Minds On
Just ask!
Asking questions is an important part of reading nonfiction, information texts. We focus better on our reading by questioning what we are reading, and asking questions helps us to engage more with the content.
Asking questions also helps us monitor our understanding and keep track of what we want to know more about.
When reading a nonfiction text, there are often three types of questions we ask.
- Factual questions - these can be answered by facts that are contained in the text.
- Inferential questions - these can be answered by analysing the text.
- Universal questions - these are open-ended questions that we have because of the ideas in the text. These are questions that provoke discussion and are usually about more abstract ideas or issues. They often involve opinions.
Review the questions in the following document and determine if they are factual, inferential or universal questions. All questions are about population distribution patterns in the world.
Use the following fillable and printable document Factual, Inferential or Universal? to organize your ideas or use another method of your choice.
| Factual questions | Inferential questions | Universal questions |
|---|---|---|
Press ‘Answers’ to reveal the correct sorting.
| Factual questions | Inferential questions | Universal questions |
|---|---|---|
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Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
Discuss the following questions with a partner, if possible, or record your responses to share later.
- What kind of words are used in the factual questions?
- What kind of words are used in the inferential questions?
- What kind of words are used in the universal questions?
- Do you see any patterns in the types of words used in the questions or in the way the questions were asked?
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Action
Asking questions
Asking questions helps readers understand the texts that they read or listen to.
Just as it is important to ask questions as you read, it is equally important to answer the questions. Sometimes we can answer the questions as we continue reading.
Factual questions might be answered right in the text.
Inferential questions can often be answered as we continue to read. We use information in the text to make inferences about the questions we have.
Sometimes the questions require further exploration, either by asking someone more familiar with the topic, or by doing more reading. These are universal questions.
Organizing our questions
It is important to keep track of questions as you read. This can be done in a variety of ways, but one way is using notes to mark where you had a question.
It is also important to record what your questions are, how they can be answered and what the answer is.
Consider the following text about e-waste.
Waste Versus Scrap
Although the term e-waste is commonly used, it is not completely accurate. E-waste is actually one form of what is known as scrap, or discarded materials that are suitable for recycling. Some of the most valuable forms of scrap are metals. There is a worldwide trade in scrap that is an important part of the economy. Trading and processing scrap provides work opportunities for many people. Trading and recycling scrap metal helps avoid mining new metal. It takes much less energy to make new products out of recycled metals than newly mined metals. Scrap trade makes economies more efficient and conserves limited resources.
A Mountain of E-waste
The world population produced 46.1 million short tons (41.8 million metric tons) of e-waste in 2014. This is about the weight of 200,000 large passenger jets, enough jets to line up between New York, New York, and Los Angeles, California, four times. This waste is made up of mostly large and small appliances such as microwaves and dishwashers, but it also includes devices such as computers. The total amount has been growing each year. Asia produces most of that waste, followed by the Americas and Europe. But on a per-person basis, both Europe and America lead in producing e-waste. Their citizens produce four to five times as much e-waste per person as people living in Asia.
E-waste production will continue to increase. Extracting its materials for reuse and providing jobs for workers will become more and more important. The countries that are best suited to recycle e-waste are those that need the raw materials most. Those countries are developing countries such as China and India, which are manufacturing the world’s electronic products and building their own cities. Those products, buildings, highways, and electric systems need the steel, copper, and aluminum in e-waste. However, the technology of recycling e-waste and building greener products must be developed to make recycling safer. The responsibility for this rests on both developed and developing nations. Many existing laws are meant to force countries that produce e-waste to find ways to safely recycle it. In the coming years, nations will have to cooperate to solve this growing problem.
E-waste, David M. Barker, Essential Library, URL: https//www.getepic.com/app/read/58812, Published 01/09/2017, p.9 and 11.
As you read, record any questions you have. You can do this on sticky notes or using another method of your choice.
When you finish a section, pause to reflect on whether your question has been answered based on what you read. If it has, record the answer to your question.
Once you are done reading, review your questions and decide if they are factual (F), inferential (I) or universal (U). Record your questions in a table or using a method of your choice.
Organise the questions in to three categories and then provide an answer for the questions you have answers for:
- Questions I answered by reading the text (Factual)
- Questions to find out more about (Universal)
- Questions I can answer by inferring (Inferential)
Complete Answering Questions table in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document.
| Questions I answered by reading the text (Factual) | Questions to find out more about (Universal) | Questions I can answer by inferring (Inferential) |
|---|---|---|
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Answering Questions Table.
Press ‘Sample Responses’ to reveal examples of questions and answers about the text.
| Questions I answered by reading the text (Factual) | Questions to find out more about (Universal) | Questions I can answer by inferring (Inferential) |
|---|---|---|
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Bringing it all together
Examine the questions you created.
Do they all fall within the same column on the chart? Why do you think this might be?
Were you able to come up with a question for each column? Explain.
Consolidation
Asking and answering questions
Using the article provided, "How one man is planting seeds of Indigenous knowledge," or a self-selected nonfiction text, keep track of questions as you read. Record your questions, and your answers, just as you did for the Action section. Try to record at least one question for each type of question: Factual, Inferential and Universal.
Press ‘TVO.org’ to access How one man is planting seeds of Indigenous
knowledge.
Using the Answering Questions table, determine the type of question and record it. You may use your notebook, the following fillable and printable document, or a method of your choice to record your answers.
| Questions I answered by reading the text (Factual) | Questions to find out more about (Universal) | Questions I can answer by inferring (Inferential) |
|---|---|---|
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access the Answering Questions Table.
What did I learn?
Reflect on the reading comprehension strategy of asking questions as you read. Record your responses to the following questions using a method of your choice.
- Was there one type of question you found most helpful before, during, and after reading?
- Which type of question did you use most often? Why do you think that is?
- Is there a reason you are less likely to use the other questions? Explain.
- How might classifying the types of questions you ask help you as a reader?
- Explain how recording questions and answers helped you monitor your understanding and better understand the text.
- How can you use these and other strategies to improve as a reader?
Reflection
As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.
I feel...
Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.
When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.