Essential questions have been asked throughout history to help explain the universe and analyze the world. However, recent education has focused more on memorization and research rather than deeper thinking. Effective essential questions get at what it means to be human and help students think critically about what they are learning rather than just answering superficial questions. Grouping essential questions thematically can help provide an overarching framework for units of study.

2. Retrieved on 11/5/2011 from: http://www.tnellen.com/alt/essential.html

3. Galileo: Creating Essential Questions
Resource URL: Information Summary: Reflection:
Essential questions have
I have heard of and used
been around since the
essential questions before
dawn of humankind.
however, I have never
These question help us
thought of essential
http://www.galileo.org/ analyze the world around questions from the
us and think deeply about
tips/essential_questions standpoint of early man
what, why, or how things
.html asking these questions to
are. Essential questions
explain the universe. This
reach beyond basic
gives me a new perspective
knowledge to explain
on essential questions and
things completely our at
a greater appreciation.
least as far as we are able.

4. From Trivial Pursuit to Essential Questions and
Standards-Based Learning
Resource URL: Information Summary: Reflection:
This article explains
“Essential questions
essential questions as not
require our best thinking
just “deep thought”
and touch on those matters
questions but ask
that define us as humans.”
questions that really
http://www.fno. Its not the knowledge of
matter to our human
what something is but is
org/feb01/pl.ht an understanding of what
understandings of the
universe and the human
ml something is and how it
condition. I used to think
relates to everything else.
of Essential Questions as
Essential questions speak
just thought provoking
to the human condition
questions. I now see that it
and resonate in the soul.
is a lot more than that.

5. Framing Essential Questions
Resource URL: Information Summary: Reflection:
Essential questions have
been asked throughout I didn’t get much new
time but, schools have knowledge from this
focused in recent decades article. It just reiterated
http://www.fno.org on research and repeat some of my personal
system of instruction. feelings about the
/sept96/questions. Essential questioning educational system. There
html teaches students to has been too much report
research and think about writing and not enough
what they are researching thinking about what it all
and the answers they are means.
giving.

6. FILLING THE TOOL BOX
Resource URL: Information Summary: Reflection:
Begin units or projects
with a list of student
I had never thought about
generated questions that
having the students draft
can be answered
the questions for the next
throughout the unit.
days discussion. It is an
Students will learn new
interesting concept. I just
types of questions and
http://www.fno.org worry about some of the
begin to use different
/toolbox.html questions I would get from
styles of questions for
some of my students. I
different uses. Let
also like the five minute
students formulate
questions. That would be a
questions for homework.
good lesson starter each
Write questions that take
day.
5-10 minutes to think of
the answer.

7. A Questioning Toolkit
Resource URL: Information Summary: Reflection:
Essential questions are at
the heart of the search for Once students become
truth. School should spend proficient at writing
less time preparing for essential questions then
http://www.fno.org trivial pursuit and more they can begin asking
/nov97/toolkit.html time asking thought themselves subsidiary
provoking questions. questions that will lead to
Subsidiary questions the answer of their
combine to answer essential question.
essential questions.

8. Parenting for an Age of Information
Resource URL: Information Summary: Reflection:
Students today don’t know
what questions to ask and
Parent and teachers should
they definitely don’t know
be modeling the spirit of
how to make decisions. I
inventiveness and feeding
think today’s children have
imagination. Student
far more choices posed to
should experiment. Make
http://www.fno.org them than prior
sure children have
generations but, their
/parenting/outline. unstructured time to
ability to process those
become inventive. The
html decisions seems to be
should learn how to
lacking. They seem to
construct questions. They
make a random choice and
should also learn how to
see what happens. I felt
make decisions and
this article was right on the
choices.
money with a lot of its
suggestions.

9. Themes & Essential Questions
Resource URL: Information Summary: Reflection:
This is how I structure my
world history courses in
Essential questions should
http://web001.gree be themed for each unit, or
middle school. I make
sense to write and group
ce.k12.ny.us/acade other specified transition
your questions together by
mics.cfm?subpage= in instruction. These
theme. They could even be
themed questions set up
923 the framework for the unit.
use as goals at the
beginning of a chapter or
unit.

10. Essential Questions
Resource URL: Information Summary: Reflection:
If essential questions are
well written, no one will
Many of these sites have
have the right answer all
the same information.
the time. Teachers and
This site borrows from
students be a problem-
http://www.tnellen. Jamie McKenzie of From
solving team. “You can
Now On.org. The big
com/alt/essential.h encourage essential
suggestion is to build a
questioning by replacing
tml toolkit to help formulate
"what" questions with
the essential questions
"how" and "why." "How"
that teachers and students
and "why" questions
can use.
require more than a simple
yes or no answer. “

11. Essential Questions Resources
Resource URL: Information Summary: Reflection:
I had to include this
Provides Inquiry-Based
website because of the
http://www.ecarter. learning resources. Site
multitude of resources it
k12.mo.us/dept/ele also contains two
has to offer both in
WebQuests to teach
mentary/fourthgrad Essential Questioning. Has
Essential Questioning and
Project-Based learning.
e/ccrites/essentialq a list of sample essential
There are lots of tools and
uestions.html questions by subject and
training aids to be had. It
grade level.
is a good one to bookmark.