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Lesson 20 of 20 · Questioning & Curiosity

Challengeintermediate

My Questioning Superpower

What You'll Learn

What's the best question you've ever asked? What did you learn from the answer? How has your questioning skill improved? Celebrate your growth as a curious thinker! Reflecting on questioning skills is a critical thinking skill that separates careful thinkers from careless ones. Mastering it gives you an advantage in school, in friendships, and eventually in your career. Why does this matter? Reflecting on questioning skills is a skill that will help you in school, in friendships, and in solving real-world problems. People who master this skill make better decisions and understand the world more clearly. Here's the process: Step 1 — Define the challenge. What exactly are you trying to figure out? Being specific about the question is half the battle. Step 2 — Gather information. What facts do you have? What might be missing? Not all information is equally useful — focus on what's relevant. Step 3 — Consider multiple options. Don't stop at your first idea. Challenge yourself to think of at least three alternatives. Often the best answer is one you didn't think of immediately. Step 4 — Evaluate your options. What are the pros and cons of each? What evidence supports each one? Which option has the strongest reasoning behind it? Step 5 — Make your choice and explain your reasoning. "I think ___ because ___" is the formula. Being able to explain your thinking is just as important as getting the right answer. Step 6 — Reflect. Was your approach effective? What would you do differently next time? This reflection step is how good thinkers become great thinkers.

Key Concept: Reflecting on questioning skills

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Think About This

A news article makes a surprising claim about reflecting on questioning skills. Before accepting or rejecting it, what questions should you ask? What evidence would you look for?

Thinking Steps

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Define

State the problem or question about reflecting on questioning skills in your own words. Be specific.

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Investigate

What evidence or information is available? What might be missing?

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Consider Angles

Look at this from at least two perspectives. What would someone who disagrees say?

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Reason It Out

Connect evidence to your conclusion: 'The evidence shows X, which means Y, because Z.'

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Test Your Thinking

Could you be wrong? What evidence would change your mind? Rate your confidence 1-10.

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Reflect & Connect

What thinking skill did you use? How could you apply this to something in your real life?

Key Points

1

Master reflecting on questioning skills

2

Apply questioning & curiosity in real situations

3

Build habits of questioning & curiosity

Key Vocabulary

Bias

A tendency to think a certain way that may not be fair

Evaluate

Judging how good or effective something is

Perspective

A particular point of view or way of seeing things

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Why This Matters in Real Life

Research shows that questioning curiosity skills are among the top capabilities employers look for. These aren't just school skills — they're life skills.

Talk About It

Discuss these questions with a friend, parent, or classmate.

  • 1Give a real-world example where reflecting on questioning skills would help you make a better decision.
  • 2What's the most common mistake people make with this kind of thinking?
  • 3How does this thinking skill connect to other subjects you study in school?
  • 4If you had to teach this to a younger student, what's the ONE thing you'd make sure they understood?

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What is the main idea of reflecting on questioning skills?