Ask Better Questions

A strong question gives your thinking somewhere to go. This tool is for questions that drive investigation, research, design, and problem-solving.

1. Start With What You Notice

Questions often begin with something surprising, confusing, missing, changing, or worth understanding.

2. Open the Question Up

Move beyond questions that can be answered with one fact.

Closed: “How many students ride the bus?”
Stronger: “How does transportation affect students’ school day?”

3. Make It Investigable

Ask whether you could actually gather evidence, observe, test, compare, interview, measure, or research something that helps answer it.

4. Narrow It Enough to Use

“How does the world work?” is huge. “How does shade affect the temperature of playground surfaces during the school day?” gives you a place to begin.

Try It

Turn this into a stronger inquiry question: “Why is lunch bad?”

What could you investigate, compare, observe, or ask that would make the question more useful and fair?

💡 Funky Tip

A better question does not guarantee an easy answer. It gives you a better path for finding out.

I am smart.

Smart thinking often begins by noticing what you do not know yet.

🎒 Take It With You

Notice → open it up → make it investigable → narrow it enough to use.