A Guide to UnGoogleable Question Creation

Ungoogleable questions require you to make a reasoned judgement about information. A

reasoned judgement is when you have to make a good decision about the importance or
significance of the information you have found.
You cannot find the answer by googling, but you can find information that will help you answer
it!
Information gathering questions

Inquiry questions

(Googleable)

(Ungoogleable)

How do scientists genetically engineer

organisms?

Should scientists genetically engineer

organisms?

Why did the American government drop a

Should the American government have
nuclear bomb on Hiroshima and
dropped a bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Nagasaki?

How does a nuclear power station work?

Is nuclear power the best solution for New

Zealands future energy needs?

What happens in Shakespeares play

Romeo and Juliet?

How is Romeo and Juliet relevant to

understanding people and/or society
today?

1. Does my question have the potential to explore big ideas and/or concepts
about the world?
No

Yes


See Part 1 Again

Excellent! Continue!

2. Is my question
relevant in some way to my life now a
nd in the future?

No

Yes

How can I make it relevant?

Hooray! Keep going!

3. Is an understanding of this question valuable and useful in the world beyond

school?
No

Yes

Look at the rest of the worksheet to revise

YAY! Move forward!

4. Is this question suitably challenging for me?

No

Yes

How can I manage it to be at my level?

Fantastic! Onward!

5. Does this question have the potential to engage and interest me?
No

Why am I doing it then?

Yes

Bravo! March on!

6. Google test your question: Type it into Google. Do all the links give a similar
answer?
No

Perfect! You have an UnGoogleable question!

Yes

Review/revise you question

Other sample UnGoogleable questions:

Has religion had a positive effect on society, and what would life be like without
religion?
How did the gaming economy become what it is today?
How has the Victorian era influenced society today?
How did the French revolution affect the world?
How did Hitlers actions impact on our lives today?
How does consumerism affect America?
What events in the past have made [students name] the way she is now? And
how or why does this make her different?
How does the formation of the Soviet Union impact modern society?