Generate a list of questions related to your topic.
See how many questions you can write. One way to elicit questions is to combine Burke’s pentad questions
with your own interests. Here’s an example of questions generated about tourism, specifically pertaining to Washington, DC. Can you come up with at least this many questions about your topic?
Questions about Washington, DC: Why is Washington, DC such a popular tourist destination?
Are people really that interested in the history of our government?
What types of experiences did people have when they traveled to Washington, DC?
Are there things to do besides going to museums and seeing old buildings?
Who traveled to Washington, DC at different time periods?
Do people flock there because so many things have free admission?
What if the museums did charge an admissions fee; what affect would this have?
When did people start planning trips to the nation’s capital?
How did people get there in past centuries?
What were the external factors that contributed to such a movement?
What influence do tourists have on the economy of the community?
When did Washington, DC become the nation’s capital? Why was it chosen?
Who chose the monuments that would be displayed, for example, the Lincoln Memorial, Roosevelt
Memorial?
