Question Formation Practice with Images and Historical Figures

Ask students why it is important to be able to ask questions and elicit their answers.

Ask them where they need to ask questions on a daily basis, about what, and for what purposes.

Tell students that they are going to write questions about a series of images.

Provide one image from The New York Times "What's Going On in This Picture?" Elicit from students what questions they have about the questions without writing their questions, only saying them.

1. Show each image collected from The New York Times "What's Going On in This Picture?" one by one, asking students to write a question about the image.

If teaching synchronously online, have students share their questions in the chat as you display each question. Copy or download the chat history.

If teaching in person, provide students with a piece of paper to have them write by hand questions (to avoid a grammar checker / autocorrect).

2. Display each picture and ask students to write a question, modeling as you begin.

3. After collecting all students' questions, create an error correction sheet. Have students work individually or in paires or small groups to correct the questions. 

4. As a whole group, go over the ideas students have for correcting the questions.

5. Show students the images from the captions for the images from "What's Going On in This Picture" to answer any questions they may have written.

6. Teach a mini lesson on question formation. Have students take notes on the handout. As desired, have students write questions on the Question Formation Speaking Practice handout for the the prompts provided and give students time in pairs to practice the prompts or write the prompts and answers on index cards for a "Quiz-Quiz-Trade" activity.

7. Use different images from the site or allow students to find interesting or provoking images to add to a Google Slideshow or to print out or otherwise share with the class. Repeat the activity to gauge improvement of question formation.

Based on the last practice activity, see if students need more practice. Evaluate with a short quiz. As a follow up, students can think of a person from history, write questions they would like to ask them, and install the Hello History or app on their cellphones or use another AI chatbot source. They can select a chatbot character, ask the questions, and take screenshots or take notes on the answers and report to the class about their "virtual interviews" with a historical figure

Students will be able to write questions accurately for a variety of purposes.