Inquiry

A student learned that the famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright believed in creating homes and buildings that conveyed cultural values of the United States. The student wants to research more about Frank Lloyd Wright and will write a report about the architect for the art teacher.

Which research question would lead the student to a deeper understanding of Frank Lloyd Wright's beliefs?

• How old was Frank Lloyd Wright when he began studying architecture?

• How much time did it take for an average Frank Lloyd Wright structure to be built?

• What are Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous structures?

• What techniques did Frank Lloyd Wright use to communicate ideas in his designs?

A student is writing a report about successful businesses. The student found two reliable sources. Read the sources and complete the task that follows.

Source 1: In 1908, Henry Ford created the famous Model T automobile. The car became somewhat popular, but Ford wanted it to reach a wider range of customers. He developed an assembly line process for producing his Model T automobile in 1913. By having different workers install specific parts as the vehicle moved slowly along a line, the cost and time needed to build the car was reduced. This made the Model T even more affordable, and, therefore, many more people bought the Ford car.

Source 2: McDonald’s is one of the most successful businesses in the world. Something the restaurant is known for is its speed of service. When the first McDonald’s opened in Southern California in the 1940s, it aimed to be a place for regular people to eat instead of most restaurants of the time that only wealthy people could afford. McDonald’s installed a large grill and used spatulas that could flip multiple burgers at a time. Customers could get a large order of burgers and fries quickly because of the restaurant’s “Speedee Service System.” When Ray Kroc took over the McDonald’s company and spread the eatery across the country, he continued to focus on making good food fast.

Which question would help the student broaden the focus of additional research?

• Why did businesses like Ford and McDonald’s have an impact on American society?

• How many total businesses have been able to expand to other parts of the world?

• What would cause a person to support a business like Ford or McDonald’s?

• When was the best time in history for someone to start a successful business?

A student is planning a research report on apes for his science class and has taken some notes from reliable sources. Read the student’s notes.

- communicates with others by using hand signals

- uses twigs as tools to get insects out of small holes in trees or the ground

- puts a stick into water to measure its depth before walking across

The student wants to organize the notes correctly. Under which heading should the student place the notes?

• Fearless Animals

• Intelligent Animals

• Playful Animals

• Careful Animals

A student is writing a report on the effects of listening to music while studying. Read the draft of the report.

Studies suggest that some people learn better if they listen to instrumental music while they study. There seems to be a connection between the rhythms of the music and the ability to concentrate. When the music has a steady, repetitive beat, it creates background noise that can be beneficial. Of course, the music cannot be too loud, or it will become distracting.

If the student were conducting additional research, which question would best help the student focus the research for a deeper understanding of the subject?

• What types of music are the most popular with students who are studying?

• How many people participated in the studies about listening to music?

• What types of experiments have been done to show the connection between music and learning?

• How loud would the music need to be before it is considered too loud to have positive effects?

A student is writing a report about castles in the United Kingdom and found the following source.

Many castles in the United Kingdom have fallen into ruin at some point in time. Some castles have been returned to their original states because of individuals interested in preserving history. Some were rebuilt by royalty who wanted to put the castles back into use for defensive purposes. Sadly, others have been left to rot, crumbling away as if no one even cares if they stand or fall. The ironic thing is that these neglected castles often become the most photographed of the entire country.

Which sentence in the source best reveals the author’s bias?

• Some castles have been returned to their original states because of individuals interested in preserving history.

• Some were rebuilt by royalty who wanted to put the castles back into use for defensive purposes.

• Sadly, others have been left to rot, crumbling away as if no one even cares if they stand or fall.

• The ironic thing is that these neglected castles often become the most photographed of the entire country.

A student made a plan for a research report. Read the plan.

Research Report Plan

Topic: home computers

Audience: teacher and classmates

Purpose: to inform

Research Question: How have home computers changed since they were first introduced?

The student found several sources. Which source would most likely have information that would be useful in the student's report?

• a website that explains how to upgrade old computers to make them work like new

• a magazine article titled “How Computers Can Help Solve Everyday Problems”

• a book titled Where Do We Go from Here? The History and Future of Computers

• a website that shows people how to safely get rid of old computers

Eileen is reading about the American Civil War in her history class and remembers that in literature class she read a book that was set during the Spanish Civil War.

Which would be a question that might help Eileen broaden her understanding she had gained on these two topics?

• What was the date of the Spanish Civil War?

• What happened to end the American Civil War?

• Who was the president during the American Civil War?

• What causes people to fight their countrymen in a Civil War?

Marcus is reading about fashion trends of the 1920s in his history class and remembers that in literature class he read a book that discussed the Salem Witch Trials, an event where people got swept away with rumors and ended up making rash decisions that hurt lots of people.

Which would be a question that might help Marcus broaden his understanding he had gained on these two topics?

• What was the date of the Salem Witch Trials?

• What happened to end the Salem Witch Trials?

• What was the number one fashion trend from 1927?

• What causes people to follow trends, for good or for the bad?

If you were doing inquiry into modern dance, what question would BEST help you deepen your understanding of the topic?

• What is modern dance?

• What are modern dance moves?

• How does modern dance affect society?

• None of these would deepen your understanding.

Tad is reading about Rosa Parks and her bus boycott that began the civil rights movement in his history class and remembers that in literature class he read an essay that discussed the author's civil disobedience, a concept of breaking a law that someone thinks is unjust.

Which would be a question that might help Tad broaden his understanding he had gained on these two topics?

• How many people were on Rosa Parks' bus?

• What year did the civil rights movement begin in America?

• What was the name of the man who practiced civil disobedience?

• How can people break rules and laws for good purposes, rather than for bad purposes?