Inquiry and Research: Generating Questions For Formal And Informal Inquiry (TEKS.ELA.6.12.A)
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Texas 6th Grade ELA › Inquiry and Research: Generating Questions For Formal And Informal Inquiry (TEKS.ELA.6.12.A)
Mia helps water plants in the small school courtyard garden. She noticed bees visit some flowers more than others, and she wants to make a recommendation for which plants to add next spring. She plans to observe the garden for a week, take simple counts of bee visits, and read beginner-friendly articles from the library and university extension websites about pollinators. She also wants to ask the science teacher about safe plants for campus. Mia needs a focused question to guide her research.
Which question would best guide the student's research?
Why are insects important?
Which flowering plants commonly grown in Texas school gardens attract the highest number of bee visits in spring?
How many bees visited the school garden at 10:05 a.m. last Thursday?
Which video game has the best graphics?
Explanation
B is specific, researchable, and on-topic for selecting bee-friendly plants. A is too broad, C is too narrow and time-bound, and D is irrelevant. Extension: Students write one teacher-guided and one self-selected question. Scaffold: Try stems like "How does…?" and "Why might…?" Enrichment: Explain which question could lead to the deepest project and why.
After basketball practice, Jamal sees overflowing bins of single-use plastic bottles near the gym. He hopes to start a student campaign to cut down on plastic waste at school. Jamal plans to take photos of trash areas over several days, tally bottles, read district guidelines on recycling, and search for case studies from other middle schools. He might also survey classmates about water bottle habits. To design a realistic plan, he needs a research question that is specific, practical, and answerable with data he can collect.
Which question would best guide the student's research?
How has pollution affected the planet throughout history?
How many bottles were in the trash by the gym at exactly 4:17 p.m. yesterday?
What are the most popular brands of sports drinks this year?
Which strategies are most effective for reducing single-use plastic bottle waste at middle schools like ours?
Explanation
D is focused, actionable, and allows Jamal to compare strategies with data he can gather. A is too broad, B is too narrow and one-time, and C is irrelevant to reducing waste. Extension: Students write one teacher-guided and one self-selected question. Scaffold: Use stems like "How does…?" and "Why might…?" Enrichment: Decide which question could lead to the deepest project and justify your choice.
Elena notices that some classmates feel tired in first period. She wonders whether using screens at night might affect how well sixth graders sleep. Elena plans to keep a simple sleep and screen-time journal for one week with a small group of volunteers, and to read health articles from reputable sources like children's hospitals and educational websites. She will compare patterns and look for recommendations that are safe for kids. Before she starts, Elena needs a clear, focused question that connects evening screen use and sleep on school nights.
Which question would best guide the student's research?
How does using phones or tablets in the hour before bedtime relate to the amount of sleep sixth graders report on school nights?
Why do humans need sleep?
How many minutes did I personally spend on my tablet last night?
Which new movies are coming out next month?
Explanation
A directly links evening screen use and sleep in a way that Elena can study with journals and articles. B is too broad, C is too narrow and personal, and D is irrelevant. Extension: Students write one teacher-guided and one self-selected question. Scaffold: Try "How does…?" and "Why might…?" Enrichment: Evaluate which question could support the deepest research and explain your reasoning.
A library club wants to help more students find books they enjoy. The group will analyze anonymous checkout records by grade level, look at which genres move fastest, and note times when the library is busiest. They will also interview the librarian about display choices and time limits during lunch. The club hopes to propose small changes, such as rotating displays or adjusting open hours, that could boost reading. To guide their study, they need a targeted research question that fits the data they can reasonably gather this month.
Which question would best guide the students' research?
Why do people like stories?
Which exact shelf should be moved three inches to the left in our library?
Which genres are most and least checked out by sixth graders at our school, and what changes to displays or hours could increase circulation?
How do you write a novel?
Explanation
C is specific, measurable with checkout data, and connected to actionable improvements. A is too broad, B is too narrow and arbitrary, and D is irrelevant to circulation. Extension: Students write one teacher-guided and one self-selected question. Scaffold: Use "How does…?" and "Why might…?" Enrichment: Decide which question offers the deepest research potential and defend your choice.
Mia noticed the cafeteria throws away many unopened milks and half-eaten fruit. For a science fair and a student council proposal, she wants to research ways to reduce food waste at school. She plans to observe lunch lines for a week, tally leftovers by category, and interview the cafeteria manager about current practices. Mia hopes to recommend a strategy the school could try, such as share tables, composting, or changing portion sizes. She needs a focused research question to guide her investigation.
Which question would best guide the student's research?
Which strategies have Texas middle schools used to cut cafeteria food waste by at least half, and how could our school test one?
Why do people waste food?
How many apple slices were left on table 3 last Tuesday?
What are the healthiest foods ever invented?
Explanation
A is researchable and on-topic: it targets school cafeteria food waste, looks at proven strategies, and sets a measurable goal with a test plan. B is too broad and unfocused. C is too narrow and not generalizable. D is irrelevant to reducing school waste. Extension: Students write one teacher-guided and one self-selected question for Mia's topic. Scaffold: Use stems like "How does ...?" and "Why might ...?" Enrichment: Evaluate which question could lead to the deepest research project and explain why.
Diego volunteers at a community garden near school. He wonders whether planting native Texas flowers could attract more pollinators, like bees and butterflies. He can set up two small plots, one with native flowers and one with non-native annuals, then observe visits three times a week for a month. He could also take simple photos from the same spot to compare activity. Diego wants a question that helps him plan fair observations and make a clear claim supported by data.
Which question would best guide the student's research?
How do bees make honey?
How might planting three specific native flowers in the school garden change the number of pollinator visits over four weeks?
What is nature?
How many pollinators live on Earth?
Explanation
B is researchable and on-topic: it specifies native flowers, a setting, and a time frame for measuring pollinator visits. A is interesting but not tied to the garden test. C is far too broad. D is broad and not directly useful for the garden study. Extension: Students write one teacher-guided and one self-selected question for Diego's investigation. Scaffold: Use stems like "How does ...?" and "Why might ...?" Enrichment: Decide which question could lead to the deepest research project and justify your choice.
Jordan often feels sleepy in first period and suspects late-night screen time might be part of the problem. For a health class inquiry, Jordan plans to survey sixth graders about when they stop using phones, tablets, or game consoles on school nights and how many hours they usually sleep. Jordan could also ask a small group to keep a one-week log. The goal is to find a pattern that could lead to helpful advice for students. Jordan needs a focused guiding question.
Which question would best guide the student's research?
Why do we sleep?
How many minutes do students in the world use screens each day?
For sixth graders at our school, what is the relationship between using screens after 8 p.m. and the number of hours they sleep on school nights?
Should phones be banned forever?
Explanation
C is researchable and on-topic: it defines a group, a specific screen-time cutoff, and a measurable sleep outcome. A is too broad and scientific for the project. B is overly broad and not school-specific. D is opinion-based and not a researchable question. Extension: Students write one teacher-guided and one self-selected question for Jordan's topic. Scaffold: Use stems like "How does ...?" and "Why might ...?" Enrichment: Judge which question could lead to the deepest research project and explain your reasoning.
At recess, the playground's blacktop feels much hotter than the grassy areas. Aisha wants to investigate ways the campus could cool the play area and make it safer during hot months. She plans to use an infrared thermometer to compare surface temperatures in sun and shade at different times of day and to sketch simple designs that add trees or shade sails. She hopes to present her findings to the principal. Aisha needs a precise, researchable question to guide her work.
Which question would best guide the student's research?
What is weather?
How hot does the sun get?
How many trees exist in Texas?
Which shade structures or tree-planting plans could reduce surface temperatures on our playground by at least 5 degrees during the afternoon?
Explanation
D is researchable and on-topic: it targets cooling strategies, sets a measurable temperature goal, and focuses on the playground. A is too broad. B is irrelevant to the school setting. C is broad and not tied to cooling the playground. Extension: Students write one teacher-guided and one self-selected question for Aisha's study. Scaffold: Use stems like "How does ...?" and "Why might ...?" Enrichment: Evaluate which question could lead to the deepest research project and defend your choice.