Most students are great at answering questions, but how good are they at asking them?
In project-based learning, the quality of a student’s driving question often determines the depth of their entire project. That’s why strong questioning skills are a foundational piece of any effective PBL curriculum.
I’m excited to share our newest resource:
Why Ask Why? Crafting High Quality Questions
(Grades 5–10)
This complete 3-hour lesson experience helps students move beyond basic, Google-able questions and learn how to craft rich, thought-provoking questions that fuel meaningful inquiry and powerful projects.
Why This Matters for PBL
In project-based learning, everything starts with a strong question. A weak question leads to shallow research and surface-level projects. A high-quality question sparks curiosity, encourages critical thinking, and creates space for authentic discovery.
This lesson gives students the tools to:
- Analyze what makes a question “high quality”
- Build their own class standard for excellent questions
- Rewrite basic questions into powerful ones
- Launch their own student-driven inquiries and PBL units
In the age of AI, this skill has become even more essential. AI can generate answers instantly, but it cannot replicate human curiosity or the ability to ask nuanced, original questions. Teaching students to craft high-quality questions helps them use AI as a powerful tool — while still thinking like real researchers, scientists, and writers.
Free Sample Lesson Preview:
Here’s a look at what’s inside the full resource:
Gallery Walk Quotes (Phase I) Students reflect on inspiring quotes such as:
“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” — Voltaire
“The best scientists and explorers have the attributes of kids! They ask questions and have a sense of wonder…” — Sylvia Earle
Student Handout #1: Good or Bad Questions? Students sort questions like:
- “Why does rain fall?”
- “What should be done about homelessness and poverty in the U.S.?”
- “How might the world be different if Martin Luther King lived another 20 years?”
Student Handout #2: From Good to Great Students practice elevating simple questions (like “What is gravity?” or “What’s happening to our planet?”) into much stronger versions.
Watch the Lesson Preview Video:
Ready to Use PBL Lesson in Your Classroom
This resource includes everything you need: complete teacher guides, student handouts, phase-by-phase instructions, and assessment tools. It integrates beautifully into ELA, science, social studies, and any PBL curriculum focused on student inquiry and deeper learning.
If you want your students to ask better questions and create stronger projects, this is the resource for you.
Get the full “Why Ask Why? Crafting High Quality Questions” lesson now by subscribing to my Substack→ HERE!
What do you think? Drop a comment below: What’s one question you wish your students asked more often in their projects?
About the Author: Jenny
