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Program Goals for Participants

To provide an extra layer of support in the development of the inductees’ professional knowledge and skills through the…

cultivation of a professional attitude toward teaching and learning;
nurturing of strong working relationships and communication skills with students, parents, and colleagues;
creation of a safe physical and emotional classroom environment;
promotion of equitable access to the curriculum with high expectations for all students;
engagement of students in relevant and rigorous standards-based instruction; and
use of a wide range of assessments in order to define and refine student learning goals and by differentiating instruction.

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Learning Target(s)

I am learning that essential questions are topical questions that promote conceptual thinking and add coherence to a unit or lesson.

I am learning that essential questions are open-ended, thought-provoking, and designed to stimulate ongoing thinking and inquiry.

I am learning that essential questions often address the foundational principles at the core of a subject and are meant to spark discussion and debate.

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Criteria for Success

As part of my unit/lesson planning process, I can create essential questions that…

are open-ended

thought-provoking

call for higher-order thinking

points toward important, transferable ideas

raises additional questions

requires support and justification

recurs over time

As part of my unit/lesson planning process, I can create opportunities for students to…

write about/discuss the essential question

research/validate their ideas and opinions

generate addition questions

revisit the essential question throughout the lesson/unit

raise additional questions

support and justify their thinking

respond to the essential question as part of formative assessment

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Directions:

On the page in the Interactive Participant Notebook (IPN) labeled Module 3, Lesson 4, A, use the graphic organizer to complete the vocabulary linear array.

The graphic organizer is a rectangle, three ovals, and then another rectangle, all in a line.
Five words will be used to fill in the shapes. Words that are opposites are placed in the rectangles.
To complete the graphic organizer, move from rectangle to rectangle, filling in the ovals with progressive words that lead from one word to its opposite.
The words in each oval become progressively less similar than the word in the left rectangle.
Then write a definition for the word in the rectangle on the left. Use the word in a sentence.

Bell Ringer/Do Now

Module 3, Lesson 4, A

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Opening

What is an Essential Question?

“A question that lies at the heart of a subject or curriculum…and promotes inquiry and uncoverage of a subject.” (Wiggins and McTighe, p.342)

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Opening

How do essential questions differ from other questions?

Essential Questions…

Are open-ended
Are thought-provoking
Call for higher order thinking
Points toward important, transferable ideas
Raises additional questions
Requires support and justification
Recurs over time

As opposed to questions that…

Have a single, final, and correct answer
Can be answered using recall
Require only an unsupported answer
Don’t really open up worthy inquiry
Is “one and done”
Are not “debatable”

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Opening

How do essential questions differ from other questions?

Essential Questions…

How important was WWII in shaping the modern world?
What good is a bug?
Why are proportional relationships important in math?
How does the setting of a story impact the characters and the plot?

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Opening

Why should we incorporate essential questions into our units?

According to McTighe and Wiggins (p.31), the intent of an essential question is to…

Signal that inquiry is a key goal of education.
Make it more likely that the unit will be intellectually engaging.
Help to clarify and prioritize standards for teachers.
Provide transparency for students.
Encourage and model metacognition for students.
Provide opportunities for intra- and interdisciplinary connections.
Support meaningful differentiation.

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Work Period

Module 3, Lesson 4, B

Learning Targets and Essential Questions Training Video from Carson-Dellosa

Essential Questions Overview Wiggins and McTighe

What Are Essential Questions?

Directions: Click the images on the left, follow the links, and watch the videos

on essential questions. Use the page labeled Module 3, Lesson 4, A to record useful information about essential questions and their use in your classroom.

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Work Period

Module 3, Lesson 4, C

Essential Questions 101

An Evidence-Based Practice for Student Engagement

Essential QUESTIONS: The secret to teaching may be as simple as asking students good questions—and then giving them the opportunity to find the answers

What are Essential Questions?

Directions: Click the images on the left, follow the links, and read the items

on essential questions. Use the page labeled Module 3, Lesson 4, B to record useful information about essential questions and their use in your classroom.

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Closing - Apply

Directions:

Consider three units you will be teaching in the near future or revisit three units you have already taught. Create an essential question for each unit. Use the checklist to make sure your questions have the characteristics of a good essential question.

Use the page in the Interactive Participant Notebook (IPN) labeled Module 3, Lesson 4, D to record your questions.

Module 3, Lesson 4, D

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Key Understandings

Essential questions are topical questions that promote conceptual thinking and add coherence to a unit or lesson.

Essential questions are open-ended, thought-provoking, and designed to stimulate ongoing thinking and inquiry.

Essential questions often address the foundational principles at the core of a subject and are meant to spark discussion and debate.

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