Formulating an Inquiry Question English 12 Novel Study

Formulating an Inquiry Question English 12 – Novel Study

Good inquiry questions are: • Open-ended • Specific enough to determine a path of investigation • Relevant and meaningful to the questioner • Appropriate for the depth of study for English 12 • Clear and concise

Step 1: TOPIC • A TOPIC is a general concept or idea. It can be identified with a word or simple phrase. • What topics that have come up in your novel that interest you? • EXAMPLES – Family relationships, how money affects people, the psychology of survival, loss in a community, control and surveillance, group dynamics, why relationships fail…. Bottom line: You need to agree on one topic to move forward with.

STEP 2: So what? • Why do you care about this topic? • Why do you think other people should care about this topic? • How is it connected to your novel?

Step 3: What’s Next? • What do you want to know about this topic? • What do you think you know, but you want support for? • What beliefs do other people have about this topic? • Are you interested in solutions? Identifying a problem? Learning about history? Speculating about the future? Comparing and contrasting things that exist now?

Step 4: Write a question • • • How does… What would result if… What is the relationship between…and…? How should … be changed/improved? How does … compare with …? Why doesn’t… What are some opinions about…? What contributes to…? Who is involved in…? What affects…? Why does…? To what extent does…?

More about questions • Your question should be GENERAL: • FOR EXAMPLE: • Why is Pi able to survive his ordeal? Becomes: • What personality characteristics can drive a person to survive hardships? • Why does Lindsey go through so many difficulties after Susie’s death? Becomes: • How does the death of a child affect the surviving siblings?