Inquiry Benchmark Bellringer
INQUIRY BENCHMARK WRITING SUPPORTING QUESTIONS
Name:
Date:
Our Project's Compelling Question
"When and where was the most interesting time in history to live?"
Inquiry Goal Build Evidence Bricks
1
Concept Check: What is a Supporting Question?
Compelling Questions
Big, broad, open-ended, and debatable. There is no single factual answer—they demand an argument.
Supporting Questions
Targeted, factual, and analytical. They gather evidence and unpack who, what, when, where, why, and how.
2
Question Audit: Classify Each Question
Skill Drill
Instructions: Read each historical question carefully. Decide whether it is an open-ended, argumentative Compelling Question or a specific, fact-gathering Supporting Question. Place a checkmark (✓) in the appropriate column.
| Question Example | Compelling | Supporting |
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| A. What agricultural tools and defensive fortress designs shaped life in medieval Europe? | | |
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| B. Does technological progress always make human life better? |
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| C. How did daily life differ between wealthy nobles and peasant farmers in medieval Europe? |
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👥 Elbow Partner Check
Did you both have the same answers?
YES
NO
If you checked NO: Discuss with your partner, decide together who has the right answer, and revise above.
If NO, which question did you change?
Question A
Question B
Question C
3
Journalist Stems: Draft Your Supporting Question
The 6 Inquirer Stems:
WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN WHY HOW
Pick a historical era or civilization you are investigating. Write one strong supporting question using one of the journalist stems above that will gather essential facts to prove whether this time and place was "the most interesting to live."
My Chosen Time Period / Place:
My Supporting Question Journalist Stem Used (circle one): Who · What · Where · When · Why · How
4
Self-Check: The "Evidence Brick" Test
Verify Before Submitting
Can be answered with concrete historical facts and sources.
Focuses on a specific aspect (culture, daily life, conflict, tech).
Directly helps build an argument for our Compelling Question.
