Phill’s Driving Question How can I do what I love and get paid for it? The Sturgeon Project Using recapture and acoustic telemetry techniques to assess the abundance and distribution of Short-nosed and Atlantic Sturgeon in the Penobscot River and coastal waters off the coast of Maine. To understand the structure and rules of social networks that have developed to enable researchers to share acoustic telemetry data. Knowing what you love and setting a goal Knowing what you need to do to achieve that goal Understanding and anticipating the needs of the profession

Driving Questions will: Drive the project Capture a project theme or a "big idea" Point students toward mastering content and skills that enable them to answer the question Not be easily solved or answered Tip: Creating Driving Questions takes time and careful thought. Often, brainstorming with colleagues produces the best Driving Questions.

Inquiry Good projects are based on inquiry-based learning that is guided by the teacher. The Driving Question is central to the inquiry process and must come before deciding on project activities. The natural outcome is a project that is driven by the question or problem statement.

Complexity A good Driving Question makes a project intriguing, complex, and problematic. Although standard classroom assignments, like story problems and essays, pose questions that students must answer, a Driving Question requires multiple activities and the synthesis of different types of information before it can be answered.

Coherence A driving question brings coherence to disparate project activities and serves as a "lighthouse" that promotes student interests and directs students toward the project's goals and objectives

Authenticity The Driving Questions should address authentic concerns. For example, when creating the Driving Question it is useful to ask yourself: "Where is the content I am trying to teach used in the real world?" Although it is usually easier to focus students' attention on a single question, some topics will require multiple Driving Questions.

Driving Questions: Provocative Open ended Go to the heart of a discipline or topic Challenging Arise from real world dilemmas that students find interesting

TEAM Work You will meet as Content Area Specialists teams of 4-5 MATH/SCIENCE ELA/HUMANITIES SS/ART

At each site – you will find Assignment directions Driving Questions Chart Paper Markers Your team will have 15 minutes to complete all tasks Prizes will be awarded

SCIENCE What is the earth made of? Can we predict the weather? How good is our water? How should a bridge be designed on this site? How can we stop the spread of infectious disease? What are scientists doing when they are “analyzing”? Why are women so much smarter than men?

MATH What is the gold standard? Who is the greatest mathematician? (Past/Present) Is it better to lease or buy a car? Is “money” real? How should a tax form be done? How can hikers determine the shortest distance between two points? How does geometry influence architecture? When we ask people to “reason” – What do we mean? Why is there so much month left after the paycheck has been spent?

Social Studies Why do things cost so much? Should natural resources be used or protected? How should international trade be conducted? Why is there poverty? Why does history always repeat itself? Who is Arnie Duncan and why should we care?

Art Why do we make art? Is art worth its price? Should there be censorship? How does art reflect the times? What makes a good artist? A great one? How have artists driven/supported social movements? Is Lady Ga-Ga an artist or an opportunist? Who are the great masters? What are the features of a masterpiece?

Humanities What is the American Dream and who has it? How do immigrants meet the challenges of coming to a new country? How do we make peace? Can the use of nuclear weapons be justified? Why do countries go to war? What were the causes of the Civil War? What makes the world go round?

Social Studies Do we have too much freedom? What is the best form of government? Why has the US Constitution lasted so long? How should criminals be treated? What are our rights and duties as citizens? Why do we allow politicians to run the country? Aren’t there better options?

English How do authors use critical thinking in the writing process? Why is Shakespeare still so popular? What is good writing? What does it mean to “come of age”? How do writers persuade? What are the major conflicts in books? How does literature imitate life? Who killed Virginia Woolf?

Your Team Assignment Read through each of the Driving Questions Rank the questions from Best to Least What distinguishes your Top 3 Driving Questions from the Bottom 3? Record the features of Top 3 on Chart Paper. Revise your Bottom 3 Driving questions to become Top Notch Driving Questions. Record Revised Driving Questions on chart paper. OR Write one Driving Question that addresses both content disciplines. Record and be prepared to defend your driving question on aspects of inquiry, authenticity, complexity and coherence.

ELA HUMANITIES

MATH SCIENCE

ARTS SOCIAL STUDIES