Our school system is structured around rewards for regurgitating the right answer, and not asking smart questions – in fact, several times, it discourages asking questions. With the result that as we grow older, we stop asking questions. Yet asking good questions is essential to find and develop solutions, and an important skill in innovation, strategy, and leadership. So why do we stop asking questions – and more importantly, why don’t we train each other, and our future leaders, to ask the right questions starting from early on?
Time Needed:
45 mins
Materials Required:
Option A:
Paper printed with instructions
Scissors
Glue
Option B:
Paper
Pen
Ruler
Scissors
Glue
Skill(s) Focussed:
Questioning, Communication, Critical Thinking
Instruction for Students:
Step 0:
Briefly explain the importance of asking questions and tell them they will be making a question box and after that will be doing a fun activity.
Step 1:
Distribute the printed sheets (simply copy-paste the below image and print). Alternatively, have students draw this using a pen and ruler.
Step 2:
Cut the image across the border.
Step 3:
Turn around and fold along the lines
Step 4:
Glue the tabs together to form a cube.
Step 5 - The Question Game:
Now is when the fun begins! The aim of the game is to make the students ask questions.
Choose any broad topic you'd like to use. For example: Space, Plants, Math Equations, Animals, etc. It could literally be anything!
Have each student roll the question cube and ask a question based on the question type that shows up.
As more students ask questions, others will also learn about new question types!
You can also divide students into smaller teams and have them play the same game.
Special Instructions for Teachers:
No Wrong Questions
While we hear ever so often that there are no wrong questions, in this game, it is even more important to encourage students to ask any question using the framework given in the cube.
Question Types
Explain to students about the main question types. While there are several question types, there are three main questions that help in problem-solving: Why questions, What If questions, and How questions.
Regardless of the question, the question needs to be phrased openly and positively in order to achieve positive results – a closed or negative question only raises bad feelings against each other.
Why questions help to find the root of a problem
What If questions open up the floor for creative solutions
How questions focus on developing practical solutions
Have fun making and share the works of your students with the hashtag #projectprayogshala to get featured!
#PrayogSkill #QuestionCubeGame #Communication #CriticalThinking