QFT Landing Page
QFT Lesson Plans
The Question Formulation Technique, or QFT, was created by the Right Question Institute to spark students’ curiosity and critical thinking by teaching them to ask their own questions.
The lessons on “Mr. Civil Rights” begin with the Question Formulation Technique (QFT), which asks students to generate, improve, and prioritize questions using a primary source as a focus. The QFT strategy helps students improve their historical thinking skills for developing questions and the close reading of primary sources.
TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS
Teaching Tips
- Review all materials: Lesson materials include a lesson plan, slideshow, student handouts, graphic organizers, and primary source sets. While similar primary sources and video clips are used for the different grade levels, age appropriateness and video length may vary.
- Share the Q-Focus: The Q-Focus serves as a starting point for students to create their own questions.
- Elementary students use a photo of Thurgood Marshall to spark curiosity and build confidence asking their own questions.
- Middle school students can watch a video or use a photo of Thurgood Marshall to develop and refine their questions about the source.
- High school students watch a video clip to generate questions and analyze primary sources to gather evidence for the guided inquiry question.
- Examine the legacy of "Mr. Civil Rights": Students will investigate the guided inquiry question, “Why was Thurgood Marshall called ‘Mr. Civil Rights’?” and examine leveled primary sources to collect evidence to answer the question. Each lesson is aimed at the corresponding grade level but follows the same sequence and therefore can support teachers’ efforts to scaffold for their students.