Essential Questions

An adaptation of the work done by Jay McTighe, Grant Wiggins, Janet Hale, and Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs

Standards

• The standards must be addressed regardless of teaching theory

• Standards are too broad to be dealt with at the classroom level consistently

Standards – what we try to do

• Align with EQs, content, skills, and assessments

• Generate reports about where, when, and how often they are addressed.

• Triangulate data with student data

• Use to generate units

Why?Administration’s Viewpoint:

“To cause higher retention rates of knowledge, which will be reflected in higher test scores.”

Educator’s Viewpoint: “To create a learning environment where my

students become actively engaged thinkers, not just passive learners.”

Student’s Viewpoint:

“To provide a logical reason for me to be learning what is being taught in this classroom, in this

grade level, and ultimately, in my ‘community’ of schools.”

Designing Essential Questions

• Structure the unit around 2 to 5 essential questions

• Use questions as the “scope and sequence” of unit or theme

• EQs must embrace the appropriate standards

What can we do to improve Leon’s desire to learn?

Standards

Curriculum/Practices

Assessments/Evaluation

The student knows the three

branches of government as

organized in the Constitution.

Why do many people believe

that the Constitution is the “backbone” document of our United States?

What is an Essential Question?

1. Essential questions reflect the essential learning concepts to be covered and investigated during a “unit of study.” They are driven by the instructor asking, “What should my students remember and be able to reflect on a year or more from now?”

2. Essential questions become the driving reasons for the learning— the chapter headings!

Sample

Flight Unit

What constitutes flying?

How has/does flight impact human beings?

From your perspective, what do you think is “the future of flight?”

What is an Essential Question?

3. Essential questions are broader, relational questions that act as the foundation for narrower, supporting questions and probing questions.

Types of questions that are asked in the classroom…

Essential Questions

Supporting Questions

Probing Questions

Isolated Questions

What is an Essential Question?

4. Essential questions are the broader questions that are not easily answerable.

They are shored up by a series of supporting questions that are “easily” answerable. The supporting questions represent the “teachable parts” of a unit’s contents and skills via the lesson plans and activities.

SQ1 SQ2 SQ3

EQ1

LP/A LP/A LP/A

What is the purpose of multiplication?

Why do people work multiplication problems

differently?

Unit: Multiplication

(Multiplication Standard) How do people use

multiplication in their everyday and work

lives?What makes a

book a book?

Why is a “good” book good?

If you owned a children's book store and could only carry five genres of books,

which would you carry and why?

Unit: Leisure Reading

(Literary Appreciation

Standard)

Unit: Early and Present-Day Immigration (U.S. Current

Events and Early 1900s Standards)

What are the most concerning immigration issues taking place presently in the United States?

How might/does immigration effect/affect you personally as a

citizen living in the United States in the present day?

If you were an immigrant arriving in New York City’s harbor in the early 1900’s, where would you

have wanted to come from and be going to--and why?

If you could emigrate to a foreign country today, what country would

you pick --and why?

If you were a DOT Commissioner, what would be your “platform of reform” to create a safer road vehicle for

passengers of all ages?

How can the principles of force and motion help a driver’s effectiveness and safety?

How does the Department of Transportation: Vehicles division

use physics in their day-to-day safety operations?

Unit: Transportation

Safety

(Physics Standards) Driver Ed. Teacher

Earth Science Student understands that the Earth is made of materials that have distinct

properties (creation and attributes) and provide resources for human activities.

What attributes define a cycle?

How do rock attributes aid a geologist?

How are certain cycles inter-

related?

How are certain cycles inter-

related?

How are rocks officially

classified?

How are rocks officially

classified?What causes

attributes in rocks?What causes

attributes in rocks?

What does the term “attribute”

mean?

What does the term “attribute”

mean?

Does a cycle have to have a certain number of steps/changes?

Does a cycle have to have a certain number of steps/changes? What are the

different functions of a

geologist’s job?

What are the different

functions of a geologist’s job?

EQ

EQ

Earth Science Student understands that the Earth is made of materials that have distinct properties (creation and

attributes) and provide resources for human activities.

What attributes define a cycle?How are certain

cycles inter-related?

How are certain cycles inter-

related?

What does the term “attribute”

mean?

What does the term “attribute”

mean?

Does a cycle have to have a certain number of steps/changes?

Does a cycle have to have a certain number of steps/changes?

Activity #1

Activity #1

Activity #2

Activity #2

Activity #3

Activity #3

Activity #4

Activity #4

Activity #5

Activity #5

Activity #6

Activity #6

What are Essential Questions?

5. Essential questions serve as a unit’s mini “scope and sequence.” It is the basis for the “backbone” of the learning; giving meaningful reference points and purpose to the learning.

6. Essential questions reflect the standards while serving as “mental Velcro®” to aid in remembering the “essence”

(spirit, core, heart) of the standards. Research has proven that with essential questions retention rates over time

~DOUBLE!

What is an Essential Question?

7. Essential questions promote active mental participation in the learning process. For both the students and the teacher, essential questions:

set direction and purpose for focus on content

set priorities / avoid “over coverage” /

align standards, assessments, and classroom learning

8. It is recommended that essential questions be based on the higher domains of Bloom’s Taxonomy (or other cognitive taxonomy).

Advanced DomainsApplic

ati

on

Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Un

ders

tan

din

g

Knowledge

What is an Essential Question?

9. When essential questions are embedded in units of study wherein the content will expand across grade levels, the essential questions should spiral in complexity through the grade levels.

10. Many times, essential questions are utilized as part of an interdisciplinary model of instruction.

11. Remember, essential questions are “declarations of intent.” Post EQS! It will effect/affect teaching choices and focuses! There is an accountability factor in play now … standards will be addressed.

“Am I supposed to come up with essential questions and corresponding supporting questions for EVERYTHING I teach?”

Essential questions and corresponding supporting questions are most often used for

UNITS OF STUDY!

1. Plan

2. Practice

3. Prepare

4. Perform

The “4 Ps” Of EQ WritingEach student must be able to understand the

language of the essential questions (can be a part of the learning).

Write/rewrite essential questions so that the questions reflect a broader, yet “organized”

thought process.

The essential questions should have distinct supporting questions. (The SQs often

times build on the preceding SQs and EQs.)

The EQs / SQs’ activities must be realistic given the time allotted for the given unit of

study.

Criteria for Essential Questions:

• Highlights conceptual priorities

• Fulfills outcomes

• Language for organizing

• 2 to 5 questions

• Non-repetitive sets of EQs

• Realistic set of time

• POSTED at onset of study by all

• Connects a range of disciplines (if.....)

• Logical sequence

• Language can be read by each child

• Open for investigation

All Essential Questions must be answered!!

Essential Questions as an “Organizer”

E ssen tia l Q u es tion s

A c tivity 1 .1 A c tivity 1 .2

E ssen tia l Q u es tion# 1

A c tivity 2 .1 A c tivity 2 .2

E ssen tia l Q u es tion# 2

A c tivity 3 .1 A c tivity 3 .2 A c tivity 3 .3 A c tivity 3 .4 A c tivity 3 .5

E ssen tia l Q u es tion# 3

U n it T it le o r Th em e

Key Coaching Points Concerning EQs

• Start with one up-coming unit or course for initial creation, implementation, and feedback of EQs usage.

• Utilize EQs as a “point for alignment” to link all curriculum elements.

Another word on Essential Questions…• Essential Questions

– Overarching in nature– Capture concepts

beyond simple answers– Break vertical and

horizontal barriers

What is leadership?What makes a good

book good?

Learning Systems Associates LLC 26

Supporting Questions Align EQs to the

content and skills of the curriculum

Did George Washington exhibit the characteristics of a good leader?

Is Moby Dick a good book?

ActivityActivityGenerate sample

Essential Questions.

Then generate some

supporting questions

connected to your content

area.Be sure to identify how

they will be answered.

27Learning Systems Associates LLC

Sample EQs for an Independent Study: Publishing as an Adolescent Unit

• What is the personal story behind my selected adolescent authors?

• How do publishing houses make decisions about submitted manuscripts?

• What is my plan to get published?• How can I prepare to make a career in

publishing?8th Grade Student – Student-Centered

Option - One Semester

Sample EQs for a Prejudice and Tolerance Unit

• What are the different kinds of human prejudice?

• How can tolerance be taught?• What has been the impact of individual and

group prejudice?• How can I become more tolerant?• 8th Grade: Interdisciplinary-team

Thematic unit – Three-Week Unit

Sample EQs for Japan: Global Studies Unit

• What are the roles of the individual in Japan?

• How does the physical environment of Japan impact its people?

• What is the structure of Japanese society?• Why Japan?9th Grade- English & Social Studies- Six-

Week Humanities Unit

Sample EQs for an AIDS: A Plague In Our Time Unit

• What is AIDS and how is it different from other viruses?

• How does AIDS affect the individual?• How does AIDS affect society?• What can I do to prevent the spread of this

disease?Middle School-NYC – Two-Week

Intensive, School-Wide Interdisciplinary Unit

Sample EQs for Intelligence Unit

• What is intelligence?• How has intelligence evolved?• How is intelligence measured?• Is intelligence solely a human phenomenon?• How will intelligence be altered?11th Grade: A.P. Biology -

Interdisciplinary – Four-week Unit

Sample EQs for an Everyday Physics: Transportation Safety Unit

• How can cars, boats, and airplanes becomes safer for passengers?

• How can principles of force and motion help driver effectiveness and safety?

• Are safety and speed compatible?• 12th Grade: Physics Course -

Seminar Model – Six-Week Cycle

Sample EQs for a Consumer Culture Unit

• What is a consumer culture?• How does our economic system

contribute to our consumer culture?• What are some of the messages in our

consumer culture?• How am I affected by consumer culture?A High School Economics Unit

Curriculum is remembered best when there is a focus on Essential Questions!

w hether discipline-fie ld based, interdisciplinary, or student-centered.

Essential Question #1 Essential Question #2 Essential Question #3

Organizing Center:the focus for the unit or

course of study