56 C l a s s ro o m I n s t r u c t i o n T h a t Wo r k s

Ask analytic questions

Analytic questions prompt students to think more deeply and critically
about the information presented. Teachers can frame questions around the
skills of analyzing errors, constructing support, and analyzing perspectives
(Martorella, 1991; White & Tisher, 1986). Analyzing errors in thinking involves
identifying and articulating when someone uses faulty logic, attacks a person
rather than focuses on issues, uses weak references, confuses facts, or misap-
plies a concept. Constructing support involves providing support for an argu-
ment or proof for an assertion. Analyzing perspectives involves identifying and
articulating personal perspectives about issues. Figure 4.2 presents examples
of questions related to each of these skills. Such questions and skills require
students to think at higher cognitive levels and allow students to make con-
nections within the content.

FIGURE 4.2
Examples of Analytic Questions

Analyzing Errors Constructing Support Analyzing Perspectives

• What are the errors • What is an argument that • Why would someone
in reasoning in this would support this claim? consider this to be good (or
information? • What are some of the bad or neutral)?
• How is this information limitations of this argument • What is the reasoning
misleading? or the assumptions behind this perspective?
• How could this information underlying it? • What is an alternative
be corrected or improved? perspective, and what is the
reasoning behind it?

Example

Ms. Tran is starting a writing project with her 4th grade students.
She begins the lesson by explaining the objective for the project: We will
be able to write persuasively. She also explains that students will write
letters to their local city council representatives and ask them to put a
school crossing light at the intersection of Main and Elm Streets because
a teacher was recently injured while crossing the street there. Ms. Tran
says, “We know that Ms. Dunlap’s leg was broken when she was hit by

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