Costa

1
Costas Levels of Questioning
2
What do young people do when they want to know
something?
They ask A LOT of questions!
3
Asking questions about things we dont know is
another way we learn new information
Learning takes place when you produce knowledge
not reproduce it.
The higher the level of question, the higher the
level of thinking and understanding you achieve.
4
There are three levels of questions and academic
vocabulary you should be familiar with.

• Arthur Costa
• Educational
• researcher
• Divided questions into three categories depending
  on the quality of the question
• Needed for annotating Socratic Seminars

LEVEL III
LEVEL II
LEVEL I
5

• FACTUAL QUESTIONS Text Explicit
• Just look it up.
• have only one answer
• answers found in the text
• very concrete
• info is recalled in the exact manner/form it was
  heard

LEVEL I
6
Gathering and recalling information Level I
questions start with define, describe, identify,
list, name observe, recite, scan, explain, review
locate, paraphrase
LEVEL I
7
How old was George Washington?
What is your name?
These are NOT the kind we will use. Dont waste
everyones time w/these type of questions.
LEVEL I
8

• INTERPRETIVE QUESTIONS Text Implicit
• Read between the lines.
• more than one answer w/evidence from the text
• more abstract, one must manipulate the
  information to find the answer
• examines motives or causes
  
• involves finding info that supports
  generalizations or decision-making

LEVEL II
9
Making sense of the gathered information Level
II questions start with analyze, compare, group,
infer, contrast, sequence, illustrate, retell,
synthesize, sort, diagram, summarize
LEVEL II
10
What is unique about you?
These questions require you to think a little
harder!!!!!
LEVEL II
Who was a better leader George Washington or
John Adams?
11

• REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS Experienced Based
• Beyond the Lesson/Text
• answer goes beyond text
• applying information
• answer depends on personal experiences, values,
  interpretation of literature, etc.
• asks for judgments to be made from information
• gives opinions about issues, judge validity of
  ideas

LEVEL III
12
Applying and evaluating information Level III
questions start with apply, evaluate,
hypothesize, imagine, judge, predict, speculate,
compose, construct, critique
LEVEL III
13
These questions require you really think,
reflect, and write!!!
What is your favorite band and why?
LEVEL III
Do you agree that all athletes should be
drug-tested?
Which character suffered the most?
14
Real learning takes place in levels II and III.
LEVEL III
LEVEL II
LEVEL I
15
REVIEW
Applying and evaluating information
LEVEL III
Make sense of the information
LEVEL II
Gather and Recall information
LEVEL I
16
Socratic Seminar Prep

• In order to prepare for your Socratic Seminar
• Compose 4 original questions regarding your
  selected text.
• They must be a combo of level 2 3 questions.

17
To which level do these words belong?
2
____sequence ____apply ____analyze ____list ____hy
pothesize ____describe ____recite ____compare
3
2
LEVEL III
1
3
LEVEL II
1
1
LEVEL I
2
18

• Ready for some questions a teacher might ask.

19
1
____Describe your study habits from last
year. ____Generalize how a successful AVID
student should study. ____Explain how
your study habits from last year will
have an impact this year? ____What could you
infer would happen if you study the same
as you did last year? ____Illustrate the
story. ____Imagine if you didnt study..
3
2
2
2
3
20
____How does the poem begin? ____In your opinion,
which of the characters suffered the
most? ____How do the lawyer and doctor
differ? ____Which states seceded from the
union? ____How does the characters violence
reveal a deep-rooted insecurity. ____Usin
g this equation, how can we find out the number
of apple trees in an orchard having 15 rows, 5
trees each.
1
3
2
1
2
3
21
Lets try a fairy tale!
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____How would you feel if you were the
Giant? ____Retell the story in your own
words. ____What did Jack trade for the
beans? ____What is the moral of the
story? ____What did Jack find at the top of the
stalk. ____How is Jacks personality like
yours? ____How is this fairy tale similar to
Cinderella? ____How would you solve a similar
problem?
3
2
1
2
1
2
2
3
23

• Now its your turn to write some questions of
  your own.