Creating+An+Essential+Question

//Considerations: // · When is the text available? · What text would work best as the opening “hook” of the year? · What order do you want use (chronological? thematic?)? · How can the books build on one another (complexity of language, development of reading skills, connections in content/themes)? · Are there any cross-curricular collaborations that can be achieved? · What text works best as the final one considering what other wrap-up work needs to be done simultaneously (end-of-year testing, portfolios, research papers)? //Considerations: // · What readings have they done in prior courses (content, reading skills required, complexity of language)? ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">What essential questions have they studied for prior courses? ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">What history have they studied and what history will they be concurrently studying? ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">What life experiences does a typical student bring into your classroom? <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Considerations: ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">What thematic and content connections do you see between the texts? ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">What understandings can the students see as a result of the order you have chosen to teach the texts? ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Thinking like a student, what do you want to learn about? ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">What question arises that is “accessible, thought-provoking, [and] challenging” (Wiggins and McTighe 109)? <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Considerations: ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Is your question open-ended? ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Is your question as brief and direct as it can be? ·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Is your question appealing to your students?
 * <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Creating an Essential Question **
 * <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">Step 1: List the required texts in the order you wish to teach them **
 * <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">Step 2: Determine the age of your students and prior experiences **
 * <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">Step 3: Pull it all together into one (or two connected) essential question(s) **
 * <span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">Step 4: Finalize your essential question(s) **