Designing+Essential+Questions

= Generating essential questions (118): = ===Given content or “answers” to be learned – what is an important question about a big idea? ===

1. Brainstorm a list of good questions to anchor a unit 2. After identifying a 1+ topical questions, consider broader questions that will take us beyond the specific content in a broader, transfer-rich way.

OR 1. Begin with state or content standards. 2. Identify the key nouns that recur (important concepts) 3. Make them the basis of a question a. Live science: All students will apply an understaning of cells to the functioning of multi-cellular organisms, including how cells grow, develop and reproduce. b. Topical Essential Question: How can we prove that cells make up living things? If we’re all made of cells, why don’t we look alike? c. Overarching Essential Question: How do scientists prove things?

OR 1. Derive essential questions from the enduring understandings of stage one 2. Six facets are also a useful framework for generating provocative questions (question starters are on p. 120)

= Problems: = If questions elicit thoughtful and varied student responses that will ultimately have no effect on the direction of the class or the design that will ultimately have no effect on the direction of the class or the designof the work, they are merely rhetorical questions, despite their seemingly open ended form. (112)

A terrible price is paid when genuine intellectual questions get only lip service, perpetually postponed by teachers who claim that they have to cover the content. (122)

Not every good question can be feasibly explored. (124)

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Activity:
1. In home groups, create own essential question for a unit using any of the above mentioned methods. (Feel free to use the new Common Core Standards if you would wish.) 2. One member of each cohort needs to ask to join this wiki by going to the left hand column and click on "Join this Wiki" (If you have never used wikispaces, you will need to register by going to the right hand side of the page that comes up and filling out your information, THEN, join my wiki). ***Note: you DO NOT have to "create a wiki" to register.**  3. fill out the table below on the row with your cohorts name

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*Note: be careful when saving not to choose to overwrite another cohorts information. 15 min

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 * Name of Cohort || What was your essential question(s) for your "unit"? || Which of the "generating essential questions" above did you use to create your question. || What "aha" or deeper knowledge of "creating essential questions" have you gained from this lesson?** ||
 * Bryant || What is comprehension? ||  Content standards ||
 * CLL || How do the choices people make affect the lives of others? || We took a core standard from 3rd grade reading literature. || We must create questions that guide and engage so that we have creative thinkers. ||
 * Lincoln || What footprint is man leaving on earth? (Science, English)  ||  Enduring understanding ||  Sometimes, more than one essential question is necessary in a lesson. We need to think about our questions and maybe even sub-questions that appl ||
 * Waldron || How can the results of a statistical investigation be used to justify an argument? || Core standard from algebra 1 || Essential questions frame the content being learned. Students will engage more if they can contribute to their own learning. ||

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