“Questions don’t just come to you, they’re created by you!”
Through questions, conversations and discussions
Picture book literacy classes that encourage independent exploration

A passionate teacher's project to create a "classroom where questions live" where even seemingly odd questions are meaningfully answered! Teacher Han-sam Lee, aka "Samcrates," guides students through the lens of questions, exploring diverse everyday issues through practical question-making techniques.
It introduces nine questioning techniques and explains in detailed and precise sentences how to create questions.
Next, we will delve into the know-how of thematic picture book question classes and utilize questioning techniques in depth.
This book covers a comprehensive method for actively communicating with children who usually remain silent when a teacher asks, “Kids, do you have any questions?”

'Picture Book Question Class' is a class where students read picture books together, create 'questions' about various topics related to the work, such as themes, materials, and personal experiences, and then answer those questions together to broaden their thinking.
The questioning technique in this book is an open-ended question-making method based on Havruta.
Questions without definitive answers spark diverse imaginations, allowing children to unleash their creativity.
The answer leads to another question, and the class soon becomes lively with discussion.
'Picture book question classes' that encourage children to speak freely help develop literacy skills.

In particular, the book includes a question and answer section at the end, which also includes the trial and error experiences of conducting picture book question classes with children.
The solutions derived from honest experiences can be of practical help to many teachers who are trying out 'picture book inquiry classes.'

In question-and-answer classes, the core unit of questioning and answering is not an individual, but a 'pair' of two.
In a one-on-one conversation where one person asks a question and the other answers, even the most timid child can put down their burden and open their mouth.
(Omitted) What makes the “Questions that Connect You and Me” technique different from conventional self-introductions is that it brings up a story that connects to ‘me’ from a picture book.

--- p.24~25

Instead of the teacher asking the question first, the class will be more effective if the children look at the cover picture and create their own questions.
Children are much more active when answering teachers' questions.
I ask to zoom in to see the cover in more detail, and carefully examine even the small details drawn in the corners.
It is about breaking away from being a passive reader who just sits and reads or listens to picture books.

--- p.29

During coloring time, Chanwoo held a green colored pencil in his hand and spoke thoughtfully.
“Is this really green?” / “Then what is it?” Yeonju, the partner, asked back.
Then Chanwoo took turns coloring with Yeonju's colored pencils and his own plastic colored pencils.
The colors of the two were subtly different.
“Look, look.
They're clearly different, but they're both called green.
Then what is real green?” / “They’re both fake green.
The real green is the leaves.
“The colored pencils are made in a factory after seeing that.” / “Aha! So the color of green changes depending on what kind of leaves the factory saw!”
--- p.86~87

The second step in creating a story is to create the events that the character will experience.
At this point, the story becomes more interesting when it contains conflict.
For example, if you write, "Ms. Marie, who goes to work at the cloud airport, worked hard," you are clearly including the "event" of working at the airport, but the reader won't find it very interesting.
If you write something like, "Ms. Marie, who was late for work on her first day at Cloud Airport, started working frantically but ended up making a big mistake," you can create an interesting story by creating the conflict between "lateness" and "mistake."

--- p.100~101

How can Myungjin's weak animal, the meerkat, help our class? "I think it would be great if he was the class safety guard! Before physical education or other physical activities, he would check for dangerous objects or rocks and help prevent anyone from getting hurt." On the other hand, how can Jeyoon's weak animal, the hedgehog, who has thorns on his butt and can't sit still, help our class? "I think he would be great if he was the class lost and found leader.
“I wish Jeyoon would go around and find things for his friends when they lose something.”
--- p.121

“There’s a saying, ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’
“If we keep bullying each other like this, we won’t solve the problem and our class will be a mess.” The children immediately said that responding to bullying with bullying was not a good approach.
If punishment or tit-for-tat bullying from someone in a higher position is not the solution, what could be the clue to a solution?
--- p.167

“I think I’ll go to heaven or hell when I die.” / “I think there’s no heaven or hell and this life is my last.” Saerom asked again at Seongchan’s words.
“If you think there is no afterlife, you think it’s okay to live this life to the fullest because you won’t have to go to heaven?” / “No? It’s the opposite.
“I believe that there is no world after death, so I try to live my one and only life without regrets.”
--- p.173

When a question that seems inappropriate is asked, instead of just ignoring or blocking the question, ask 'why' the person is curious.
Children who have experienced their thoughts being respected through questions will then think more about 'why' they are curious about something rather than just making questions for fun.

--- p.203