English · Year 10

Active learning ideas

Formulating Research Questions

Students learn best when they move from abstract ideas to concrete practice, especially with research skills. Formulating research questions benefits from collaborative discussion and iterative trial-and-error, which active learning structures provide naturally.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9E10LY06
• AC9E10LA07

• 25–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 30 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Question Refinement

Students individually brainstorm three questions on a unit theme. In pairs, they swap and rate each question for specificity, arguability, and feasibility using a checklist. Pairs share one revised question with the class for whole-group discussion.

Design a research question that is both specific and open to complex argumentation.

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share: Question Refinement, circulate with two pre-selected sample questions—one descriptive, one analytical—and ask pairs to explain which works better and why before sharing out.

What to look for

Present students with three sample questions. Ask them to label each as 'Descriptive' or 'Analytical' and briefly explain their reasoning for one of each type. For example: 'What are the main causes of the Australian bushfires?' vs. 'How do climate change patterns exacerbate the severity of Australian bushfires?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Gallery Walk
• 45 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Question Critique

Post student-generated questions around the room with sticky notes. Small groups rotate, adding feedback on strengths and suggestions using the key criteria. Debrief as a class to vote on the strongest examples and common improvements.

Differentiate between a descriptive question and an analytical research question.

Facilitation Tip

During Gallery Walk: Question Critique, provide a checklist on each poster with the criteria: arguable, specific, feasible, and analytical in focus.

What to look for

Students bring a draft research question for an upcoming essay. In pairs, they ask each other: 'Is this question specific enough?' 'Can it be argued, or is there only one answer?' 'Could I realistically research this in two weeks?' Partners provide one written suggestion for improvement.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Carousel Brainstorm
• 35 min · Small Groups

Question Ladder: Building Complexity

Provide broad topics; students in small groups climb a 'ladder' by rewriting questions from descriptive to analytical, justifying each step. Groups present their ladder to the class, explaining feasibility checks.

Evaluate the feasibility of a research question based on available resources and scope.

Facilitation Tip

During Question Ladder: Building Complexity, model the first step by narrowing a broad topic together, then step back to let groups take over.

What to look for

Provide students with a broad topic, such as 'Social Media Impact.' Ask them to write one analytical research question about this topic and one sentence explaining why it is arguable and feasible for a Year 10 project.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Carousel Brainstorm
• 25 min · Individual

Resource Hunt: Feasibility Check

Individuals draft a question, then search library databases or online sources for five minutes to assess available evidence. They revise based on findings and share in pairs for final peer approval.

Design a research question that is both specific and open to complex argumentation.

Facilitation Tip

During Resource Hunt: Feasibility Check, give students a one-page mock search results sheet to simulate real constraints before they finalize their questions.

What to look for

Present students with three sample questions. Ask them to label each as 'Descriptive' or 'Analytical' and briefly explain their reasoning for one of each type. For example: 'What are the main causes of the Australian bushfires?' vs. 'How do climate change patterns exacerbate the severity of Australian bushfires?'

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model the thinking process aloud when transforming broad topics into research questions. Avoid the trap of assigning questions for students—guide them through the narrowing process step-by-step. Research shows that students improve most when they see multiple examples of strong and weak questions side by side and receive immediate, structured feedback on their own attempts.

By the end of these activities, students will confidently turn broad topics into focused, arguable questions that guide research and support analysis. Evidence of success includes peer feedback that highlights arguability, specificity, and feasibility in student-generated questions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Think-Pair-Share: Question Refinement, watch for students who label any question as acceptable if it can be answered with a quick search.

  Use the turn-and-talk phase to ask pairs to identify whether their sample questions require interpretation or just recall, then share counterexamples to shift their focus to argumentation.

• During Gallery Walk: Question Critique, watch for students who assume narrower questions are automatically better.

  Direct students to mark questions that are too narrow by indicating where evidence might be scarce, using the poster checklist to guide their critique.

• During Resource Hunt: Feasibility Check, watch for students who fixate on overly specific questions without considering available sources.

  Have students adjust their questions in real time during the hunt by testing their search terms on the mock results sheet and noting which yield too few or no relevant sources.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share
• Gallery Walk
• Carousel Brainstorm