• begin with "have you seen..." or "did you notice..." or "have you ever observed..."
• often used at the beginning of a lesson to focus an exploration of a phenomenon.

comparison questions

• qualitative comparison questions can bring about keener observations.
• "how does X change..." or "how is X similar to/different from...?"
• help students recognize patterns
• can bring order to chaos

action questions

• begin with "what happens if/when..."
• promote curiosity, discovery, making predictions, seeking relationships among variables.
• lead to inquiry and investigation.
• help children gather evidence.
• great for beginning lessons, focusing on concept.

problem-posing questions

• begin with "can you find a way...?" or "how can you find out...?"
• most successful when used after students are familiar with some of the characteristics of the phenomenon.
• more sophisticated than previous question types. require recognition of variables to change and control.
• involve setting up an investigation.

reasoning questions

• begin with "how do you think..." or "why do you think...?" (non-threatening questions)
• ask for an explanation.
• promote students'thinking, drawing conclusions, recognizing relationships, building reasons.
• encourage open discussion, debate, sharing fo ideas.