You will learn
- Define research question, open and closed, narrow and broad.
- Write researchable questions.
- Improve weak questions.
- Plan evidence.
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
- Research starts with a good question.
- Open questions give richer answers.
- Questions should be neither too big nor too small.
- Think about what evidence will answer them.
Words to know
a question that can be answered by gathering evidence
a question that needs more than a yes or no answer
a question that can be answered with yes or no or one word
an idea that can be tested with evidence
1. Discover: Asking better questions
Mr Cole writes a question on the board: “Is litter bad?” “That is a closed question and obvious,” says Mei. “How about: How does litter on our school field affect play and health, and what can pupils do?” says Abu. “Much better,” says Mr Cole. “It is open, about our school and can be answered with observation, a survey and a source on health. Now plan what evidence you need for each part.”
Think: What is one question about your issue that you really want to answer?
2. Understand: Developing research questions
Idea 1: What makes a good question
A research question can be answered with evidence. Open questions (“How…?” “Why…?”) lead to richer answers than closed questions (“Is…?”). A good question is clear, focused, neither too broad nor too narrow, and linked to the issue.
Idea 2: Improving questions
Start with the 5 Ws and H: who, what, where, when, why and how. Narrow a very broad question (“How can we save the world?”) to something you can study (“How can our class reduce paper waste this term?”). Try a hypothesis: “If we add more bins, litter will decrease.”
Idea 3: Planning evidence
For each question, plan the evidence: observation, a short survey, an interview with a teacher, a book, a map or a data table. Decide who to ask, with permission, and how to record. Ensure questions are respectful and do not ask for private information.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Research question.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: A question answered by evidence.
Example 2 (We do it together): Turn into open
Is litter bad?
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: How does litter affect our field?
Example 3 (You try): Name
A way to find evidence.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Survey.
Did you know?
Scientists and historians often spend as long refining their questions as they do gathering evidence.
Why this matters
A good question makes research focused and useful.
4. Explore: Question builder
Take a school issue. Write one weak question, then improve it into three open, focused questions. For each, list the evidence you would use and who you would ask.
- Write.
- Improve.
- Plan.
- Share.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Better questions lead to better research.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A research question is ___.
- An open question is ___.
- A closed question is ___.
- A hypothesis is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a research question?
A question answered by evidence.
Question 2. What is an open question?
Needs more than yes or no.
Question 3. What is a closed question?
Yes or no.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a research question?
- What is an open question?
- What is a closed question?
- What is a hypothesis?
- Name a starter.
Level 2: Grow
- Why open?
- Why narrow?
- Why plan evidence?
Level 3: Stretch
- Write a weak question.
- Improve it.
- Plan evidence.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Turn “Is litter bad?” into an open research question and name one source of evidence.
Show a sample answer
How does litter affect our field; survey.
Another one. Write one open question about something you wonder about and share it.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: It must be answerable.
Fix: Focused ones work best.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define research question, open and closed, narrow and broad.
- I can write researchable questions.
- I can improve weak questions.
- I can plan evidence.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Research starts with a good question.
- Open questions give richer answers.
- Questions should be neither too big nor too small.
- Think about what evidence will answer them.
11. Next lesson
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.
- Define research question and hypothesis. [2 marks]
- Write three open question starters. [3 marks]
- Improve a weak question and explain how. [3 marks]
- Plan one source of evidence. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Question [1]; hypothesis [1]
- Three [3]
- Weak [1]; improved [1]; reason [1]
- Source [1]; reason [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a research question?
- What is an open question?
- What is a closed question?
- What is a hypothesis?
- Name a starter.
- Why open?
- Why narrow?
- Why plan evidence?
- Write a weak question.
- Improve it.
Homework
Write three research questions.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a research question? | A question answered by evidence. | 1 |
| 2. What is an open question? | Needs more than yes or no. | 1 |
| 3. What is a closed question? | Yes or no. | 1 |
| 4. What is a hypothesis? | A testable idea. | 1 |
| 5. Name a starter. | How. | 1 |
| 6. Why open? | Richer answers. | 1 |
| 7. Why narrow? | Manageable. | 1 |
| 8. Why plan evidence? | Know where to look. | 1 |
| 9. Write a weak question. | Weak. | 1 |
| 10. Improve it. | Improve. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 A question answered by evidence.; 2 Needs more than yes or no.; 3 Yes or no.; 4 A testable idea.; 5 How.. Level 2: 1 Richer answers.; 2 Manageable.; 3 Know where to look.. Level 3: 1 Weak.; 2 Improve.; 3 Evidence..
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 Define research question, open and closed, narrow and broad | 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 Write researchable 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 |
| O3 Improve weak 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 Plan evidence | 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
- Find the misconception: “Any question is a research question.” It must be answerable.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a question chart.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child writes research questions. Please encourage curiosity at home. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Ask why and how.
- Wonder together.
- Respect privacy.
- 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: define research question, open and closed, narrow and broad; write researchable questions; improve weak questions; plan evidence.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 5 ideas: sources, evidence, perspectives, civic participation and community issues.
Materials. Question cards. 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. Prepare question cards.
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). Tell the asking better questions story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach research questions.
Guided activity (10 min). Question builder.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How do we write good research questions?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Any question is a research question.” It must be answerable.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-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. Make a question chart. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. 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: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 5 Unit 10, topic 2; NCSS C3 Framework, developing questions, gathering and evaluating sources, communicating conclusions and taking informed action; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, enquiry skills; IB Primary Years Programme, how we organise ourselves. These sources informed the lesson.