Crafting sub-Crafting sub-questions from questions from your research your research question…question…

First of all, identify the main First of all, identify the main concepts of your question.concepts of your question.

““How does playing video games How does playing video games affect adolescent behavior”affect adolescent behavior”

Video gamesAdolescents

Behavior

Next, think of Next, think of otherother ways to ways to express these topic keywords, express these topic keywords, including...including...

... synonyms... synonyms

... phrases that contain your ... phrases that contain your keyword. keyword.

... other forms of your ... other forms of your keywords like plural vs. keywords like plural vs. singularsingular

You don’t have to use the “exact” keywords from your big question for your sub-questions!

Make a mental list of your Make a mental list of your keywordskeywords

Topic Keywords Alternate Keywords

Video gamesElectronic games, computer games

Adolescents

Teen, teenage, teenagers, adolescents, adolescence, youth(s)

Narrower terms - girls, boys

Broader term - children

Behavior

Behaviour

Narrower terms - violence, aggressiveness, aggression, fighting, bullying

Look at your big question...Look at your big question...

Your last sub-question is your research question. Writing it as a sub-questions insures that you will write your synthesized answer as your paper’s conclusion.

You need at least two sub-questions, three is better, you can even create more.

You can use topic keywords or alternate keywords to craft your sub-questions.

Time to challenge yourself with examples !

How does photosynthesis How does photosynthesis work?work?

How does photosynthesis work?How does photosynthesis work?

How does How does photosynthesis photosynthesis work?work?

How does photosynthesis work?How does photosynthesis work?

How did the Empire of Troy How did the Empire of Troy get defeated by the Greeks?get defeated by the Greeks?

4 How did the Empire of Troy get 4 How did the Empire of Troy get defeated by the Greeks?defeated by the Greeks?

How did the How did the Empire of TroyEmpire of Troy get defeatedget defeated by the by the GreeksGreeks??

How did the Empire of Troy get defeated How did the Empire of Troy get defeated by the Greeks?by the Greeks?

Connect past learning! You have created a research question and sub-questions before!

Why should biofuel replace fossil fuels in the United States?

1 .What is biofuel?2 .What is the process of making energy from biofuel?3. What are the benefits of using biofuel?4. What are the disadvantages of using biofuel?5. Why should biofuel replace fossil fuels in the United

States?

Lastly,Lastly,Affect and EffectAffect and Effect

Affect is a VERBAffect is a VERB How did Hurricane Katrina How did Hurricane Katrina affectaffect New New

Orleans?Orleans?

Effect is a NOUNEffect is a NOUN What was the What was the effecteffect of dropping an of dropping an

atomic bomb on Hiroshima?atomic bomb on Hiroshima?