Costa’s Levels of Questioning

What do young children do when they want to know something?

They ask A LOT of questions!

Asking questions about things we

don’t know is another way we

learn new information

The higher the level of the question, the higher the level of

thinking and understanding you

achieve.

LEVEL II

LEVEL III

LEVEL I

There are three levels of questions and “academic vocabulary” you should be familiar with.

Level 1 Questions

• Level 1:The answer can be found in the text. The question asks for facts about what has been heard or read.

• Level 1 questions are not always easy to answer. There is such a thing as a hard level 1 question.

LEVEL I

FACTUAL QUESTIONS:

• have only one answer

• answers found in the text

• very concrete

• info is recalled in the exact manner/form it was heard

• short answers (usually 1 or 2 words)

LEVEL I

Gathering and recalling information:

Level I questions start with:

define, describe, identify, list, name observe, recite, scan, explain, review, locate, paraphrase

Examples of Level 1 Questions:

1. What is the name of the holy book of Islam?

2. List the characters in Harry Potter

3. Solve this math problem:

x + 2 = 24

Level 2 Questions

•Level 2: The answer can be inferred from the text. Information can be broken down into parts.

•Involves examining in detail, analyzing motives or causes, making inferences, finding information to support generalizations or decision-making.

• Questions combine information in a new way.

LEVEL II

INTERPRETIVE QUESTIONS

•more than one answer with 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

•Short answer or essay

LEVEL II

Making sense of the gathered information:

Level II questions start with:

analyze, compare, group, infer, contrast, sequence, illustrate, retell, synthesize, sort, diagram, summarize

Examples of Level 2 Questions:

1. Compare and contrast Islam with Christianity.

2. Sort this stack of books by genre and explain your process.

3. Explain how to do a division problem (using words, not numbers).

Level 3 Questions

• Level 3: The answer goes beyond the text. This type of question is abstract and does not pertain to the text.

• These questions ask that judgments be made from information.

• They also give opinions about issues, judge the validity of ideas or other products and justify opinions and ideas.

LEVEL III

EVALUATIVE / Thematic QUESTIONS

• 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, and judges validity of ideas

•Essay questions

LEVEL III

Applying and evaluating information:

Level III questions start with:

apply, evaluate, hypothesize, imagine, judge, predict, speculate, compose, construct, critique

LEVEL III

These questions require you really think, reflect, and write!!!

What other solution was there other than

war?

Why should/shoul

dn’t all athletes be

drug tested?Which

character suffered

the most?

Examples of Level 3 Questions:

1. Predict what would happen if there was another Harry Potter book.

2. Imagine that television was never invented. How would the world be different?

3. What is your opinion on the death penalty? Why do you feel this way?

LEVEL II

LEVEL III

LEVEL I

Real learning takes place in Levels II and III.

LEVEL II

LEVEL III

LEVEL I

Applying and evaluating information

Make sense of the information

Gather and Recall information

REVIEW:

Testing… Testing…• You can distinguish between the three

types of questions easily… First, begin answering the question…– If it has only one answer, it is factual.– If you begin talking about the text, the

question is factual or interpretive.– If it can be answered in more than one way

and you have to explain it, it is interpretive.– If you talk about your own experiences or

values and go outside the text, it is evaluative.

Now it’s your turn to write some questions of your own.

Make up three questions for all three levels using the article we read last week about

the “genius” 11-year-old freshman in college.

Show Mrs. N the questions. Then complete your anchor activities.