1. Rev. 4/15/03 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Curriculum-Framing Questions How can I create more effective questions? How can these questions help guide my teaching and unit planning? How can I help others develop good questions?

2. 2 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Research on Learning and Cognition “Expert knowledge is organised…Their knowledge is not simply a list of facts and formulas that are relevant to the domain; instead, their knowledge is organised around core concepts or ‘big ideas’ that guide their thinking about the domain.” - Bransford, et. al., How People Learn, p. 24

3. 3 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Simply applying eLearning/ICT to tried-and-true projects can lead to less learning The use of eLearning/ICT enables students to work better, faster, smarter, or more in-depth than when using traditional tools – so we should provide them with more challenging tasks Projects need to include reflection, evaluation, analysis, or synthesis of the subject matter – not just identification, definition, or reiteration of facts Why do we have Essential Questions?

4. 4 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Why do we have Essential Questions? “ Technology is most powerful when used as a tool for problem solving, conceptual development, and critical thinking. With technology, students can spend…more time creating strategies for solving complex problems and developing a deep understanding of the subject matter.” SOURCE: “The Learning Return on our Educational Technology Investment” by Cathy Ringstaff and Loretta Kelley, WestEd

5. 5 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Focus teachers (and students) on the important, engaging, “big picture” questions Target higher order thinking skills Help teachers design units that help their students think deeply about the subject We have Essential Questions in order to…

6. 6 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Asking Questions is Contagious… It promotes authentic learning, which encourages students to ask more questions Students are more likely to become self-directed learners because they are interested in the answers Students see the connections between the subject being taught and their world—it can change their whole outlook on what education is about

7. 7 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Dealing with the “yes, but…” “I have to teach to the test” To develop competence, students must: Have a deep foundation of factual knowledge Understand facts and ideas in a conceptual framework Organise knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application “I have to cover so much” Teaching for understanding is key to recall Instead of “aimless activity and “superficial coverage,” focus on goals related to big ideas and complex performance Move beyond micro-managing instruction via overly-fragmented and isolated lessons and activities From Understanding by Design Workshop

8. 8 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. How do Content, Unit, and Essential Questions support learning? Sample outcomeStudents will be able to identify an ecosystem and explain how the organisms within an ecosystem are connected and interdependent. Content QuestionsHow do I collect information and display it in a graph? What urban animals are there and what do they need to survive? Unit QuestionsHow can urban wildlife and humans live together successfully? Essential QuestionHow can we all get along? ProjectUsing actual wildlife injury data from a local wildlife rescue center, students learn what animal species have been injured, the causes of injury, and the effects of reduced urban wildlife. Students provide recommendations to reduce human caused injury to wildlife and present a summary of their findings and recommendations to the local animal shelters, RSPCA, neighborhood associations, and other interested groups. At the end of each public presentation, students gather public reaction to the data, and publish the findings and ideas in an informational brochure for the public.

9. 9 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Early Explorers Unit Question: Why leave one’s home and family to make a new life in a strange land? French Revolution Unit Question: What could move the masses to revolt? How did the French Revolution change their world and yours? Civil War Unit Question: Why would someone fight to the death against brother, neighbour, and friend? Example of How Different Unit Questions in One Classroom Can Support a Single Essential Question

10. 10 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. SOSE/HSIE Unit Question: How does war create change in the economy? Language Arts Unit Questions: In literature, how do the characters in Lord of the Flies respond to conflict? Why do humans often react to conflict with violence? How does Lord of the Flies help us to understand our complex human nature? Science Unit Question: How do animals adapt to a changing environment? Example of How Different Unit Questions in One Classroom Can Support a Single Essential Question

11. 11 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Hints for Writing Essential and Unit Questions Brainstorm questions on your own, then work with other teachers, or your own students, to refine them. HowWhy There tend to be more How and Why Essential and Unit Questions than those beginning with What, Who, or When.  Stay away from questions asking for definitions or an understanding of a “simple” process Ask yourself if the question has basically only one, or one narrow group, of correct answers—if it does, it is not an Essential or Unit Question.  What is the life cycle of a frog?  Who was Mozart? Will it take time to fully understand and answer the question? Is the question still being studied by scientists, philosophers, or poets? If yes, then you probably have a great question.

12. 12 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Hints for Writing Essential and Unit Questions Not so simple, but important, tips… Think about why that topic is important to teach. Think about the compelling questions that scholars have asked throughout time. How have human beings acquired the knowledge that we now want to impart to our students? Why is the universe the way it is? How does this subject fit into the “real world”? What connections can you make to the students’ lives? What makes my body work? What causes disease? What can I do to keep my body healthy and strong?

13. 13 © 2004 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Remember: The Creation of Good Questions and a Good Unit is an Iterative Process What learning experiences, activities, and teaching will promote that learning? How will you engage your students? Are your questions still relevant? Can they be revised to better promote and enhance student learning? What is your Unit about? What is the topic? What is the end product, the learning outcomes, that you want them to achieve? What will students be able to know and do as a result of this experience? What big-picture/global “Essential Question” could be asked to promote higher-order thinking skills? How will students provide evidence that they are achieving understanding? How will you evaluate that evidence? What outcomes are you targeting? What fact-focused questions do you expect your students to be able to answer? What definitions should they know? What open-ended “Unit Question” could be asked to promote higher-order thinking skills?