1. ESSENTIAL GUIDING QUESTIONS
Rpp
title 1 school
November 28, 2012
Information from “big ideas – authentic education e-journal” & “The Hope foundation”

2. What is an essential question?
It is important, vital, and at the heart of the matter – the essence of the issue.
Broad in scope and timeless by nature, possibly arguable.
Point to the big ideas of a subject and to the frontiers of technical knowledge. Historically important and “alive” in the field.
LEARNING CORE CONTENT: it helps students make sense of important but complicated ideas, knowledge, and “know how findings” that may be understood by experts, but not yet grasped or seen as valuable by the learner.
Big Ideas: e-Journal - What is an Essential Question by Grant Wiggins

3. A question is essential when it……
Causes genuine and relevant inquiry into the big ideas
Provokes deep thought, lively discussion, sustained inquiry, & new understanding
Requires students to consider alternatives, weigh evidence, support their ideas, & justify their answers
Sparks meaningful connections with prior learning & personal experience
Stimulates vital and on-going rethinking of ideas, assumptions, & prior lessons
Naturally recurs, creating opportunities for transfer to other subjects & situations
Big Ideas: e-Journal - What is an Essential Question by Grant Wiggins

4. What are essential guiding questions and how do they frame effective units of instruction?
Guiding Questions: should be clearly visible & understandable for students when teaching every unit.
Students should have the essential questions at the center of their learning and see them regularly. Tell students the purpose of their task.
Each activity, lesson, reading assignment, or assessment should be focused around a guiding question so teachers have a commitment to what they are teaching and students have a purpose for what they are expected to accomplish.
HOPE Foundation: What exactly are essential guiding questions & how do they frame effective units of instruction? By Kathy Glass

5. What are the differences between essential unit and lesson guiding questions?
ESSENTIAL UNIT GUIDING QUESTIONS: are overarching, derived from the essential understandings, and transferrable
LESSON GUIDING QUESTIONS: are necessary to introduce factual knowledge that builds the foundation for understanding the more complex essential unit guiding questions. By addressing these factually based questions, you are building the bricks for students to grasp the greater unit guiding questions.
HOPE Foundation: What exactly are essential guiding questions & how do they frame effective units of instruction? By Kathy Glass

6. EXAMPLE OF UNIT & LESSON GUIDING QUESTIONS
HOPE Foundation: What exactly are essential guiding questions & how do they frame effective units of instruction? By Kathy Glass

7. Distinguishing Features
ESSENTIAL UNIT GUIDING QUESTIONS
LESSON GUIDING QUESTIONS
Begins with why or how
Can’t be answered with a list or finite response
More engaging than straightforward or factual
Written in general terms
Can foster transference & connections to other units of study
Reflect the whole unit of study
1 or 2 concepts to form a relationship
Begins with any type of question: who, what, where, when, how, why, is, does, etc…
Elicits factual information and can be answered with list or finite response
Written in specific terms
Specific to a lesson, but support the unit questions
1 skill or concept per question
HOPE Foundation: What exactly are essential guiding questions & how do they frame effective units of instruction? By Kathy Glass