An essential question guides meaningful inquiry into big ideas by provoking discussion, debate, and new understanding. It requires students to consider alternatives, weigh evidence, and justify their answers rather than having a single simple answer. An essential question sparks ongoing thinking about assumptions and connections to prior learning in a way that leads to further questions and transfer of learning.

1. Planning with Essential
Questions
Imagine Prep at Surprise
John Buzzard

2. What is an essential question?
A question is essential when it:
▫ causes genuine and relevant inquiry into the big
ideas and core content;
▫ provokes deep thought, lively discussion,
sustained inquiry, and new understanding as well
as more questions;
Source: Wiggins, Grant “What is an essential Question” www.authenticlearning.org/big
ideas/index.lasso Nov 15, 2007

3. What is an essential question (2)
A question is essential when it:
▫ requires students to consider alternatives, weigh
evidence, support their ideas, and justify their
answers;
▫ stimulates vital, on-going rethinking of big
ideas, assumptions, and prior lessons;
Source: Wiggins, Grant “What is an essential Question” www.authenticlearning.org/big ideas/index.lasso Nov
15, 2007

4. Essential Questions
• What is one?
• What isn’t one?
• How do they guide inquiry and learning?
• How do they lead to projects and exhibitions?
• How do I use essential questions to plan my
class?
• How do I help students understand and work
with essential questions?

5. What is an essential question (3)
A question is essential when it:
▫ sparks meaningful connections with prior learning
and personal experiences;
▫ naturally recurs, creating opportunities for
transfer to other situations and subjects
Source: Wiggins, Grant “What is an essential Question” www.authenticlearning.org/big
ideas/index.lasso Nov 15, 2007

6. So what does that mean…?
• An essential question guides students to ask
their own questions, to question deeper
elements of a topic or concept, and to create
their own understanding of the world.
• For example, let’s take a look at the essential
question:
“

7. Defining an essential question
Some qualities of this question:
• It is clear and brief.
• It does not have a simple answer.
• It demands further research and inquiry.
• Two people could give very strong answers
without agreeing on their answers at all.
• It is not a topic in disguise – it is an engaging
direction for learning.

8. Topic vs Essential Question
Topics are: Essential Questions are:
• Noun - focused • Focused on comparisions
• Interdisciplinary
• Located within one subject. • Big picture
• Dull and vague • Engaging
• Student -centered
Examples:
• World War II Aircraft Examples:
• What WW II era plane had the
• Haikus greatest effect on warfare?
• Meiosis and Mitosis • How can fewer words communicate
more?
• What is the most effective kind of
reproduction in the animal world and
why?

9. Don’t just translate a topic
• Often standards are presented • Instead, create questions that
as chunks of knowledge to be you would be interested in
learned. Avoid simply discussing or researching.
assigning a topic by turning it
into a question – i.e. don’t use
essential questions like:
• What World War II innovation
• Why is World War II has had the greatest effect on
important? your life?
• What are the main steps to
doing scientific research?

10. Get more information
• http://www.edutopia.org/teaching-module-pbl-
how
• General information
• http://www.edutopia.org/teaching-module-pbl-
resources#pbl_ppt
• (read through the power point and engage in
some of the activities.)