Asking Research Questions - Kids Civic Education

Sometimes we take the easy way and ask the first questions we think of. We don't always take the time to consider what the most important issues are, or to probe the causes behind the issues. We also tend to think about the most obvious connections, without stretching our minds to include questions from different subject areas.

KAT issues are usually important community situations that involve lots of the subjects we learn in school. For example, many KAT students are interested in senior citizens. When they think about senior citizens, they think "history." But their research should also incorporate science, health, math, language arts, as well as additional social studies (like economics, geography, culture, etc.)

Use questions across all your subjects to direct your KAT research.

Some Useful Science and Health Questions
Hints: Ask about natural resources - materials, water, energy, plants, climate. Consider the roles of technology, age, pollution. Distinguish disease from infirmity, cure from rehabilitation and comfort, and recognize abilities of those who have disabilities. Think about evidence, experiments, testing, hypotheses. Ask how, why, what if?

What are 4 science and health questions for researching your KAT issue?

{Student's Responses}

Some Useful Math Questions
Hints: Ask how heavy, how much, how many, how far, what percentage ... ? And then go beyond simple measurement to ask about times, patterns, distributions, costs, comparisons, change, utilization rates, etc.

Develop 4 math questions to help you research your KAT issue.

{Student's Responses}

Some Useful Questions in the Social Studies
Ask who pays? What regulations/laws apply here? What institutions are involved, and how? Who makes decisions; what's the process? Who are the "players" and who is affected? Compare facilities. Consider transportation. What are the relevant demographic factors, cultural and ethnic traditions, historical background? What protects religious minorities? Compare short-term and long-term impact. Consider possible consequences of different policies.

What are four questions from the social sciences that will help you research and better understand your KAT issue?

{Student's Responses}

Some Useful Questions from the Language Arts
What "voices" are represented? How does the language/vocabulary show different experiences and/or attitudes? What role do other arts play in expressing different voices/experiences? How is your KAT issue treated in stories? Songs? Do different languages express similar concepts? (How? or Why not?)

Construct four questions that help you research the language arts aspects of your KAT issue.

{Student's Responses}

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