One of the challenges we face as classroom teachers is learning to use Essential Questions to guide our students' learning experiences. Creating Essential Questions that truly give a student the opportunity to engage in the learning process is a difficult endeavor.

Your job is to sample and explore a minimum of five of the sites listed below. As you visit the sites, write down your thoughts on the questions asked below. You'll be expected to be your group's expert on Essential Questions and when you meet again with your group, your role will be to share with them what you've learned about writing Essential Questions.

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Asking the Essential Question-Internet Innovations
http://www.biopoint.com/ibr/askquestion.html

1. Why does the author suggest that you avoid using "What is" questions with your students?
2. Based on the information from this site, create three essential questions that have to do with the subject or grade level that you teach.

The Question is the Answer -Jamie McKenzie
http://fno.org/oct97/question.html

1. What do you suppose McKenzie means when he says, "The question is the answer?"
2. How do questions that engage children in analyzing, problem solving, and decision making affect learning?

Framing Essential Questions - From Now On
http://www.fno.org/sept96/questions.html

1. If answers to essential questions cannot be found, why bother to ask them?
2. How could dealing with essential questions change the way your students approach learning?

The Questioning Toolkit-From Now On
http://fno.org/nov97/toolkit.html

1. How do essential questions relate to other types of questions?
2. Why does McKenzie describe essential questions as usually being" interdisciplinary in nature?

Asking the Essential Questions-Coalition of Essential Schools
http://www.essentialschools.org/pubs/horace/05/v05n05.html

1. What do you think will happen if the focus of curriculum shifts attention from "the facts one needs to know" to "how to think and learn?"
2. Do you agree or disagree with Wiggins' argument that courses should be organized not around 'answers' but around questions and problems to which 'content' represents answers?

American School Board Journal: May 2001 - Susan Black
http://www.asbj.com/2001/05/0501research.html

1. What do McTighe and Wiggins mean when they say that teachers should provide plenty of time for students to "unpack" the essential questions?
2. Looking at your teaching environment, would you say that over 50% of the questions asked of students are low level and that about 20% are at a high-level as the article suggests?

Transforming Standards to Understandings
http://magnet.sandi.net/workshops/informationquest/essential.html

1. How do essential understandings differ from essential questions?
2. In your own words how would you define or describe an "big idea?"

Teach the Teachers-University of Washington
http://www.washington.edu/uwired/outreach/teched/using/mod2less2quest.html

1. Why do you suppose traditional education emphasizes extensiveness and coverage over intensiveness and depth?
2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement forth article, "Too often the design of a course precludes students from asking and pursuing wonderful questions as they arise in the unfolding work, which leads to less engagement."

Understanding by Design-Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/books/wiggins98book.html#chap2

1. What can you do in your class to help your students recognize important ideas worth understanding?
2. As a teacher how do you determine what knowledge is worth understanding?

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This will be a self-assessment that you'll need to complete and e-mail results to your instructor.

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After you have completed the activities above, consider the following questions and prepare to answer these as you share Essential Question information with your other group members.

1. If you had to identify criteria for a quality Essential Question, what would your criteria be?
2. What is the relationship between the standards and Essential Questions?
3. Create three examples of Essential Questions to help your group members understand what an Essential Question is.

You'll need to send your instructor a self-assessment based on the rubric above along with your answers to the questions for the three web activities that you chose to complete. Be sure to be able to thoroughly explain Essential Questions to your group members when you meet to plan and create your presentation.

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