1. Framing Inquiry and Critical Thinking
Essential Questions
Framing Inquiry and Critical Thinking

2. “The secret to teaching may be as simple as asking
students good questions—and then giving them the
opportunity to find the answers.”
By Jeffrey D. Wilhelm

3. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
“ To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination.
It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.”
-Steven R. Covey –
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

4. My Essential Question
How can essential questions be used to enhance instruction and support inquiry?

5. Goals of Essential Questions
Well crafted questions that allow for Student - driven learning experiences driven by curriculum - based  Essential Questions.
 Questions which are open ended, and when desired allow for flexible learning paths.

6. What is Inquiry?
Stripling, Barbara. Inquiring Minds Want To Know: Using Primary Sources To Guide Inquiry-Based Learning. Presentation Library of Congress TPS Program, Washington, D.C., May 5, 2009

8. Inquiry Process

9. The E’s of Inquiry Topical Inquiry . . . Engages with a question
Explores what is already known
Explain and interpret & articulate connection
Critical Inquiry . . .
Elaborates and invents
Extends and applies
Evaluates and adapts – reflects on and uses

10. Types of Questions Questions that Lead (Factual, Closed)
Asked to be answered, have a correct answer, support recall and information finding, require minimal support
Questions that Guide (Leading, Process, Interpretive)
Asked to explore the topic, may be asked throughout a unit, point towards the desired knowledge
Questions that Evaluate
Your opinion is asked for
Essential Questions

11. What are Essential Questions?
Go to the heart of the discipline
Have no obvious “right answer”
Asked to stimulate ongoing thinking and inquiry
Spark discussion and debate
Recur throughout ones learning
Demand justification and support
“Answers” may change as understanding deepens

12. Question Criteria
Must be open-ended; with multiple perspectives and possible answers
Helps if they have Emotive force / intellectual bite
Non-judgmental
Succinct and pointed
Should lead to new questions asked by students

13. More Criteria
Each student should be able to understand the essential question
The language should be in broad terms
They should be posted in the classroom
Overtime they should be added to by student generated essential questions

14. Identifying an Essential Question
Consider the following two questions:
 What common artistic symbols were used by the Incas and the Mayans?
How do the arts shape, as well as reflect, a culture?
Which of these two questions meets the criteria of an essential question?

15. Identifying an Essential Question
Consider these three questions from a Novel Study on The Outsiders When(time period) and where (location) does the novel take place? What makes a story timeless? What truths can we learn from fiction? How are stories from other places and times about me?

16. Identifying an Essential Question
Consider any novel study:
What is the relationship between the main character and her mother?
What makes good relationships?
What is the theme of the story?
Does literature reflect culture or shape it?

17. One More Set What crops did the Ancient Egyptians grow?
What are some examples of how the Ancient Egyptians adapting to their environment?
How does geography, climate, and natural resources affect the way people live and work?
How does where I live influence how I live?

18. Tips for Generating Questions
Start by focusing on why it matters?
What will students find relevant about this topic?
Why would someone care?
Consider the heart of the matter. What is the true importance of this curricular topic? Why do you love teaching it?
Look around the community for issues that intersect with the topic. Where does this topic live in the real world?

19. Example 1
Fairy Tales from Different Cultures

20. Example 2
Grade 5
Students are expected to know the following: The changing nature of immigration in Canada.
The curriculum does provide two key questions for this:

21. Identify Possible Essential Questions

22. Possible Questions Why do people move?
What challenges do immigrants face in their new homes?
How can immigration lead to conflict?
How do immigrants contribute to their new countries?
Why might citizens have different viewpoints on immigration?
How has immigration shaped out nation?
Can an individual or a group make a difference?
What is worth giving everything up for?
Should immigration be controlled?

23. Next Steps Original Curriculum Goal-
Students will know the contributions to Canada’s Development
2 examples – Chinese Railway Worker, Sikh Loggers
Narrow down to 3 or 4 or your essential questions that apply
What challenges do immigrants face in their new homes?
How can immigration lead to conflict?
How do immigrants contribute to their new countries?
Why might citizens have different viewpoints on immigration?

24. Inquiry Process
Now explore the topic: Chinese Railway Workers experience: Work through the Inquiry steps The essential questions = The Wonder Investigate the topic Construct new meaning (Answer the questions) Express your learning Reflect by writing new questions you now have about the topic and immigration (Use an Inquiry Journal, iThought book, blog about it) Connect to other knowledge – Why does it matter now?

25. Repeat
And then repeat the cycle. Students can repeat with some of their new questions Students need support They need guidance Tie back to key idea in BC Curriculum:

26. Example #3 Grade 7 Social Studies
Time Frame: Ancient World to 7th Century
Students are expected to know the following :Human responses to particular geographic challenges and opportunities, including climates, landforms, and natural resources

27. Identify Essential Questions

28. Possible Questions
How does geography, climate and natural resources affect the way people live and work?
What makes places unique and different?
How does where I live influence how I live?
Why do people move?
How do maps and globes reflect history, politics, and economics?
What stories to maps and globes tell?

29. Students Activity Give students a starter list of questions
Have them then generate questions in groups
Don’t worry about the types of questions they write
Remind them to think of other questions you have posed this year, are those questions still relevant?
You Bring all the questions together
Have students sort the questions into types of questions

30. Inquiry Process
Work through the Inquiry steps The essential questions = The Wonder Investigate the topic Construct new meaning (Answer the questions) Express your learning (Make this varied,) Reflect by writing new questions you now have about the topic (Use an Inquiry Journal, iThought book, blog about it) Connect to other knowledge – Why does it matter now?

31. Jig Saw Inquiry
Question Sample: How does geography, climate and natural resources affect the way people live and work? (Wonder)
Create groups of 4 or 5. Each member of the Group is assigned to be an ‘expert’ on the geography of a different civilization. They will meet with other ‘experts’ and report back to the group. (Investigate, Construct, Express, Reflect,)
Each group will then look at what the experts have accumulate, look at new questions they have as well as answer the essential question. (Cycle Repeats)

32. Example 4
Grade 6 Socials
Students are expected to know the following: Global poverty and inequality issues, including class structure and gender.
Students are expected to –Make ethical judgments about events, decision, or actions that consider the conditions of a particular time and place and assess appropriate ways to respond

33. Some Possible Questions
What are the factors that create an imbalance of power within a culture?
What are the responsibilities of the individual in regard to issues of social justice?
When is it necessary to question the status quo?
What creates prejudice and what can a person do to overcome it?
When should an individual take a stand against what he/she believes to be an injustice? What are the most effective ways to do this?

34. Sample Topics

35. Connect to Literature, Start an Inquiry
Complete literature circles with a topic or topics that connects
Start with one or two of the questions as they start their reading- Go through the inquiry steps while reading
While reading they generate their own questions
After reading, pick 2 questions to go deeper with, and Start the Inquiry Process

36. Debate – Flexible Style
Essential Questions lead us to change our mind
Take a Juicy Essential Question and Debate it
Grade 6 Example after studying governments from around the word: It is sometimes right for the government to restrict freedom of speech.
Grade 5 – Should Immigration be controlled
Standing in the room and moving as the debate is happening – Yes, No, Undecided

37. Final Thoughts / Resources
Be on the lookout for “inquiry potential”
Keep a record of student questions, these questions have inquiry potential and can be combined & refined into guiding essential questions
Keep focused on big idea
Inquirybuddies.com