Essential Questions Why Essential Questions? How do I create Essential Questions? How are Essential Questions used?

What is an Essential Question? The essential question is just that: a question. The interrogative suggests investigation and inquiry rather than the more directive term: objective. When the curriculum is formed around questions the clear message to the students is that teachers are learning and probing with them. Essential questions, used well, lead students to discover the essence of the unit of study.

When we teach with good, concept-based essential questions, we are fostering and guiding a deep understanding of the concept and the transfer of knowledge.

Why Essential Questions? To help students make connections across subjects To encourage learning for all students To broaden student perspectives To make careful curricular choices To help answer, So what? What does it matter? What does it all mean? Mental velcro!

Why Essential Questions? To provide a focus for the lesson or unit of study. To guide instructional planning. To engage students in active learning. To help students think about how they personally relate to the topic.

How do I create Essential Questions? Identify the key vocabulary or specialized terms in the content and standards. Most of these will be concepts. Create an enduring understanding by using at least two of the concepts in a sentence: “Students will understand that (noun-verb-noun).” Create a student-friendly question from that statement. Write “Why” or “How” questions to extend thinking.

Essential or Enduring Understanding Essential Question The student will understand that community members have roles. Why do community members have roles? Write an Essential Question from one of your Enduring Understandings. Effective writers hold the attention of their audience. How do effective writers hook and hold their audience?

Essential Question Guidelines Can’t be answered in a sentence - arguable Written in student-friendly language Can connect and integrate a range of disciplines Focuses on DEEPER meaning Reflects the standards Connects to real life – relevant to students’ lives Connects to the lessons, readings, activities, discussions Universal, timeless, abstract No more than 2-3 EQs per unit

Which ones don’t fit? How does algebraic thinking help us efficiently represent relations, functions, and patterns? How can the themes of Othello be applied to present day society? Why does exercise affect health? How has prejudice impacted society? What are the seven forms of propaganda? Why does audience matter to writers?

Social Studies, Contemporary Issues Unit: Participatory Citizens Enduring Understandings: By defining the role of citizenship, governments control who participates in the system. Participation in a cornerstone of a representative democracy. Essential Questions: How should one consider civic participation: a right, responsibility, or privilege? Why? What responsibilities do citizens have to one another? What motivates people to participate in the system?

How can/might I use my Essential Questions? Post questions in the classroom Examine questions with students Pose Essential Questions over and over throughout unit Every activity, assignment, assessment helps student find the answers to Essential Questions Often used as a part of an interdisciplinary model of instruction