What Are They and How Do You

Write Them?

By Mary Alice Osborne, and

Linda Foote

Essential Question

s

What is an Essential Question?

Students have to think critically to answer an essential question. Instead of simply looking up answers, they conduct research and create original answers.

Provokes Deep Thought

An Essential Question:

An Essential Question:

Solicits information-gathering and evaluation of data

An Essential Question:

Encourages students to produce original ideas rather than predetermined answers

An Essential Question:

Helps students conduct problem-related research

An Essential Question:

May not have an answer

An Essential Question:

Encourages critical thinking, not just memorization of facts

Think: Bloom’s Taxonomy

Who’s Doing the Learning?

Some Examples: NOT Essential: What is it like to live in Hong Kong Essential: Which city in Southeast Asia is the best place to

live?

NOT Essential: What is AIDS? Essential: Which serious disease most deserves research

funding?

NOT Essential: When was the Declaration of Independence signed?

Essential: What ideas in the Declaration of Independence have become American traditions?

“What If” Questions:

What if the Cultural Revolution had never happened?

What if students didn’t have to go to school?

“Should Questions”A Moral or Practical Decision based on Evidence

Should we clone humans?

Should we discontinue trade with countries that abuse human rights?

Should Wilbur run for freedom?

“Why Questions:Understand Cause and Effect

Why do people abuse drugs?

Why is the death rate higher in one Third World country than another?

Traits of Essential Questions:

Open ended: not usually answered with a simple yes or no, or right answer.

Made explicit to students: referred to often during units

Deliberately framed to engage students Connect to students’ lives and past, present, or

future experiences Used to design curriculum. Activities and materials

should be selected based on how they help students explore the essential questions of the unit.

Essential Questions in History What choices do people make in the face of injustice? What makes it possible for neighbor to turn against neighbor? How are genocide and other acts of mass violence humanly

possible? What choices do people make that allow collective violence to

happen? Who decides how laws or rules are applied? How can we ensure

that laws and rules are applied to everyone in the same way? What are civil rights? Who decides? How can we respond when our

civil rights are violated? What can be done to strengthen the civil rights of individuals and groups?

What is race? How can ideas about race be used and abused? What can be done to counter harmful myths about race?

How have ideas about race been used to decide who is included and who is excluded?

Copyright © 2011 Facing History and Ourselves. All rights reserved.

Examples of Open Ended Questions How would you…? What would result if…? How would you describe…? How does…compare with…? What is the relationship between…? What would happen if…? How could you change…? How would you improve…? How do you feel about…? Why do you believe…? What is your opinion of…? What choice would you have made…? What would you do differently? Why do you feel…? How would you go about solving the problem…? If you were in this position what would you do? Why do you/don’t you support…? What could improve…?

Culture: Values Beliefs and Rituals How do individuals develop values and beliefs? What factors shape our values and beliefs? How do values and beliefs change over time? How does family play a role in shaping our values

and beliefs? Why do we need beliefs and values? What happens when belief systems of societies and

individuals come into conflict? When should an individual take a stand in opposition

to an individual or larger group? When is it appropriate to challenge the beliefs or

values of society? Are there universal characteristics of belief systems

that are common across people and time?

Social Justice Questions What is social justice? To what extent does power or the lack of power

affect individuals? What is oppression and what are the root causes? How are prejudice and bias created? How do we

overcome them? What are the responsibilities of the individual in

regard to issues of social justice? Can literature serve as a vehicle for social change? When should an individual take a stand against what

he/she believes to be an injustice? What are the most effective ways to do this?

What are the factors that create an imbalance of power within a culture?

Questioning Resources Asking Essential Questions

http://www.biopoint.com/ibr/askquestion.html

The Key to Understanding Essential Questionshttp://www.hannibal.cnyric.org/Acrobat%20docs/ESSENTIAL%20QUESTIONS%20For%20high%20School.pdf

Themes and Essential Questions: Framing Inquiry and Critical Thinking http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ELA/6-12/Essential%20Questions/Index.htm

Asking Essential Questionshttp://www.il-tce.org/present04/flesser.pdf

Questioning Resources Asking Essential Questions

http://www.biopoint.com/ibr/askquestion.html

The Key to Understanding Essential Questionshttp://www.hannibal.cnyric.org/Acrobat%20docs/ESSENTIAL%20QUESTIONS%20For%20high%20School.pdf

Themes and Essential Questions: Framing Inquiry and Critical Thinking http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ELA/6-12/Essential%20Questions/Index.htm

Asking Essential Questionshttp://www.il-tce.org/present04/flesser.pdf

Credits

Name Mary Alice OsborneLocation West Topsham, Vermont, United States

Work Teacher Librarian at King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyAbout Libraries are changing rapidly due to the incredible information & communication opportunities that the Internet presents. I want to use the new ideas of "Web2.0" to help bring libraries forward to better serve their patrons.Website www.kslibrary.info

http://www.slideshare.net/maryaliceosborne/essential-questions-for-students