- signal that inquiry is a key goal of education
- make it more likely that the unit will be intellectually engaging
- help to clarify and prioritize standards for teachers
- encourage and model metacognition for students
- provide opportunities for intra- and interdisciplinary connections
- support meaningful differentiation
Essential Questions may be classified as overarching or topical. Overarching EQs offer relevance and transferability across disciplines, whereas topical EQs relate to the topic being studied. For example an overarching EQ could be How are structure and function related? While a more narrow topical EQ on the study of insects would be How does the structure of various insects help them to survive?
Essential Questions normally do not lead to a ready answer. If the "EQ" can be readily answered without much thought and/or intellectual engagement with the material being studied, it is not an EQ. To better understand this, let's look at non-essential questions.
Non-essential questions, while important, should be contrasted against Essential Questions in order for us to truly understand the depth and power of good Essential Questions. Teachers use many useful and necessary non-essential questions in the classroom. These are questions that help lead or guide or even hook the interest of students. They could even be probing questions that are meant to clarify and check for student understanding. Unlike Essential Questions, these questions all have a ready and "right' answer. Here are some examples of useful non-essential questions used in the classroom (based on contextual connotation).
Essential Questions normally do not lead to a ready answer. If the "EQ" can be readily answered without much thought and/or intellectual engagement with the material being studied, it is not an EQ. To better understand this, let's look at non-essential questions.
Non-essential questions, while important, should be contrasted against Essential Questions in order for us to truly understand the depth and power of good Essential Questions. Teachers use many useful and necessary non-essential questions in the classroom. These are questions that help lead or guide or even hook the interest of students. They could even be probing questions that are meant to clarify and check for student understanding. Unlike Essential Questions, these questions all have a ready and "right' answer. Here are some examples of useful non-essential questions used in the classroom (based on contextual connotation).
- What did we say was true of all four-sided shapes?
- Is this sentence punctuated properly?
- Why do you say that?
- Why must the answer be less than zero?
Contrast the non-essential questions above with the following Essential Questions. (The overarching EQ precedes the topical EQ).
- How can mathematics be used to measure, model, and calculate change?
- How can we measure, model, and calculate change using fractions?
- Whose story is this?
- How did American Indians view the "settlement" of their land?
- How do authors use story elements to establish mood?
- How does John Updike use setting to establish a mood?
- What are the common factors in the rise and fall of powerful nation?
- Why did the Soviet Union collapse?
In organizing unit plans, have one or two key Essential Questions that will intellectually engage and grow the student's understanding throughout the unit and help them arrive at the Big Idea or takeaway at the end of the unit. Accompany these key Essential Questions with other guiding and probing non-essential questions that are relevant and pertinent at different learning stages of the unit.
