Asking Essential Questions: Essential Questions

Consider this...

topic + search  facts = report 

The ideas and information are not yours.  You are simply reporting out  factual information. You may learn something new, but you are simply reproducing what you find.

• Who invented the helicopter?
  
• What are the symptoms of post-tramatic stress syndrome?
• When was the cell phone first introduced to the public?
• Where can hand guns be used for hunting?
• How were helicopters used in Vietnam?

On the other hand...

problem + inquiry  investigation = research

The nature of your inquiry depends on the question(s) asked.  The question asked will suggest personal connections and generate unique answers.

• Who is the most powerful man in America?
• Which treatments for cancer are the most humane?
• When should youth be allowed to vote in federal elections?
• What is the effect of technology on teen literacy?
• How do athletics impact student achievement?

What is an essential question?

Open-ended

no simple or single right answer
addressed through reason rather than opinion/belief

Thought-provoking

unique, often counterintuitive or controversial
answers through problem solving (not found, but invented)
generate new questions

Universal

addresss fundamental issues
interdisiciplinary concepts, central to greater understanding