Inquiry and Research: Refining Research Questions (TEKS.ELA.8.12.C)
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Texas 8th Grade ELA › Inquiry and Research: Refining Research Questions (TEKS.ELA.8.12.C)
Major research question: How did the Texas oil boom change life in Texas? Secondary questions:
- Which industries grew most in cities like Houston and Dallas between 1901 and 1940?
- How did oil revenues affect public services such as roads and schools?
- What environmental issues emerged near early oil fields (spills, air quality)?
- How did national fashion trends change during the 1920s?
- Did population shift from rural to urban areas, and how quickly?
Which revision of the major research question best incorporates the most relevant secondary questions while keeping a clear, researchable focus?
In what ways did the Texas oil boom from 1901–1940 reshape the state's economy and urban growth, and what environmental trade-offs accompanied those changes?
How did people feel about oil in Texas?
Which environmental problem did oil spills cause in one Texas town in 1903?
How did the Texas oil boom change Texas and the whole world in every way?
Explanation
Choice A synthesizes the key relevant secondary questions (industry growth, urbanization/public services, environmental impacts) and sets a manageable time frame. B is vague and ignores the guidance from the secondary questions. C narrows too far to one town and one issue. D broadens the topic beyond a focused, researchable scope.
Major research question: How does screen time affect middle school students? Secondary questions:
- How does blue light from screens influence melatonin and sleep onset?
- How many hours of screen use do students typically report on school nights?
- What role do bedtime routines (device curfews, night mode) play?
- Do different video game genres improve reaction time?
- How do later school start times interact with evening screen use?
Which revision of the major research question best uses the most relevant secondary questions to create a focused, researchable inquiry?
How much screen time is too much for everyone?
How many hours do middle schoolers use screens on school nights?
How does evening screen use among middle schoolers affect sleep duration and sleep onset, and which home routines mitigate those effects?
Do video games make students faster at reaction time and sleep better?
Explanation
Choice C integrates key secondary questions about blue light, sleep timing/duration, and bedtime routines, keeping the scope focused and researchable. A is overly broad. B focuses on a single measure and does not address effects. D strays from the core sleep focus and mixes in a less relevant angle.
Major research question: How are Texas Gulf Coast communities dealing with coastal erosion? Secondary questions:
- Which sections of the coastline have experienced the most erosion in the past 20 years?
- How do marsh restoration and dune reinforcement compare in reducing storm surge damage?
- What are the costs and trade-offs of seawalls vs. beach nourishment?
- How have local fishing traditions changed in inland mountain towns?
- How does sea-level rise influence erosion rates along barrier islands?
Which revised major research question best applies the most relevant secondary questions to sharpen focus and remain researchable?
How is erosion happening everywhere along the world's coasts?
Which strategies are most effective and feasible for Texas Gulf Coast communities to slow erosion and reduce storm-surge risk, considering recent erosion hotspots and sea-level rise?
Where has erosion been worst on the Texas coast in the last 20 years?
Should we build a seawall in Galveston immediately?
Explanation
Choice B synthesizes strategy comparison, feasibility, erosion hotspots, and sea-level rise, creating a focused, actionable research question. A expands the scope far beyond Texas. C is too narrow and descriptive, ignoring solutions and trade-offs. D fixates on one solution without weighing alternatives or evidence.
Major research question: How can our middle school reduce cafeteria food waste? Secondary questions:
- Which foods are most often discarded and why (taste, portion size)?
- How does lunch schedule length and timing affect waste?
- What low-cost strategies (share tables, donation, composting) are feasible under local health rules?
- How many students play after-school sports?
- What role do student-led campaigns and signage play in changing behavior?
Which revision best uses the most relevant secondary questions to focus the major inquiry into a manageable, researchable plan?
What is cafeteria food waste and why is it bad?
Can composting fix our cafeteria's waste problem completely?
How many minutes should lunch be?
Which combination of feasible strategies can our school implement to reduce the most-wasted foods, considering schedule factors and student behavior?
Explanation
Choice D draws directly from the key secondary questions (most-wasted items, schedule, feasible strategies, behavior change) and frames a specific, actionable study. A is too broad and general. B narrows to a single solution and assumes it will work. C isolates only the schedule factor and ignores other evidence.
Major research question: How do hurricanes change coastal ecosystems? Secondary questions:
- How does storm surge change salinity in salt marshes?
- Which species signal that a marsh is recovering?
- How long does it take marsh plants to regrow after a storm?
- Do seawalls and levees change flooding patterns in marshes?
- How are inland forests affected compared with marshes?
Which revision best uses the most relevant secondary questions to focus the major research question while staying researchable?
How do hurricanes impact wildlife worldwide?
How do storm surge–driven salinity changes and protective barriers affect salt marsh recovery in the year after a Gulf Coast hurricane?
How many fish die in one bay after one storm?
Do seawalls work?
Explanation
B uses multiple relevant secondary questions (salinity, recovery time, barriers) to create a clear, manageable focus on salt marsh recovery after a hurricane.
Major research question: How has the Texas oil industry shaped local communities over time? Secondary questions:
- How did housing and infrastructure change in early 1900s boomtowns?
- How did shale booms in the 2010s affect school funding in small towns?
- What environmental regulations were in place in different periods?
- How stable were jobs and local businesses during and after booms?
- How did nearby ranching communities adapt to rapid growth?
Which revision best uses the most relevant secondary questions to focus the major research question while staying researchable?
How has oil changed America?
Were 2010s shale jobs good?
How did one neighborhood in Midland respond to a single well opening in 2017?
In two Texas boomtowns, how did the 1920s and 2010s oil booms differently affect housing and school funding, and how did changing regulations influence those outcomes?
Explanation
D integrates multiple secondary questions (housing, school funding, regulations) in a comparative, manageable scope focused on Texas.
Major research question: How can cities reduce food deserts? Secondary questions:
- How far do residents travel to buy groceries?
- How does bus route frequency affect access to fresh food?
- Do community gardens change fruit and vegetable intake?
- Which health indicators improve when fresh food is available?
- What are the costs of opening a full-service grocery store in a neighborhood?
Which revision best uses the most relevant secondary questions to focus the major research question while staying researchable?
How do transportation access and community gardens together affect fresh food availability and health indicators in one urban neighborhood over five years?
How unhealthy are food deserts across the country?
Do community gardens work?
How does one bus stop change shopping for one building?
Explanation
A combines key secondary questions (transportation, gardens, health indicators) into a clear, measurable study in a defined neighborhood and time frame.
Major research question: How can communities preserve Tejano music traditions in South Texas? Secondary questions:
- What role do local festivals play in participation?
- How do school music programs influence youth involvement?
- How can digital archives support learning and preservation?
- How do elder musicians mentor younger artists?
- What funding challenges do small towns face?
Which revision best uses the most relevant secondary questions to focus the major research question while staying researchable?
How has music changed in Texas?
Should one town host a festival every month?
Which preservation strategies—festivals, school programs, and digital archives—most effectively sustain teen participation in Tejano music across several South Texas communities?
How do bands make money?
Explanation
C draws on multiple relevant secondary questions (festivals, schools, archives) and keeps a focused, researchable scope across several South Texas communities.