Costa's Levels of Questioning
Costa's Levels of Questioning
Level 1
- The answer is in the text. You can literally point your finger to the answer on the page.
- Look for words like define, list, name, label, or locate.
- There is usually only one correct answer.
- The point is to remember or identify basic facts.
- What is your brain doing?
Costa's Levels of Questioning
Level 2
- You are comparing two things or looking for a pattern.
- Look for words like compare, explain, why, sort, or analyze.
- The answer isn't written in one sentence; you have to put parts together.
- The point is to understand how or why something works.
- What is your brain doing?
Level 1
- The answer is in the text. You can literally point your finger to the answer on the page.
- Look for words like define, list, name, label, or locate.
- There is usually only one correct answer.
- The point is to remember or identify basic facts.
- What is your brain doing?
Costa's Levels of Questioning
Level 3
- There can be many different, good answers as long as you can back them up.
- Look for words like predict, imagine, judge, evaluate, or if/then.
- You are using the information to solve a new problem or share an opinion.
- To use what you know to think about the future or your own life.
- What is your brain doing?
Level 2
- You are comparing two things or looking for a pattern.
- Look for words like compare, explain, why, sort, or analyze.
- The answer isn't written in one sentence; you have to put parts together.
- The point is to understand how or why something works.
- What is your brain doing?
Level 1
- The answer is in the text. You can literally point your finger to the answer on the page.
- Look for words like define, list, name, label, or locate.
- There is usually only one correct answer.
- The point is to remember or identify basic facts.
- What is your brain doing?
Ancient Egypt
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
What is the name of the river that gave Egyptians water?
If you could live in Ancient Egypt, which job would you pick and why?
How was life different for a farmer compared to a King (Pharaoh)?
The Water Cycle
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
If your town ran out of fresh water, what is the first thing you would do to save it?
What do we call it when water falls from the sky?
Where does the water go after a puddle dries up in the sun?
Setting
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
Where does this story take place?
How would the story change if it happened in a dark forest instead of a city?
If you could travel into the book, where would you hide to watch the story happen?
The Statue of Liberty
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
What does the statue represent to someone moving to America for the first time?
What is a symbol (like a statue or a flag) that represents you?
Which country gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
Simple Machines
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
How does using a ramp make it easier to lift a heavy box?
Name one simple machine
Which simple machine do you think is the most important one in your house?
Money and Decimals
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
If you have $10.00 and buy a snack for $3.50, how do you find your change?
How many quarters make one dollar?
If you won $100, would it be smarter to spend it all now or save it? Why?
The Tortoise and the Hare
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
Who won the race in the story?
What is a time in your life when "slow and steady" helped you win or finish a task?
Why did the Hare lose even though he was much faster?
Castles and Knights
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
What was the main purpose of a castle's high walls?
Compare a knight’s life to the life of a soldier today.
If you had to protect your school from an knight how would you change the building?
Animal Adaptations
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
How does a polar bear's thick fur help it survive in the cold?
List two animals that use camouflage to hide.
If humans had to live underwater, what body parts would we need to grow?
Fact vs. Opinion
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
Why should we be careful when we read things on the internet?
What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?
Is "The sky is blue" a fact or an opinion?
The 13 Colonies
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
How many original colonies were there in America?
Why did people decide to leave their homes in Europe to move to a new land?
If you had to start a new town from scratch, what are the first three rules you would make?
The Moon Phases
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
Why does the moon look like it's changing shape every night?
Imagine the moon disappeared. How would that change the way we live on Earth?
Does the moon produce its own light?
The Wright Brothers
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
How would your life be different today if airplanes were never invented?
What did the Wright brothers invent?
Why was their first flight a "big deal" for the rest of the world?
Practicing Costa's Levels of Qu
Darren
Created on March 1, 2026
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Transcript
Costa's Levels of Questioning
Costa's Levels of Questioning
Level 1
Costa's Levels of Questioning
Level 2
Level 1
Costa's Levels of Questioning
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Ancient Egypt
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
What is the name of the river that gave Egyptians water?
If you could live in Ancient Egypt, which job would you pick and why?
How was life different for a farmer compared to a King (Pharaoh)?
The Water Cycle
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
If your town ran out of fresh water, what is the first thing you would do to save it?
What do we call it when water falls from the sky?
Where does the water go after a puddle dries up in the sun?
Setting
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
Where does this story take place?
How would the story change if it happened in a dark forest instead of a city?
If you could travel into the book, where would you hide to watch the story happen?
The Statue of Liberty
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
What does the statue represent to someone moving to America for the first time?
What is a symbol (like a statue or a flag) that represents you?
Which country gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States?
Simple Machines
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
How does using a ramp make it easier to lift a heavy box?
Name one simple machine
Which simple machine do you think is the most important one in your house?
Money and Decimals
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
If you have $10.00 and buy a snack for $3.50, how do you find your change?
How many quarters make one dollar?
If you won $100, would it be smarter to spend it all now or save it? Why?
The Tortoise and the Hare
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
Who won the race in the story?
What is a time in your life when "slow and steady" helped you win or finish a task?
Why did the Hare lose even though he was much faster?
Castles and Knights
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
What was the main purpose of a castle's high walls?
Compare a knight’s life to the life of a soldier today.
If you had to protect your school from an knight how would you change the building?
Animal Adaptations
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
How does a polar bear's thick fur help it survive in the cold?
List two animals that use camouflage to hide.
If humans had to live underwater, what body parts would we need to grow?
Fact vs. Opinion
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
Why should we be careful when we read things on the internet?
What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?
Is "The sky is blue" a fact or an opinion?
The 13 Colonies
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
How many original colonies were there in America?
Why did people decide to leave their homes in Europe to move to a new land?
If you had to start a new town from scratch, what are the first three rules you would make?
The Moon Phases
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
Why does the moon look like it's changing shape every night?
Imagine the moon disappeared. How would that change the way we live on Earth?
Does the moon produce its own light?
The Wright Brothers
Level 2
Level 1
Level 3
How would your life be different today if airplanes were never invented?
What did the Wright brothers invent?
Why was their first flight a "big deal" for the rest of the world?