questions like these for this assignment. However, during a discussion you might casually ask a question like one of these for clarification. Level two questions show your understanding of facts and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, giving descriptions and stating the main ideas. They can sometimes make interesting discussion questions, but you should not write a more than one level 2 questions for your question-writing assignments.
Level three questions ask you to solve problems by applying the knowledge you have acquired in a new way. Level three questions are great for discussion!
Level four questions ask you to examine and break down information into parts by identifying motives or causes. They also ask you to make inferences and find evidence to support your ideas. Level four questions are great for discussion!
Level five questions ask you to combine elements in a new pattern or to propose alternative solutions. These questions seek creativity and innovation. They are challenging discussion questions, but sometimes can result in the most interesting conversations!
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In-Class Practice:
- Read the short passage below, and write one discussion question.
- You must use one of the level 2-5 question-starters as a model for your question.
- Be prepared to share your question out loud with the class.
"The Muses were the Greek goddesses of inspiration in literature, science and the arts. They were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory. Traditionally there were nine Muses, and each one protected a different art form; Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Euterpe (lyric poetry), Thalia (comedy), Melpomene (tragedy), Terpsichore (dance), Erato (love poetry), Polyhymnia (religious poetry), and Urania (astronomy). Other texts mention additional muses like Aoide, the muse of song. Before creating a new work of art, an ancient Greek artist would invoke (or call upon) a Muse to give them inspiration. For example, at the beginning of The Odyssey, Homer invokes the muse of epic poetry. He says, "Sing to me, O Muse, of that man of many troubles, Odysseus, skilled in all ways of contending, who wandered far after he helped sack the great city of Troy. Sing through me, and tell the story of his suffering." The Muses were believed to be the source of knowledge for the artistic traditions that were typically passed on orally in ancient cultures. According to a myth, King Pierus named his daughters after the Muses, thinking that they were better skilled than the goddesses themselves. The muses were angry, and challenged the nine daughters to a contest. Each daughter tried her best to prove that she was more talented in her art than the Muses, but the Muses won the contest. To punish Pierus for his foolishness, the daughters were transformed into birds." (http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/The_Muses/the_muses.html)