Analysis Unit Essential Questions & Research Questions Wednesday, January 19

TODAY, Students will... Develop their Essential Questions that they will use to guide their research. Develop their Research Questions that they will use to guide their research.

Essential Questions

Adjusting the Target Incorporating Mayor Fischer’s “State of the City” address will not work in our schedule It is unfair to judge his plan based on one speech that talked in general terms with few practical details

OUR NEW GOAL WE CAN  Suggest the best way to realize Mayor Fischer’s vision for improving our city YOU WILL  Choose ONE (1) aspect of Mayor Fischer’s plan  Decide the best way to reach his goals  Base your decision on research from credible sources

Essential Questions Starting Your Research

Definition An Essential Question  is a guiding question  has a broad scope  doesn’t contain many specifics that eliminate possible answers  encourages open-minded exploration of an idea. REMEMBER: you already have this info in your notes

Traits of an essential question The question  probes a matter of considerable importance.  moves beyond understanding and studying some kind of action or resolve points toward the settlement of a challenge / the making of a choice / the forming of a decision.  cannot be answered by simple “yes” or “no”  No simple answers. It involves a discussion of complex ideas and continued exploration into the details and various possible resolutions.

Some Examples (DO NOT WRITE) Who is responsible for the environment? What are equal rights, really? Is climate change a negative thing? Who owns music?

MORE EXAMPLES (WRITE) How will improved education have a impact on our city? What is the best way to stimulate job growth in our city? How can the city of Louisville improve the health of its citizens? How can Louisville become a more compassionate city?

Creating an Essential Question Determine the focus of your inquiry Decide what you want to discover about the subject  Remember the traits of EQs

RESEARCH QUESTIONS  focus on the topic or thesis and are not easily answered with a yes/no or one sentence answer.  Help decide what you need to know in order to fully understand and explain the topic  used to help you stay focused on the topic instead of doing unnecessary research that you’ll never use. REMEMBER: you already have this info in your notes

TO CLARIFY Research will not yield a single source / single answer to your Essential Question  You may find OPINIONS written by people who have their own answer;  key word = OPINIONS Remember the Kobe/Lebron example? Research questions help you find the information you need to make an informed decision and answer your EQ.

DO NOT WRITE THIS! Next, you will begin planning your research YOU WILL START ON A FRESH PAGE IN YOUR CLASS NOTES There will be examples of work that have NOTHING to do with your topic. Please, do not write the examples.

MY ANALYSIS PAPER PLAN Topic: Kobe and Lebron Essential Question: Who is the better player, Kobe or Lebron? Research Questions: What are Kobe’s defensive strengths? What are Lebron’s defensive strengths? How does K/L make his team better? Etc.

Ahem… IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY WRITING ANYTHING ABOUT KOBE AND LEBRON, OR ANYTHING BASKETBALL RELATED, OR ANYTHING NOT DIRECTLY DEALING WITH MAYOR FISCHER’S PLAN FOR LOUISVILLE, YOU JUST AREN’T TRYING.

Topic Selection Improve education in Louisville Improve the job market in Louisville Improve residents’ health in Louisville Make Louisville a compassionate city

MY ANALYSIS PAPER PLAN Topic: Kobe and Lebron Essential Question: Who is the better player, Kobe or Lebron? Research Questions: How many points does each player avg? What are Kobe’s defensive strengths? What are Lebron’s defensive strengths? Etc.

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