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A good opening question in a seminar:

• Arises from a genuine curiosity on the part of the leader

• Has no single "right" answer

• Is framed to generate discussion leading to greater understanding of the ideas of the text

• Can best be answered by references (explicit or implicit) to the text

The criteria for good opening questions resonate with
the features of good Essential Questions:

• Open-ended questions that resist a simple or single right answer

• Deliberately thought-provoking, counterintuitive, and/or controversial

• Require students to draw upon content knowledge and personal experience

• Can be revisited throughout the unit/course to actively engage students

• Lead to other essential questions posed by students

Stem Questions that Facilitate & Sustain Dialogue

These stem questions are not only for the leader of the seminar but for participant use as well.  It is a great idea to post the list in your classroom as a reference tool for students.  At first, when students use them, they may seem a bit artificial; however, the more you make them a regular practice in your classroom, the more comfortable and automatic they will become for both you and your students.

Agree / Disagree

• Has anyone else had a similar . . .?

• Who has a different . . .?

Clarification

• I'm not sure I understand . . .?

• Tell me more about . . .?

• Do you see gaps in my reasoning?

• Are you taking into account something different from what I have considered?

Support Questions

• Can you give us an example of . . .?

• Where in the story . . .?

• What would be a good reason for . . .?

• What is some evidence for . . .?

Cause and Effect

• Why do you think that happened?

• How could that have been prevented?

• Do you think that would happen that way again?  Why?

• What are some reasons people . . .?

Compare / Contrast

• How are __________ and _______ alike?  Different?

• What is that similar to?

• Can you think of why this feels different than . . .?

• How does this (poem, book, incident, etc.) remind you of . . .?

Benefits / Burdens

• What are some of the reasons this wouldn't (would) be a good idea?

• Would anyone like to speak to the opposite side?

• Those are some reasons this would work; what reasons might it not work?

Point of View / Perspective

• How might she/he have felt . . .?

• What do you think he/she was thinking when . . .?

• He might not like that, but can you think of someone who would?

• _____________ has expressed a different opinion.  Are there others?

• Do you have a different interpretation? 

• Do you have different conclusions?

• How did you arrive at your view?

Structure / Function

• If that was the goal, what do you think about . .  (the action, reaction)?

• What were her/his choices of how to . . .?

• Why was she/he doing that?  (Reply gives reason)  What do you think of that approach?

• What better choices could he/she have made?

• What rules would we need to make sure . . .?

Counterexample

• Would that still happen if . . . ?

• What might have made the difference?

Different Situation

• Can you describe a situation that would . . .?

• Suppose ________________.  Would that still be true?  Why or why not?

Solicit Questions      

• What are some things that you wonder about?

• What would you like to know about?

• Are there questions we should remember now?

Personal Experience

• What would you do in that situation?

• Has anything like that ever happened to you?

• In what way are you alike or different from . . .?