thought? Some questions limit other people’s thinking. These limits must
be avoided for students (and adults) to use the Habits of Mind.
At least five types of questions miscue or stifle students’ thinking because
the questions send confusing and mixed messages. They do not belong in
lessons designed to engage the Habits of Mind. Here are examples:
1.Ve r i f i c a t i o n qu e s t i o n s, the answers to which already are known by
the teacher or by the student:
•“What is the name of... ?”
- “How many times did you... ?”
2.Closed questions, which can be answered “yes,” “no,” or “I can”:
•“Can you recite the poem?”
•“Can you tell us the name of... ?”
•“Who can remember... ?”
•“Who can state the formula for... ?”
3.Rhetorical questions, in which the answer is given within the
question:
•“In what year was the War of 1812 fought?”
•“Since when has Mikhail Gorbachev had his birthmark?”
•“Who led Sherman’s march through Georgia?”
•“How long did the Seven Years War last?”
•“What time does the two o’clock bus depart?
4.Defensive questions, which lead to justification, resistance, and self-
protection:
•“Why didn’t you complete your homework?”
•“Why would you do a thing like that?”
•“Are you misbehaving again?”
5.Agreement questions, the intent of which is to invite others to agree
with an opinion or answer:
•“This is really the best solution, isn’t it?”
- “Let’s do it my way, OK?”
•“We really should get started now, shouldn’t we?”
•“Who can name the three basic parts of a plant? Root, stems,
and leaves, right?”
Using Questions to Challenge Students’ Intellect 137