This routine helps students practice developing thought-provoking questions about a topic. Students will use this routine to explore the evolution of the Spanish population. They will brainstorm a list of at least 12 questions about a picture related to the topic using provided question stems like "why" and "what would happen if". Then students will discuss the most interesting questions in pairs, writing down new ideas. Finally, they will reflect on what new insights they have gained about the topic.

1. TITLE OF THE THINKING ROUTINE:
Question Starts
EXPLANATION:
• A routine for creating thought-provoking questions. I will use this
routine to explore the topic “Evolution of the Spanish population”
• This routine provides students with the opportunity to practice
developing good questions that provoke thinking and inquiry into a
topic. It also helps students brainstorm lots of different kinds of
questions about a topic. The purpose of asking deep and interesting
questions is to get at the complexity and depth of a topic. The purpose
of brainstorming varied questions about a topic is to get at the breadth,
and multi-dimensionality of a topic: women role in family across
history, compulsory education, moral or religion prohibitions, lack of
information, rising level of economic development…
• This routine will be used after “Evolution of the world population” had
been studied and as an introduction to this topic related to Spain. This
way, the students have enough knowledge to create interesting
questions about the picture and also can be a way of enlivening
students' curiosity about what happens with all the staff we have been
studying when we talk about Spain.
RESOURCES:
1. Picture with the title of the topic: “Evolution of the Spanish
population”

2. 2. A list of question stems in the classroom to help students brainstorm
interesting questions:
• Why...?
• What are the reasons…?
• Who would care if…?
• What caused…?
• What effect would … have…?
• What would happen if…?
• Who is affected by…?
• What impact would… have…on…?
• What can be done to…?
• What would change if…?
• What are the purposes of…?
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO USE IT:
• Whole class:
Brainstorm a list of at least 12 questions about the picture using the question-
starts to help them think of interesting questions. We write them down in the
notebook
• In pairs:

3. Review the brainstormed list and star the questions that seem most interesting.
Then, select one or more of the starred questions to discuss for a few
moments. Write down in your notebook the new ideas appeared after
discussing.
• Whole class:
Reflect: What new ideas do you have about the picture that you didn't have
before?
…………………………………………………………..
• Before using Question Starts, I will ask students what they think a good
question is. Then, when I show the Question Starts, explain that this
routine is a tool for asking good questions.