Part I of IDM: Questions Dr. Kathy Swan | UKY Dr. John Lee | NCSU Arkansas June 2015

Only by wrestling with the conditions of the problem at first hand, seeking and finding his own way out, does he think.                                                                                                    John Dewey, 1916

IDM follows C3 Inquiry Arc Students and teachers construct COMPELLING questions……

Compelling Questions Characteristics of compelling questions: Set the opening frame for an inquiry Express the intellectual rigor and student relevance of an inquiry Set up the summative performance task

Rigorous Questions Reflect an enduring issue, concern, or debate in the field Demand the use of multiple disciplinary lenses

Relevant Questions Reflect a quality or condition that we know children care about Honor and respects children’s intellectual efforts

What do kids care about? Let’s discuss.

Questions Matter What should we do about the Gender Wage Gap? Did the Constitution establish a just government? Am I going to vote? Does it matter what I want to be when I grow up? Are students protected by the First Amendment? Can words lead to war? Could Americans be happier?

Compelling v. Essential Questions 11:30 – 12:30

Compelling & Essential Questions Both are about intellectually rigorous work, but compelling questions (CQs) place equal emphasis on attending to the question of relevance to students’ lives. Essential questions (EQs) have a connotation about designing the “right” question for all students and all classrooms; because CQs are attentive to the particular students a teacher has, teachers are encouraged to modify them. Given the language of “essential,” EQs presumably reflect profoundly deep and foundational human conditions; CQs may be about foundational human conditions, but they need not be. The IDM and Wiggins’ Backward Design approach are completely compatible as approaches to inquiry development.

Compelling & Essential Questions

Examples of “Essential Questions” Civics/Government How are governments created, structured, maintained, and changed? What are the roles and responsibilities of government? How do the structures and functions of government interrelate? What would happen if we had no government? What are the roles and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy? What kinds of things do "good" citizens do? How do personal and civic responsibilities differ? Can an individual make a difference? How do citizens (both individually and collectively) influence government policy? I What is power? Which ones are compelling? Which ones aren’t?

Questions for Compelling Questions Were the 17th Century cities of Edo, Japan and Versailles, France twin cities, brothers from another mother, or not even distant relatives?

Supporting Questions Contribute to understanding of compelling question; Focus on descriptions, definitions, and processes; General agreement in the field; Require students to construct an explanation; Grounded in curriculum and content.

Compelling Questions Supporting Questions Relevant or kid-friendly Rigorous or intellectually meaty Arguments Contribute to understanding of compelling question Focus on descriptions, definitions, and processes Explanations

Pick your metaphor The relationship between Compelling and Supporting Questions (SQs) is like… Roof (CQ)…Walls (SQ) Stool (CQ)…Legs (SQ) Tree (CQ)…Roots (SQ) …you get the picture!

Question Examples Compelling Question: What path should the transcontinental pipeline take? Supporting Question: What are the five largest sources of oil for U.S. Markets?

Question Examples Compelling Question: Was the American Revolution Revolutionary? Supporting Question: What were the regulations placed on the colonists under the Townshend Acts?

9 10 11 12G 12E Grade Compelling Question Supporting Question What do the buried secrets of Tenochtitlan tell us about the Aztecs? Where was Tenochtitlan? What do three archeological artifacts tell us about the Templo Mayor? How did Tenochtitlan sustain itself? How was Tenochtitlan buried? 10 Was the French Revolution Successful? What were the social, economic, and political problems in pre-revolutionary France? How did the relationship between the French people and the king change in the early stages of the Revolution? How did Robespierre justify the Reign of Terror? Does Napoleon’s rise to power represent a continuation of revolutionary ideals or an end to revolutionary ideals? 11 Did the Constitution establish a just government? Why did the framers feel a new document was necessary? How did the Constitution structure the government? Why did the framers protect slavery in the Constitution? How democratic was the 1787 Constitution? 12G Are students protected by the First Amendment? What is the difference between the “Tinker Standard” and “Fraser Standard” as they relate to students’ free speech? Does the “no prior restraint” rule apply to students? How does the Supreme Court determine the boundaries of students’ rights? Can school officials exert control over social media? 12E Could Americans be happier? What are the challenges in accurately calculating the gender wage gap? Why has the gender wage gap changed over time? Where is the gender wage gap the most pronounced? Is there a political solution to the gender wage gap?

Process of Compelling Questions What is missing from GDP in terms of economic health? Does GDP tell the whole story of a country’s economic health? Does GDP tell the right story of a country’s economic health? Does GDP tell the right story?

Questions for Compelling Questions Is the question relevant and rigorous? Intellectually meaty and kid- friendly? Is the question closely connected to the standard or objective? Will the question allow for meaningful exploration of an idea? (Remember: Inquiries are smaller than a Unit/Module; bigger than a lesson plan) Will the question result in students building a summative argument? (Remember: a compelling question can be answered with “yes” or “no” but elaborated upon by the student)

IDM Lab™

Task Select a standard and topic that you teach. Consider an inquiry-worthy angle; Use a disciplinary source or a quote as a point of inspiration. Generate a series of compelling questions and work with a partner to refine. Check your question: Is it kid-friendly? Is it rigorous? Be prepared to share!