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Essential questions are very important for developing lesson plans because they encourage creative thinking and help students conceptualize the theme of the lesson. The quality of the essential question lies wholly in the hands of the teacher, and can make all the difference in the success of the lesson plan.
The first step when trying to establish an essential question is to determine what an essential question should do. It's safe to say that an essential question should both:
- challenge students to make critical decisions
- prompt students to come up with a plan of action
Characteristics of a Great Essential Question
A good essential question guides the lesson by encouraging students to think critically in the right direction, whether they are in a college classroom, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority house, at home, or engaging in distance learning. It will require them to construct their knowledge by piecing together what they've learned through their research until they reach a solution. There is a direct correlation between students' ability to effectively answer an essential question and the amount of research, preparation, and instruction they were given on the topic.
While essential questions should be broad and thematic, a question that is too simple will not help students think creatively. For instance, a question such as "What is global warming?" will certainly allow students to define or regurgitate a response, but they really won't be digging deep into the topic or fully understand the concept of global warming. A question like "What steps can be taken to reduce the effects of global warming?", on the other hand, provides students with a completely open-ended question which they will be able to delve into. It will require research, critical thinking, and thought processing, and in the end the students will fully comprehend the scope of the problem. To further foster creative thought, an addendum such as "Come up with 5 solutions that people can do in their everyday lives to help prevent global warming" will help students focus their research and work towards a solution.
Since innovative thinking is the goal, when coming up with an essential question, it's helpful if the question is:
- open-ended to encourage thought.
- controversial or debatable to spark conversation.
- a jumping point for more essential questions.
Examples
Seeing examples of successful essential questions is a great way to construct essential questions of your own. It's often one of the most difficult parts of constructing a project or lesson plan, so learning from other intelligent teachers is definitely a plus:
- What is morality, and what factors help shape or determine each individual's morality?
- How was power gained in the Holy Roman Empire? What tactics would work today and what tactics wouldn't?
- What is the difference between listening and hearing, and what can be gained from listening that cannot from simply hearing?
- Can fiction reveal truth about human nature? Describe 3 stories or books that prove this theory and what they reveal.
- How is erosion reshaping the world around us, and what can be done to counter the effects of erosion?
- How can we mathematically predict the outcomes of events in the future?
Further Resources
There are a plethora of helpful resources from other teachers and educators on how to formulate the perfect essential question: