Essentially essential
Keep the main thing the main thing
Picking up from yesterday’s discussion from Teaching for Deeper Learning on framing units around the idea of “a study in…” an area, another way to frame units or lessons is with essential questions.
If you’re using the “a study in…” idea, you can partner essential questions with that idea for deeper discussions. Essential questions are open-ended questions that reflect the big ideas we want our students to come to understand. They are designed to stimulate thinking, spark discussion and debate, and raise additional questions for further inquiry.
Scott McCleod & Julie Graber point to this idea of essential questions in the Deeper Thinking & Learning section of the 4 Shifts protocol. Looking at our daily work, we can ask if student work focuses on big, important themes and concepts central to the discipline rather than isolated topics, trivia, or minutiae.
What makes an essential question effective?
It passes the “so what” test
It focuses on matters of importance
It is posed within the context of important content
It is written so students can understand them (kid-friendly)
It can be answered but may not have an obvious correct or simple answer
It requires higher-order thinking, problem-solving, or decision-making
It uses concepts that require students to use their knowledge in developing responses
It causes students to organize their knowledge to uncover important ideas now and in the future
Serves as a formative assessment tool (when answered)
Essential questions help guide our learning targets, help define student work, and drive us closer to our deeper learning goals.