This document provides guidance for teachers on lesson 3 of a curriculum about investigating local water quality. It discusses having students develop sub-questions to help answer the driving question of "What is the Water Like in Our River?". The lesson focuses on establishing criteria for good questions and having students refine their own questions to meet those criteria. It also previews the next lesson which will involve building a watershed model.

1. Investigate the State
What is the Water Like in Our River?
Lesson 3
How Can We Ask Good Questions?

2. Learning Set 1 - Lesson 3
A Closer Look at Our River
Question of the Day:
How Can We Ask Good Questions?
Students discuss and record the
criteria for good questions and then
develop sub-questions to help
answer the Driving Question.

3. Learning Objectives and Purpose
• Through the sharing and evaluation of
other classmates’ questions, students will
construct valid questions based on the
criteria of a good question.

4. Overview of Activities
• A class discussion centered around the
need to ask more questions in order to
answer the big DQ. Artifacts from the
previous days’ work are used as
examples.
• This conversation should include a discussion as to
why questions are an important part of science.
• As students contribute reasons for asking questions,
their ideas are recorded for ongoing reference.

5. Student Actions
• Students create sub-questions that will
help organize information during the
investigation.
• As a class, students develop a list of
criteria for good questions.
• Working first individually, and/or in small
groups and as a class, questions are
developed, critiqued and refined. They are
then reviewed by the class and added to
the Driving Question Board.

6. Teacher Considerations
• Continue to link new questions to the
driving question: “What is the Water Like
in Our River?”
• Be prepared to guide students to include
all of the components of a “good
question”.

7. Lesson 3 Assessment
• Students develop questions that have no
straight forward answer, require multiple
resources to answer, relate to the driving
question, develop understanding of science
concepts and cannot be answered without
data.
• Students refine each of their own questions to
meet the criteria of a good question.

8. Preparation for Next Lesson:
Exploring Watersheds
• The next lesson involves students building a
model of a watershed.
• If you are not familiar with the set-up of the model,
try it out for yourself first to make sure the
materials work well and you are comfortable with
the process and procedures.
• Watch the video on construction of this
model.
• Review lesson four in the curriculum
materials.
• Copy Student Worksheets:
•What Happens to Water When it Rains?
•What Direction Does the Water Flow?

9. For More Information
• Review the curriculum guide:
“What is the Water Like in Our River?”
• Visit our web site:
http://www.investigatethestate.org