This document discusses planning considerations for using questioning and Teams-Games-Tournaments (TGT) instructional strategies in the classroom. It addresses when to implement questioning during lessons, how to determine appropriate question levels using Bloom's Taxonomy, and how to create an environment where students feel comfortable answering questions. For TGT, it describes how the strategy works, including organizing students into study teams and having them compete in tournaments to review material, and factors to consider when preparing for TGT, such as student abilities and teacher facilitation roles.

1. Question and Review
Mission
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Xld2aObHM&feature=related
Kids often do ‗say the darndest things‘! In the video
notice how Art Linkletter poses questions that elicit
humorous responses. Think about how a teacher can
use questioning and reviewing to encourage high level
thinking and to ensure that students can understand and
apply knowledge

2. FIRST IMPRESSIONS
•When should questioning be implemented in the classroom?
•How should one determine which question levels should be used?
•How can I create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable and
confident to ask and answer questions?
•How could one implement Teams-Games-Tournaments as a review strategy?

3. EXPLORATIONS
Objectives
After completing the entire Exploration section and reviewing
the accompanying activities, you should be able to:
• Determine when it is appropriate to ask questions during
a lesson
• Create questions at each of the thinking levels of
Bloom‘s Revised Taxonomy
• Create a classroom environment where students feel
comfortable and confident asking and answering
questions
• Create a Teams-Games-Tournaments lesson as a
review

4. Review of Questions and Review Strategy
In order to fully understand this lesson you need to complete the
Questioning and Teams- Games-Tournaments Island of the declarative
level I.S.L.E.S. Module or review the information within it. You can find the
review here:
Question-and-Review.pdf

5. How to Select Strategies
Before selecting a strategy the teacher must make several other decisions, e.g., what to
teach, how to assess learning, etc. Click on this link to see a list of 10 considerations a
teacher must make before selecting the right instructional strategy: TQP SELECTING
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES CHECKLIST

7. Part 1:
Planning Considerations for
Questioning

8. What’s This?
Defining Questioning
Most of us don‘t think about thinking; we just do it. Due to increased
accountability for student achievement, our focus has turned more toward
thinking about thinking and thinking about how teachers can teach our
students to think.
These kinds of thinking require what is called ―Higher Order Thinking‖ or ―HOT‖
for short. Some or all of these kinds of Higher Order Thinking may be easy for
some students, but difficult for others, but with practice, HOT skill level can be
improved for all students. One of the ways to increase these skill levels is
through HOT questioning.
HOT questions are those which ask the student to use previously learned
information to create an answer or to support an answer with logical supporting
evidence. HOT questions are also called open-ended, interpretive, evaluative,
inquiry, inferential, and synthesis questions. (Cotton, 2001)

9. Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
Bloom‘s Revised Taxonomy originated in 1956 and was later updated in
the 1990‘s to reflect thinking required for 21st Century work. The
Taxonomy is a framework that provides a way to organize different types
of thinking into six levels: Remembering (lowest), Understanding,
Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating (highest).

11. When should questioning be implemented in the classroom?
Believe it or not, teachers have been known to ask their students
as many as 400 questions each and every school day. Typically
320 of those 400 questions require only the basic levels of
thinking in order to produce a correct response; therefore requiring
no higher level thinking (Fredericks, 2005). More times than not,
these questions are used to assess students‘ learning; however, it
is important to note that this is just one function of questioning.
Questioning can be used as an effective teaching strategy that
helps students to learn necessary information and material.
Therefore, questioning should be used in each portion of a lesson
rather than just as an assessment tool. Teachers should begin
posing questions early in the lesson and then continue asking
questions often throughout instruction.

12. High level,
open-ended
questions lead
Take A Look to better
understanding
Using
questioning Reasons Set high
types that Teachers expectations
require a and promote
variety of Should Use critical and
thinking Questions in creative
levels spices Instruction thinking
up a lesson
Teachers can
challenge
every student
by
differentiating
with effective
questions

13. How should one determine which question levels should be
used?
A common mistake in thinking is that lower level questions should be
asked of younger age students and high level questions should be
used only for older students. This is not necessarily the case. People
of all ages can effectively benefit from learning to think on a high level.
Asking questions especially at the higher levels, promotes creativity
and thinking. Teachers may begin by asking lower level questions and
work their way to higher levels of thinking. Teachers must vary the
question levels in order to train the students to think on high levels.
Students tend to read and think based on the kinds of questions they
anticipate receiving from the teacher. It does not serve a student well
to constantly be asked questions that require only low levels of
intellectual involvement. Students who are given questions based on
higher levels of thinking will tend to think more creatively and
divergently. (Fredericks, 2005)

14. Certainly, there are times when lower level questions are needed; this
is particularly true at the start of units or lessons, when students have
a limited knowledge of the content. However, the extensive use of
lower cognitive levels of questions leads to some problems,
such as…
1.When students are asked to simply recall information, they are not
actively involved in the learning process; much of the work
consists of memorization.
2.Most lower level questions have one specific answer; this does not
lead to divergent responses that lead to discussions in the classroom.
3.The students' ability to express themselves verbally is not
enhanced when there is too much reliance on one or two word
responses (Orlich, 1998).

15. Question Sequencing and patterns
Question Sequencing = each question builds upon the answer to the previous question
Extending and Lifting - This questioning pattern involves asking a number of questions
at the same cognitive level—or extending—before lifting the questions to the next higher
level (Taba, 1971). The first four questions are all at the same cognitive level
(extending); the fifth question requires students to think at a higher level (lifting).
Circular Path…This pattern involves asking a series of questions which eventually lead
back to the initial position or question (Brown & Edmondson, 1989). A classic example of
this circular path pattern is, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" A classroom
example of this might be the question, "Were Hitler's actions against the Jews a
manipulation of—or a reaction to—people's prejudice? Explain."
Same Path - This questioning pattern involves asking questions at the same cognitive
level (Brown & Edmondson, 1989). For example, a physics teacher questioning students
about motion and speed could ask the following: "What is motion? What is speed? What
is instantaneous speed? What is constant speed?" This pattern typically uses all lower-
level, specific questions. (Vogler, 2008)

16. How can I be sure that the questions I am asking require high
levels of thinking?
Keep in mind that high level questions are those that require
complex application, analysis, evaluation or creation skills. These
questions are most appropriate for encouraging students to think
more deeply and critically, problem solving, encouraging
discussion, and stimulating students to seek information on their
own. The following chart gives a list of question starters that will
assist you in creating questions at each of the six levels of Bloom‘s
Taxonomy.
INSTRUCTIONAL RIGOR CHART

19. How can I create a classroom environment where students feel
comfortable and confident to ask and answer questions?
In order for questioning to be most effective, the teacher must provide a
classroom environment that allows the participants to feel confident and
comfortable to take learning risks in front of their peers. There are several
ways to assure this type of low risk environment.
1. Teacher should provide extended think, wait and planning time.
Once the teacher poses a question, he/she should wait several
seconds to allow the student to process the question and plan an
answer to be shared with the class.
2. The students should receive direct instruction on how to formulate
and answer high order thinking questions.
3. The students should ask each other high order thinking questions

20. 4. The teacher should provide appropriate feedback
• Feed-up – teacher presents preparatory set
• Feedback – teacher responds to student‘s work
• Feed Forward – Modify instruction accordingly
5. The students should be directed to expand and use correct responses
6. The teacher should elicit students’ reactions to and about the posed
questions

21. Differentiating When Using Questioning
•Pair student who can help each other with language, such as ELL, low
vision, hearing impaired, autism.
•Allow wait time for students to think through their answer. Do not move
on to another student until one student has given his/her response.
•Probe for thoughtful answers.
•Provide genuine feedback regularly.
•Allow students, who have mastered answering questions, to create and
ask the questions.

22. • Post the questions so students will have a visual to refer to when
preparing their answers.
• Allow students to Think-Pair-Share. This provides think time to generate
an answer. It also gives students an opportunity to share their thoughts
with a partner prior to presenting it to the class.
• Allow the students to have a list of questions prior to the discussion time.
This enables them to be familiar with and prepared for what is expected of
them.

23. Think About:
Third Grade North Carolina Standard Course of Study
Social Studies
Competency Goal 7
The learner will analyze the role of real and fictional heroes in shaping the
culture of communities.
Objectives:
7.02 Assess the heroic deeds of characters from folktales and legends.
This activity will provide practice in CREATING questions that require different
levels of thinking.

24. The Runaway Wok A Chinese New Year Tale by: Ying Chang
Compestine
Read the book synopsis below
This is a story of a poor Bejiing family that sends their son, Ming, out
to trade their last eggs for rice which they will share with their family
and friends. On his journey Ming meets an old man with whom he
trades the eggs for an old rusty wok. To his surprise, the wok is
able to sing. When Ming arrives home with what seems to be a
useless metal pan, his mother is surprised to hear the wok chanting,
―Skippity Hop Ho. To the rich man‘s house I go!‖ The wok returns
with food and money and toys that he has taken from the greedy Li
family. Thrilled at their new found plentiful supply, the Zhang family
prepares a huge New Year‘s feast for all the townspeople to share
while the Lis are left empty handed, selfishly brooding over their loss

25. Now read the book synopsis again as printed below. Stopping at
each STOP sign, create a question using Bloom’s Revised
Taxonomy. Then click on the STOP sign to view some sample
questions.
This is a story of a poor Bejiing family that sends their son, Ming, out to
trade their last eggs for rice which they will share with their family and
friends. On his journey Ming meets an old man with whom he trades the
eggs for an old rusty wok. (1 Create a question that requires students
to think at the ANALYZING level ) To his surprise, the wok is able to
sing. When Ming arrives home with what seems to be a useless metal
pan, his mother is surprised to hear the wok chanting, ―Skippity Hop Ho.
To the rich man‘s house I go!‖ The wok returns with food and money and
toys that he has taken from the greedy Li family. (2 Create a question
that requires students to think at the EVALUATING level ) Thrilled
at their new found plentiful supply, the Zhang family prepares a huge New
Year‘s feast for all the townspeople to share while the Lis are left empty
handed, selfishly brooding over their loss. (3 Create a question that
requires students to think at the CREATING level )

26. Think About
Based on Bloom‘s Revised Taxonomy, the first three levels of the
taxonomy are considered lower levels of thinking and include:
Remembering, Understanding, and Applying. Lower levels
generally ask that students generate one or two word answers
and require convergent thought processes. The last three levels
are considered higher thinking skills and include: Analyzing,
Evaluating, and Creating. Higher level questions usually require
more breadth and depth of thinking and require divergent thought
processes. Both lower level and higher level thinking are required
for effective learning. Educational practices of the past often
stressed lower level thinking. However, to help students prepare
for the 21st century job market, it is necessary to focus more on
higher levels of thought resulting in diversity of processes and
products necessary for success in school and life.

27. Rewrite each lower level question below as a higher level question. Use the
Instructional Rigor- Questions/Product Aligned with Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy as
your guide. Keep this in your notes.
Example: Who is your favorite character?
Rewritten as a Higher Order Question: How is your favorite character most like
you and most different from you?
1. What is a pentagon?
__________________________________________________________________
2. What is an example of a landform?
__________________________________________________________________
3. What would happen to vegetation in the event of an erupting volcano?
__________________________________________________________________
4. Demonstrate the order of the coins if they were grouped in value from least to
greatest.
__________________________________________________________________

28. 5. Can you list the names of the first five presidents?
_________________________________________________________
6. Show how photosynthesis occurs.
__________________________________________________________
7. What is the purpose of the italicized word in the selection?
__________________________________________________________
8. Describe the author‘s perspective.
_________________________________________________________

29. Planning Considerations for Teams-Games-Tournaments

30. What’s This?
Defining Teams-Games-Tournaments (TGT)
Teams-Games-Tournaments is a team learning strategy for review and mastery
learning of material. The main idea behind TGT is to motivate students to
encourage and help each other master skills presented by the teacher. The
teacher then organizes the games/practice. The games are composed of
content–relevant questions designed to test the knowledge students gain from
class presentations and team practice.

31. Here’s how it works
This strategy is best used as a review at the end of a lesson/unit. Teams-Games-
Tournaments is most effective when used to review material for which there is a specific
correct answer. Although TGT takes some preparation time, this strategy has been found to
be very effective.
•Teacher presents information to be learned in any number of ways – direct instruction
indirect instruction, etc.
•When it‘s time to review, students are grouped into heterogeneous teams called study
teams where they spend time studying the previously learned material. Students often
feel a connection to this home team as the various levels of learners work together to
assure knowledge and understanding of the information.
•Students are then grouped homogeneously to compete in the Tournament, attempting
to earn points to bring back to their original home/study team.
•Back in the home/study teams, students combine all points earned to come up with a
team total
•All teams are recognized for their accomplishments ~ and all students are more
knowledgeable of the content information.
•Once materials are made, they can be stored and used again for future TGT sessions.

32. Things to Think About When Preparing for TGT
Think of the thrills that a basketball tournament, a soccer tournament,
even a chess tournament brings! Teams-Games-Tournaments elicits this
excitement in the classroom while simultaneously helping students to
review material. As in the case with many Cooperative Learning
strategies, Teams-Games-Tournaments may take some time to prepare
and implement; however, the rewards of this strategy are well worth the
time and effort. Keep these key factors in mind:
•TGT is a strategy that can be used with all age/grade level students;
however, it is most successful when used after teacher and students are
comfortable working in groups. Consider first having students work in
small groups for short, easy tasks – for example, Think-Pair-Share. Then
increase the number of group members working together, the amount of
time, and the difficulty of the task. This will help ensure the success of
group work during TGT.

33. •In order to have a successful TGT, teachers must know their students well.
They must take into consideration such things as learning abilities, special
needs, personalities, cultural differences, etc.
•The role of the teacher is also important as he/she spends much time in
preparing for TGT but then fades into the background and becomes more of
a facilitator, a coach and even a spectator during the actual process.
•The teacher must give step-by-step instructions for the implementation of
TGT. It is also helpful to model the required steps prior to setting children on
their own to take part in the Team-Game-Tournament.

34. •The classroom must be organized so that the students have a comfortable
learning space where group members can maintain eye-contact, and have
room for materials. The classroom will also be abuzz with noise, but voices
should be kept low so that all students can communicate without disturbing
other groups.
•The initial preparation for TGT materials can be time consuming, but if the
teacher laminates and carefully stores these materials, they can be used
over and over again.
•Teachers should not allow themselves to get easily discouraged with this
strategy. Although it does take some preparation time, and some practice
on the part of both the students and the teacher, it has proven to be an
enjoyable and effective strategy!

35. Differentiating When Using Teams-Games-Tournaments
•Carefully consider needs of individual learners when forming groups. Place
students who have language needs in groups with students who can offer
assistance.
•Vary members in groups as often as possible so as to eliminate stigmas.
•Consider students strengths, and assign roles in groups such as time keeper,
reader, organizer, and conversation monitor.
•Give clear, specific step-by-step instructions prior to beginning TGT. Have
instructions visible for students to refer to during each part of the activity.
•Circulate during study session and competition. Offer assistance to teams that
require help.
•Consider having an adult helper to work with the groups who might have difficulty
reading and or staying on task

36. Take a Look: Preparing for Teams, Games, and Tournaments
TEACH:
Teacher teaches the lesson using an appropriate strategy.
STUDY TEAMS :
Teacher generates academically heterogeneous teams of equal
ability.
1. Develop a class ranked list of students (ranked by academic ability in
the subject at hand
2. Divide the total number of students by 4 (example 32 students/4=8)
3. Number the students on the list beginning at the top (1-8), then
reverse the numbers (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,--8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1—1,2,3,4,etc.
4. Group all number ones together, group all number two‘s together,
etc.
5. Teams review using a specific format, a review sheet, informally,
quizzing each other, etc.

37. Tournament
Generate academically homogeneous teams
1. Teacher uses the same ranked list of students to form groups of three
or four students of similar academic ability.
2. Go down the list and cluster students in order (Team One is made up
of students 1,2,3, and 4 – Team two is made up of students 5,6,7,8).
This will result in the four strongest students working together and the
three weakest students working together.

38. Set up for Tournament
1. Have a deck of cards numbered 1-30 for each tournament team
2. Make up a worksheet of 30 numbered questions to review the material
3. Make up a numbered answer sheet.
4. Each team picks up an envelope/deck of cards, a question sheet and
an answer sheet.
5. Students draw cards at each table. The highest number goes first.
6. The 1st student pulls a card from the envelope and reads out the number.
7. The 2nd student (with the question sheet) reads the question out loud.
8. The 1st student answers the question.

39. 9. The 3rd student (with the answer sheet) tells if the answer is correct.If
correct, the 1st student keeps the card. If incorrect, (2nd) student may
challenge answer. If they get the answer correct, they may keep the card. If
still incorrect, the card goes back in the pile.
10. The game proceeds clockwise. After each question (whether corrector
incorrect) each student changes ―jobs‖. It continues until the time is up or all
questions are answered correctly.
11. Each team member counts the number of cards he/she earned by
answering questions correctly.
12. Students return to their original home/study teams.
13. All students in home/study teams add their points together to come up with
a team total.

40. Team Recognition
All teams are recognized with a certificate or other award for participating in the
Teams-Games-Tournaments
.

41. Think About It
Consider the implementation of Teams-Games-Tournaments with
a group of second graders. Think about how you will implement
this strategy in your own classroom. What do you see as the
challenges of this strategy? What do you see as the strengths of
the strategy?

42. Hot Links
Strategy Name / URL Type of Content
(i.e. scenario,
podcast, video,
article, teaching
demonstration
professional
organization)
Questioning Bloom’s Taxonomy video Part #1 Video
http://edtech-mi.blogspot.com/2009/11/blooms-taxonomy-video-part-
1.html
Questioning Questioning in Class Video
http://lpsl.coe.uga.edu/mile3/resa/gpsinaction/QuestioningInClass.html
Teams-Games- Cooperative Learning: Theory Research and Practice by Robert E. Slavin. Book
Tournaments Published by Allyn and Bacon, 1990.
Teams-Games-Tournmanets: Cooperative Learning Strategies
Teams-ames- www.udel.edu/dssep/teaching_strategies/tgt_coop.htm Procedure for
Tournaments conducting TGT
Teams-Games- Teams-Games-Tournaments (TGT) Cooperative Learning and Review TGT Overview
Tournaments http://www.utschools.ca/utseducation/academicdepartments/science/TGT-
NABT_06_2.pdf

43. Part 2: Lesson Plans incorporating Questioning and TGT
Think About
Read Lesson 2 of the Social Studies Unit on European Exploration. Focus
specifically on the Higher Level Questions in the Present Content and Transfer. For
the question in the Present Content, rewrite it using verb from Bloom's Taxonomy on
the analysis level. For the question in the transfer, write a sample student response.
Answer:
Possible Answer:
Present Content

44. Present Content
What can you infer about the Cherokee culture from this legend?
Transfer
Pre-scientific cultures like the Native Americans used myths and
legends to explain natural phenomena. Today we use science to
explain nature. The unit on forces and motion explains how things in
the world move. The main difference is that myth and legend are not
necessarily true, whereas as science is considered true.

45. Think About
Review this Elementary math lesson .Why do you think a TGT was chosen for
this lesson? When should the teacher teach this lesson in a unit? Do you think
the teacher provided enough time for the TGT? Why or why not?

46. Part 3: References
References
Bedict, B. (Creator). (2010). Kids Say the Darndest Things 2 [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Xld2aObHM&feature=related
O'Mahony, M. (2006, October 14). Teams-Games-Tournament Cooperative Learning and Review.
Retrieved June 1, 20111, fromchools website: http://www.cdl.org/resource-
library/articles/highorderthinking.php
Orlich, D., Harder,R., Callahan, R., Gibson, M. Teaching Strategies: A Guide to Better Instruction.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Co. 1998. p. 80.
TeacherVision: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods/new-
teacher/48445.html#ixzz1Py4NGaWl
Thomas, A. (n.d.). Higher Order Thinking. Retrieved June 1, 20111, from Center for Development
and Learning website: http://www.cdl.org/resource-library/articles/highorderthinking.php

47. Vogler, Kenneth E. (2008). Educational Leadership:Thinking Skills NOW. Retrieved
June 1, 2011 from Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
website: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/summer08/vol65/num09/Asking-Good-Questions.aspx
Part 4: Credits
Content Experts: Blooms, O’Mahony
Module Developers: Shelton and Ventura
Module Production Team: Vinciguerra, Kester and Briggs

48. REVIEW
The initial mission challenged us to think about how a teacher can use
questioning and reviewing to encourage high level thinking and to ensure that
students can understand and apply knowledge. Here are some ways that this
can be done:
•Questions should begin early in a lesson and should be used often
throughout the lesson not only to check for understanding but also to
involve students in the learning.
•Teacher should begin questioning at lower levels and then work up to
questions that require higher levels of thinking.
•The classroom must be a place where students feel safe to ask and
answer questions; this promotes valuable learning discussions.
•Teams-Games-Tournaments is a fun and effective way for students to
work together to review material that has been previously taught while
encouraging each other and building a classroom community of learners.

49. To access the full version of the TQP Model Units, click on the link below:
http://www.coe3.ecu.edu/2011 Units
Click here to access the Question and Review Quiz