CREATING ESSENTIAL QUESTIONSEssential Questions have no one answer.

Essential Questions

enables all to learn. involve thinking, not just answering. makes you investigators. are provocative- they hook you into wanting

to learn. offer a sense of adventure, are fun to

explore and try to answer. requires you to connect learning from

several disciplines. challenges you to demonstrate that you

understand the relationship between what you are learning and larger world issues.

What is an essential question? A question that probe for deeper meaning and

sets the stage for further questioning. Fosters the development of critical thinking skills

and higher order capabilities such as problem-solving and understanding complex issues.

In general, the best essential questions center around major issues, problems, concerns, interests, or themes relevant to students' lives and to their communities.

Good essential questions are open-ended, non-judgmental, meaningful and purposeful.

Bloom’s Taxonomy & Essential Questions Essential questions reside at the top of Bloom's

Taxonomy (Bloom, 1954). They require students to

EVALUATE (make a thoughtful choice between options, with the choice based upon clearly stated criteria),

SYNTHESIZE (invent a new or different version) ANALYZE (develop a thorough and complex

understanding through skillful questioning). Essential questions spark our curiosity and

sense of wonder. They derive from some deep wish to understand some thing which matters to us.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Do’s and Don’ts

Asked to be argued Designed to

“uncover” new ideas, views, lines of argument

Set up inquiry, heading to new understandings.

Asked as a reminder, to prompt recall

Point to a single, straightforward fact

a rhetorical question

What you want to do: What you don’t want to do:

To start out with…

Essential questions often begin with . . Why?

Why do things happen the way they do? Which?

Which is best? How?

How could things be made better? What if?

What if this happened? Finally, utilize the six typical queries that

newspaper articles address: Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? and add the word "good" in front of the theme or concept.

Sample Essential Question Stems How was this similar to...? What was the underlying theme of...? What do you see as other possible outcomes? Can you explain what must have happened

when...? How is ... similar to ...? What are some of the problems of...? Can you distinguish between...? What were some of the motives behind...?

Some more stems….

What is a possible solution to...? What would happen if...? Is there a better solution to.. How would ___ have handled...? Do you think ... is a good or a bad thing? How would you feel if...?

Works Cited

Stuart-Bayer, Sandy. “Essential Questions”. Lee’s Summit High School. n.d. Web. 22 February 2010.

“Essential Question Model”. Sandborn Regional School District. n.d. Web. 22 February 2010.