Working with Information - What makes a good focus question?

What makes a good focus question?

Focus Questions

A focus question asks the learner to:

focus on a local or regional issue,
think deeply about the issue,
research the issue and
produce original thinking about the issue.

Focus questions therefore make the learner focus on the topic at hand. They are open questions which means that they do not have clear-cut answers and that they are designed to make your learners think. In tackling such a challenging and authentic task in a well-structured way you can ensure that the learner is likely to achieve many critical outcomes of the National Curriculum. Because focus questions are focused on a topic, a unit of work or the piece of content that is about to be studied, they also relate closely to the Learning Area or Learning Outcomes.

Examples of good focus questions

These examples cover all learning areas but the educator would have to adapt the questions and/or activities to suit specific phases.

Learning area	Focus question	Unit Activity
Languages	What are the personality traits of the main characters (of a certain novel)?	Small groups re-write stories into plays showing understanding.
	How does the media portray the good and the bad?	A wall display exposing examples of how the media influences our judgement on values.
	What is successful advertising and how does it effect us?	A drama skit of a good advertisement for a teenage consumer product.
Mathematics	How can a knowledge of percentages help you become a stable, financially secure and responsible citizen?	A presentation entitled "The maths behind success".
	To what extent are Fibonacci numbers common in nature?	A photographic or artistic essay on Fibbonacci in the natural surroundings of the local community.
Natural Sciences	Does recycling help the environment?	A campaign speech to launch a recycling drive at the school.
	Will the extinction of Rain Forests affect me where I live?	A campaign brochure/poster outlining ways in which deforestation is a threat to the local community.
	How serious is the threat of natural disaster in our community?	A presentation to the civil defence authorities.
Social Sciences	How could the Second World War have ended sooner?	Newspaper articles about events and their impact are put together into a class newspaper.
	What impact did your famous person have on South Africa and the world?	A collection of tributes in a newspaper on the (imaginery) death of the character.
	Will South Africa recover from the human cost of gold?	An expose on a website of the impact of gold mining on society.
Arts and Culture	How does the work (of a certain artist) depict politics of his/her time?	Present research on political messages in art works in a audio-visual way.
	What part does ethnic art play in everyday life?	An exhibition pamphlet praising the impact of an ethnic artist.
	How do we express our culture best?	A variety show in which learners must depict the best of culture.
Life Orientation	Which of our community helpers is the most important?	Explore friendship and community through interviews and literature then write compositions for a classroom community website. Create a careers website.
	What is healthy?	Create a poster about what is healthy.
Economic and Management Sciences	Can natural energy resources take the place of man made energy resources?	A critical analysis of energy resources and a recommendation of the way to go in the future - a presentation
	Will the South African economy survive the demise of gold?	A financial newspaper collection of articles.
Technology	Is recycling worth it?	Presentations by learners who must either oppose and or support the idea.
	What do you think animals would want to say to us humans?	A dramatised dialogue or a rap song or a poem.
	How can we apply ICT to improve the quality of life of disabled people?	A handbook for the disabled, highlighting how ICT can improve their way of life.