1. ASKING QUESTIONS
OF OF MICE AND MEN
Developing Enquiring Minds

2. Starter challenge
 Can you work out the point of this activity?
What’s our learning intention?

3. If this is the answer...
...what’s the
question?
Eleve
n

4. What makes a good question?
Skilled questions
will be … 1.Accurate but boring
Excellent questions
will be… 1.Exciting / Original /
thoughtful

5. Cover the table
 Write each question on a card and put on your
table
 Tell your partner so we avoid repeating
questions

6. If this is the answer...
...what’s the
question?
Green.

7. If this is the answer...
...what’s the
question?
Because he loved
her.

8. If this is the answer...
...what’s the
question?
Candy’s Dog.

9. Title: Writing Great Questions
WALT
 - develop imaginative responses to the stories
we read

10. Types of Question
 Knowledge Questions – the answers are in the
book
 Speculation Questions – use your imagination
 Deeper thinking Questions – thinking outside
the book

11. Topic
 Curley’s Wife

12. Knowledge Questions – answers are in the
book
 Where does she live?
 Does she have a job?
 Is she married?

13. Speculation Questions – use your
imagination
 How does she feel about Curley?
 Why did she marry Curley?
 What are her ambitions for the future?
 Is she happy?

14. Deep Thought Questions – think outside the
book
 Does getting married really make people
happy?
 Is it possible to love someone you don’t like?
 Why do unhappy people stay together?
 Is life harder for women than men?

15. Your Topic...

16. Writing Great Questions
Lennie and George’s Dream
 Task
 - Fill the sheet with Knowledge / Speculation /
Deeper Thinking Questions about the Dream

17. Knowledge Questions
Speculation Questions What...?
Where?
Why might...?
When?
What if...?
How many?
What would change if...?
What might...?
Lennie
and
George’s
Dream
Deep Thought Questions
What’s the importance of...?
Is...?
Does...?

18. Knowledge Questions
Speculation Questions What...?
Where?
Why might...?
When?
What if...?
How many?
What would change if...?
What might...?
Deep Thought Questions
What’s the importance of...?
Is...?
Does...?

19. Task
 Choose your best ‘SPECULATION’ question
 Put on a post-it note on the board
 Class-vote on the best question
 Rally-Coach – write a paragraph to answer it

20. Writing Better Explanations
 WALT
 - write better explanations to answer questions
 Does George really believe in the dream?

21. Task
 Continue with your answer to the speculation
question ‘Does George really believe in the
dream?’
 Use the models and success criteria to help
you

22. Ideas
 P15 – George talks about the dream for the
first time
 P60 – George, Lennie and Candy talk about
the dream

23. Does George really believe in the
dream?
 I think that George really does believe in the
dream because he keeps going on to Lennie
about it and talking about it all the time. He
never shuts up about it.
Poor model

24. Does George really believe in the
dream?
 I think that George really does believe in the
dream. He seems to know all the
details, showing that he has thought it through.
For example, he says ‘we can have
rabbits, and grow our own crops’. This shows
that he has spent a lot of time thinking about
it, suggesting that he is taking it seriously.
However, it could be that he is only saying this
to keep Lennie happy, because....
Better model

25. What makes a good answer?
Skilled answers 1. Make clear points
will … 2. Provide some evidence from the text
3. Explain your points
Excellent answers 1. More original and interesting
will be…
2. Explore alternative possibilities
3. Explain in greater detail, by
linking to other ideas in the
text

26. We are learning to...
- write better explanations to answer
questions
I develop
explanation
fully by
I make more
considering
original
alternative
points
points of
I explain in view and
I make clear points more detail making links
I use quotations
I explain my
thinking

27. We are learning to...
- write better explanations to answer
questions
I develop
explanation
fully by
I make more
considering
original
alternative
points
points of
I explain in view and
I make clear points more detail making links
I use quotations
I explain my
thinking

28. We are learning to...
- write better explanations to answer
questions
I develop
explanation
fully by
I make more
considering
original
alternative
points
points of
I explain in view and
I make clear points more detail making links
I use quotations
I explain my
thinking

29. We are learning to...
- write better explanations to answer
questions
I develop
explanation
fully by
I make more
considering
original
alternative
points
points of
I explain in view and
I make clear points more detail making links
I use quotations
I explain my
thinking

30. We are learning to...
- write better explanations to answer
questions
I develop
explanation
fully by
I make more
considering
original
alternative
points
points of
I explain in view and
I make clear points more detail making links
I use quotations
I explain my
thinking

31. We are learning to...
- write better explanations to answer
questions
I develop
explanation
fully by
I make more
considering
original
alternative
points
points of
I explain in view and
I make clear points more detail making links
I use quotations
I explain my
thinking

32. Task
 Continue with your answer to the speculation
question ‘Does George really believe in the
dream?’
 Use the models and success criteria to help
you

33. Ideas
 P15 – George talks about the dream for the
first time
 P60 – George, Lennie and Candy talk about
the dream

34. Homework
 Choose a new speculation question
 Write at least 400 words to answer it
 Monday