1. The Myth of the Boring Topic Get into groups of three; each group picks a commonplace object. As a group, brainstorm a list of potentially interesting questions about the object (someone in the group will record this thinking on a computer) – Work toward questions that might address the history of the object, its uses, its possible impact on people, the implications on society, any surrounding controversy.

2. Switch! Each group will shift to a different object. Read the questions the previous group asked. Add even more interesting questions to this list that may not have occurred to the group before you. Work toward questions that might address the history of the object, its uses, its possible impact on people, the implications on society, any surrounding controversy.

3. Switch! Shift to a new object. Pretend you are an editorial team assigned to propose a researched argument article for a general interest magazine (ie Time) that focused on the object in front of you. Review the list of questions; what might be the starting question for the investigation? Why? You will be asked to present the object, the question, and why you selected that question to the class (so pick a spokesperson).

4. Asking Questions of a Text Watch the following TedTalk and come up with a list of potential inquiry questions (just like we did with the common objects). Gary Kovacs “Tracking the Trackers”Tracking the Trackers