Types of Questions

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Identify a Question

State the problem to be solved or the question to be answered.

1. LITERATURE RESEARCH QUESTIONS: These questions can be answered by locating answers to questions in books and articles, or on maps and graphs, etc.

2. OBSERVATION ONLY QUESTIONS: These questions can be answered by observing things around you.

3. DEMONSTRATION QUESTIONS: These questions can be answered by making a model or performing a demonstration.

4. INVESTIGATION QUESTIONS: These questions can be answered by testing a hypothesis, making observations, analyzing your observations, and drawing conclusions.

LITERATURE RESEARCH QUESTIONSExamples include:

• How many Astronomical Units is Neptune from the Sun?

• What is the Speed of Light?

OBSERVATION ONLY QUESTIONSExamples include:

• How many people wore Eagle Gear in class today?

• What is the mass of a Jolly Rancher?

DEMONSTRATION QUESTIONS

Examples include:

• How do the layers of the earth look when they experience compression?

• How many kilograms are in 1,730 grams?

INVESTIGATIVE QUESTIONSExamples include:

• What type of paper makes a paper airplane that travels the farthest distance?

• As the density of a material increases, what happens to the speed at which sound waves travel in that material?

PRACTICEMatch the best type of question category for each of the following questions. Be prepared to explain your answer!: (Lit. Research, Observation, Demo., Investigation)

• Which brand of paper towel picks up the most water?

• What is the percent of students that received a 100% on the Lab Safety Quiz in the class?

• How do we measure the volume of irregular objects?

• What is the average September temperature for the state of Ohio for the last fifty years?

PRACTICE ANSWERSMatch the best type of question category for each of the following questions. Be prepared to explain your answer!: (Lit. Research, Observation, Demo., Investigation)

• Which brand of paper towel picks up the most water?

• What is the percent of students that received a 100% on the Lab Safety Quiz in the class?

• How do we measure the volume of irregular objects?

• What is the average September temperature for the state of Ohio for the last fifty years?