Essential Questions

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Essential Questions
Webquests
Powerquests
By Kathy Beck
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What Are Essential Questions

• Requires the student to make a decision or plan a
  course of action
• Fosters higher order thinking skills
• Promotes critical thinking skills and problem
  solving
• Promotes multi-disciplinary investigations

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Blooms Taxonomy
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Blooms Taxonomy
Evaluation (Give Opinion, Criticize,
Discriminate, Summarize) What is the significance
of this photo for the time period of their
dress? Compare this photo with working women of
today. How do they differ?
Synthesis (Create, Construct, Plan, Role
Play) What might these women say about their
skills in an interview?
Analysis (Analyze, Separate, Compare,
Contrast) Why are these women here? What can you
tell about them by the way they are dressed?
Application (Modify, Solve, Change, Explain) How
would you describe this photo to others? What
caption would you write for this photo?
Comprehension (Describe, Name, Identify,
Discuss) What is happening in this picture? Why
are they dressed like this?
Knowledge (List, Define, Tell, Label) When was
this picture taken? Where was this picture taken?
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What makes a good Essential Question?

• Essential Questions
• reside at the top of
• Blooms Taxonomy
• Answers to Essential Questions can not be found
  they must be invented
• Essential Questions usually lend themselves well
  to multi-disciplinary investigations

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What are the most important concepts my students
should learn from this?

• Essential questions are concepts in the form of
  questions. Questions suggest inquiry.
• Essential questions are organizers and set the
  focus for the lesson or unit.
• Essential questions are initiators of creative
  and critical thinking.
• Essential questions are conceptual commitments
  focusing on key concepts in the area of study.

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Essential Questions engage students in real life
applied kinds of problem solving.
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An Essential question is the heart of the
curriculum. It is the essence of what you
believe students should examine and know in the
short time they have with you.
Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs.
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Teachers can use questions before a learning
experience to establish a mental set with which
students process the learning experience.
Marzano, Pickering, Pollock
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Questions designed to help students obtain a
deeper understanding of content will eventually
increase their interest in the topic.
Marzano, Pickering, Pollock
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Essential questions are designed with deeper
understanding in mind.
Marzano, Pickering, Pollock
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Essential QuestionsWhat specific questions
will guide this unit and focus teaching and
learning?
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How to Write Essential Questions

• Require students to use thinking skills
• Analysis Categorize, Sequence, Assume, Conclude
• Synthesis Compose, Invent, Solve, Prove
• Evaluation Defend, Justify, Prioritize, Prove
• Begin with a strong verb
• High level vs lower level questions
• Open ended vs close-ended questions

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Literature Examples of Essential Questions

• Number the Stars
• No more Dead Dogs
• That was Then, This is Now
• The Giver
• Two Suns in the Sky
• The Devils Arithmetic
• Animal Farm

Skip examples
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Essential Question Number the Stars by Lois
Lowry

• What part does religion play in war?
• What causes war?
• What are the results of war?
• How do children respond to and resolve the
  conflict around them?
• How does courage, resourcefulness and
  discrimination play a role in times of war?

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Essential Question No More Dead Dogs by Gordon
Korman

• Is honesty always the best policy?
• When is it alright to tell a lie?
• Rick-isms? Meanings behind the words
• What is a hero?
• Hero worship
• Injustice

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Essential QuestionThat was Then - This is Now
by SE Hinton

• What is considered (what events mark) coming of
  age in today's culture?
• Accepting responsibilities for one's actions
  whether good or bad
• Anger Management
• Interpersonal Conflict
• Gang Rivalries
• Motivations
• Changing Relationships

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Essential Question The Giver by Lois Lowry

• What comparisons can be made with the Ceremony in
  the book with our lives?
• How does Jonass assignment differ from his
  peers?
• Are there any situations in our lives that we are
  given assignments?
• What are the advantages of Jonas's society?
  Disadvantages?  
•       
• What are some similarities of Jonass community
  to ours? What are some differences?
• What types of behaviors or activities show
  sameness in Jonass world?
• What are some examples of sameness in our world?
• Questions about diversity and conformity

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Essential QuestionsTwo Suns in the Sky by
Miriam Bat-Ami

• Bubble vs. walnut - what is the difference
  between these conceptions of the world?
• What do stars signify in different cultures?
• Questions about tolerance and its absence
• Being different

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Essential Questions The Devils Arithmetic by
Jane Yolen

• Names play a significant role in various
  cultures...why?
• How does one's heritage define who they are?
• What roles do prophets play in religion?
  Significance
• Questions about the importance of remembering
• Questions about the importance of exploring and
  studying history

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Essential Questions Animal Farm by George Orwell

• What causes people to rise up and rebel?
• What prevailing conditions cause revolt?
• What is the nature of power and how do people
  get it, take and use or abuse it?
• What are the stages of a revolution and how does
  Animal Farm follow this formula?
• What are the qualities of a good leader?
• How does revolution affect individuals both rich
  and poor, leaders and followers?

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Essential QuestionsBig 6Powerquests

• What product can you use to follow Big 6 research
  skills to assist students in their assignment?
• Webquest
• Powerquest

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What is a Webquest?and what is a Powerquest?
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• Inquiry Based Learning
• Student Centered
• Combines instructional strategies
• Uses and processes information
• Can be short term or long term
• Organized in a specific way that is universal

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Webquest / Powerquest Format

• Introduction
• Task
• Resources
• Process
• Evaluation
• Conclusion
• Teachers guide - optional

See Template
See Designing a Webquest
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Inquiry Based Learning

• Focus students inquiry on questions that are
  challenging and have to be solved
• Teach students specific procedures and strategies
  in the process of solving the quest
• Include opportunities for students to access
  information that is essential to the inquiry
• Give students opportunities to work with peers
  (cooperative learning)
• Help students develop competencies while
  completing a sequence of activities
• Provides the opportunity for performance/presentat
  ion
• Involve students in the process of deriving the
  standards for performance
• Rely on authentic assessment for learning

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Student Centered

• Students play a role
• Not text book driven
• Teacher as a facilitator
• Choosing themes that have meaning to students
• Have a stake in the presentation and set up their
  own criteria

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• Cross curricular
• Meaningful learning
• Comprehension and transferable knowledge
• Greater retention of information

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Cooperative Learning

• Working in a team
• Social skills
• Learn how to deal with constructive feedback
• Learn how to reach a consensus
• Awareness of their contribution
• Learn about different jobs and roles
• Listening skills
• Verbal skills
• Appreciate diversity

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Affective Learning

• Enthusiasm
• Motivation
• Expressing opinions
• Talking about frustrations
• Reflection

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Learning Styles

• Speaks to all types of learners
• Tactile
• Auditory
• Visual
• Working on students strengths and weaknesses

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Webquest - - Powerquest

• Turn your webquest into a powerpoint and you have
  a powerquest.
• Use the webquest/powerquest template.
• This product can be embellished with appropriate
  coordinated backgrounds and images and posted to
  the web to share with other staff.

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PowerQuest

• A webquest built within a PowerPoint. A WebQuest
  is a learning activity used by educators. During
  this activity learners read, analyze and
  synthesize information using the World Wide Web.
  Learners typically complete Webquests as
  cooperative groups. Each learner within a group
  can be given a role or specific area to research.
  WebQuests may take the form of role-playing
  scenarios, where students take on the personas of
  professional researchers or historical figures.
• Template for Powerquest on webpage

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Where to Begin

• Get together with other teachers combine
  strengths and expertise
• Explore webquests that are already available
  dont duplicate if you dont have to. There are
  many sources..
• http//webquest.org/index.php
• http//warrensburg.k12.mo.us/webquest/anchor21276
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• www.QuestGarden.com 30 day free trial, 20.00
  to subscribe
• Assess your students needs multiple
  intelligences
• Start slow

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In Preparation for Collaboration on Webquests
or PowerQuests

• Read the book,
• Or choose your topic
• Or theme
• Basic knowledge of PowerPoint
• Prepare Essential Questions becomes the topic
  of your PowerQuest or Webquest
• Identify SCOS objectives

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Bring or email to yourself

• Email to yourself ( or save on flash drive and
  bring)
• Links to sites that can be used to obtain
  information (Kathy will provide some)
• Appropriate clip art to enhance their PowerQuest
  (Kathy will provide some)
• Bibliography of Resources

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Created by Kathy Beck Iredell Statesville
Schools kbeck_at_iss.k12.nc.us