Day Two Learning Targets:
Purpose: Earlier this week, you completed an activity in class where you connected your thematic observations of Purple Hibiscus to aspects of contextual context. Today we will revisit your research question, consider how you might tighten the question for this assignment, then generate a list of key words to use for today's research session.
Directions:
What's the Purpose of a Research Question?
The research question is the heart of your essay. It is not the same as your topic. Instead, the research question is what you want to find out about that topic. It asks you to do more than just list your answers. It forces you to take a stand, develop an argument and defend your position. (International Baccalaureate Organization)
A Good Research Question is...
Analytical: Answering the question requires you to prove a point and provide evidence, not just answer yes or no. Ask a question that will require you to explain or defend your answer.
Arguable: There is more than one side to the issue OR there are multiple valid answers to the question. There is not one right answer to the question; you could construct a variety of arguments that are valid in response to the question.
Researchable: You can find enough valid, credible, and authoritative material as evidence to support your claims.
Focused: The question is broad enough to give you plenty to discuss but narrow enough to allow you to do a thorough job. Consider the page requirements for your assignment; ask a question you can tackle within that page limit.
Based on AARF, created by Jeri Hurd, Green Sky Library