SECTION 1
Why Do People Ask Questions?
People have always had problems. That means things that are hard or not working well. When something is a problem, people ask questions to fix it!
Long ago, people asked questions just like you do. Their questions helped them make amazing things!
Long Ago • Staying Dry in the Rain
A While Ago • Carrying Water
Not Long Ago • Seeing at Night
Today • You Ask Questions Too!
Every great idea started with a question. Asking questions is what engineers do. Engineers are people who solve problems by making things.
SECTION 2
What Makes a Good Question?
When we see a problem, we can ask questions about it. Good questions help us understand the problem better. Let's learn how!
Notice the Problem
Ask "What" and "Why"
Ask "How"
Think About What You Need
KEY TAKEAWAY
SECTION 3
See How Questions Help Us
Let's look at our anchoring phenomenon. That means a real thing we can look at and wonder about. Imagine you are at school and it starts raining. Oh no! The class pet bunny's outdoor pen is getting all wet!
Do you see the rain falling into the pen? The bunny is getting wet. We can observe this. That means we can see it with our eyes. Now we can ask questions about this problem!
SECTION 4
How Asking Questions Works
Here is how asking questions helps us solve a problem. It works in steps, like climbing stairs!
Step 1: See the Problem
First, we observe. That means we look carefully. We use our eyes, ears, and hands to notice things.
Step 2: Think About Who Needs Help
We ask: Who has this problem? Is it a person? Is it an animal? What do they need?
Step 3: Ask Lots of Questions
We ask many questions! Every question is a good question. Questions help us learn more about the problem.
Step 4: Pick the Best Question to Start
Some questions help us start fixing the problem. We pick one to try first. Then we can design something. That means we plan and build something to help!
Remember!
SECTION 5
Different Kinds of Questions We Can Ask
There are different kinds of questions. Each kind helps in a different way. Let's look at the bunny pen problem and see the kinds of questions we can ask.
Look at all the question words! When you use these words, you are thinking like an engineer. Engineers ask these questions before they build anything.
SECTION 6
Let's Solve the Wet Bunny Problem!
Now let's be engineers! We will ask questions about the wet bunny pen and figure out how to help. Watch how we go step by step.
Helping the Bunny Stay Dry
- 1
Step 1 — Observe the Problem
We look at the bunny pen. It is raining. The bunny is wet. The pen has no roof.Problem: The bunny pen has no cover. - 2
Step 2 — Ask "What" Questions
What is getting wet? The bunny and the ground in the pen. What does the bunny need? A dry place!The bunny needs a dry spot. - 3
Step 3 — Ask "Why" Questions
Why is the bunny getting wet? Because rain falls down into the open pen. There is nothing on top to stop the rain.The pen needs something on top. - 4
Step 4 — Ask "How" Questions
How can we cover the pen? We could use a box, a tarp, or cardboard. What would work best?Now we have ideas to try!
Did you see that? Our questions led us to an idea. We can put a cover on the pen! Asking questions helped us figure out what to do.
SECTION 7
Helpful Questions and Tricky Questions
Some questions help us solve problems faster. Other questions might not help as much right now. Let's see the difference!
| Helpful Questions ✅ | Tricky Questions 🤔 |
|---|---|
| What is the problem? | What is the bunny's name? |
| Who needs help? | What color is the bunny? |
| How can we fix it? | What did I eat for lunch? |
| What things can we use? | Is it Tuesday? |
Helpful questions are about the problem. Tricky questions are about other things.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Remember, all questions are good! But when we want to solve a problem, the most helpful questions are about what is happening and how to fix it.
SECTION 8
Questions Lead to Big Ideas
Asking questions is just the first step! After you ask questions, you can start to design a solution. That means you make a plan to fix the problem.
| What You Do Now | What Comes Next |
|---|---|
| See a problem | Draw a plan to fix it |
| Ask questions | Build something to test |
| Think about what you need | Try it and see if it works! |
Asking questions helps you get ready to design and build.
Someday you will learn to draw plans, build models, and test your ideas. But it all starts with asking great questions — and you already know how to do that!
SECTION 9
Practice: Ask Questions About Problems!
Now it is your turn! Here is a new problem to think about. Read each question and pick the best answer. You can do it!
New Problem!
Question 1: CONCEPTUAL
Show answer
Question 2: BASIC OBSERVATION
Show answer
Question 3: INTERMEDIATE
Show answer
Question 4: APPLIED
Show answer
Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING
Show answer
SUMMARY
What Did We Learn?
Summary
Today we learned that asking questions is the first step to solving a problem. We use our eyes and ears to observe what is happening. Then we ask what, why, who, and how questions to understand the problem.
The best questions are about the problem we want to solve. When we ask good questions, we are thinking like engineers! Our questions help us come up with ideas to design a solution. Keep asking questions — you are a great problem solver!