Courseversity

Lesson

Research questions

Primary EducationGrade 6English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G06-ELA-U10-L0145–60 min

You will learn

  • Write a research question.
  • Judge breadth.
  • Create sub-questions.
  • Revise a question.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Choose a topic.
  2. Ask a big question.
  3. Narrow it.
  4. List sub-questions.

Words to know

research question
a question your research aims to answer
too broad
covering too much to answer well
sub-question
a smaller question that helps answer a big one
researchable
able to be answered with sources

1. Discover: Narrowing a question

Ayo is curious about rivers. “All about rivers” is too broad. “What colour is the Niger?” is too narrow. Her research question: “How do rivers affect the lives of people in West Africa?” It is researchable.

She adds sub-questions: How do rivers supply food? How do they help transport? What problems do floods cause?

Think: Why break a big question into smaller ones?

2. Understand: Asking questions worth researching

Idea 1: Research question

A research question is open, focused and researchable.

Idea 2: Breadth

Avoid too broad or too narrow questions.

Idea 3: Sub-questions

Use sub-questions to break the big question into parts.

Remember: A good research question is focused and researchable; sub-questions break it into manageable parts.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Broad

Which is too broad?

  1. All about rivers.

Answer: all about rivers

Example 2 (We do it together): Good

Which is good?

  1. How do rivers affect lives?

Answer: how do rivers affect the lives of people in west africa

Example 3 (You try): Sub

Give a sub-question.

Show the steps and answer
  1. How do they supply food?

Answer: how do rivers supply food

Did you know?

Good researchers revise their questions as they learn more.

Why this matters

A clear question guides all your research.

4. Explore: Question builder

Write questions.

  1. Choose a topic.
  2. Write a broad question.
  3. Narrow it.
  4. Add sub-questions.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can write research questions.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • My topic is ___.
  • My question is ___.
  • A sub-question is ___.
  • It is researchable because ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. A question your research answers is a ___ question.

research

Question 2. Covering too much is too ___.

broad

Question 3. A smaller helping question is a ___-question.

sub

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A question your research answers is a ___ question.
  2. Covering too much is too ___.
  3. A smaller helping question is a ___-question.
  4. Able to be answered with sources is ___.
  5. Rivers help with food and ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Which region is in the question?
  2. Name one sub-question topic.
  3. Is what colour is the Niger broad?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Can questions be revised?
  2. Should a question be focused?
  3. Do sub-questions help?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Write a research question with three sub-questions.

Show a sample answer

a question set

Another one. Ask a family member what they wonder about and help turn it into a research question.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can write a research question.
  • I can judge breadth.
  • I can create sub-questions.
  • I can revise a question.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A research question is what your research aims to ___.

2. Too broad means covering too ___.

3. A sub-question helps answer a ___ one.

4. Researchable means answerable with ___.

5. Which is too broad?

6. Which is too narrow?

7. Which is good?

8. A sub-question could be ___.

9. What should you do with a broad question?

10. What kind of question is better?

11. What can happen to questions?

12. Why write a clear question?

Challenge 1. Which is researchable?

Challenge 2. Which is a sub-question?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Choose a topic.
  • Ask a big question.
  • Narrow it.
  • List sub-questions.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Research planning. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. Define research question. [1 mark]
  2. Explain too broad and too narrow. [2 marks]
  3. Write a sub-question for rivers and farming. [1 mark]
  4. What does researchable mean? [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to write a research question. [3 marks]

Total: 8 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. a question your research aims to answer [1]
  2. too broad covers too much [1]; too narrow has too little to research [1]
  3. a focused question such as how do rivers water crops [1]
  4. able to be answered with sources [1]
  5. choose a topic [1]; narrow it to a focused question [1]; add sub-questions [1]

Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A question your research answers is a ___ question.
  2. Covering too much is too ___.
  3. A smaller helping question is a ___-question.
  4. Able to be answered with sources is ___.
  5. Rivers help with food and ___.
  6. Which region is in the question?
  7. Name one sub-question topic.
  8. Is what colour is the Niger broad?
  9. Can questions be revised?
  10. Should a question be focused?

Homework

Ask a family member what they wonder about and help turn it into a research question.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A question your research answers is a ___ question. research 1
2. Covering too much is too ___. broad 1
3. A smaller helping question is a ___-question. sub 1
4. Able to be answered with sources is ___. researchable 1
5. Rivers help with food and ___. transport 1
6. Which region is in the question? West Africa 1
7. Name one sub-question topic. floods 1
8. Is what colour is the Niger broad? no, it is too narrow 1
9. Can questions be revised? yes 1
10. Should a question be focused? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 research; 2 broad; 3 sub; 4 researchable; 5 transport. Level 2: 1 West Africa; 2 floods; 3 no, it is too narrow. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Write a research question Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Judge breadth Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Create sub-questions Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Revise a question Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: write a research question; judge breadth; create sub-questions; revise a question.

Prerequisite knowledge. Literary response essays.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 6 » Writing; Grade 6 » Reading: Informational Text; Grade 6 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core W.6.7 (conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate); Cambridge Primary English Stage 6 (research skills). These sources informed the lesson.

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