Transcript How to write an Essential Question and Guiding Questions

How to write an
central Question
and
Guiding
Questions
What is a central
question
?
• This is your MAIN QUESTION – it’s what your
ENTIRE INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT will be
about.
• This is a BIG question to answer! It’s almost
impossible to answer it without breaking it down
into parts (these “parts” become your GUIDING
QUESTIONS….but we’ll talk about those in a
bit.)
A central
•
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•
Question…
provokes deep thought.
solicits information.
involves gathering and evaluation of data.
results in an original answer.
helps students conduct problem-related research.
makes students produce original ideas rather than
predetermined answers.
may not have one right answer, but instead has
numerous possible answers.
encourages critical thinking not just memorization of
facts.
serves as an umbrella for other guiding questions.
cannot be answered in one sentence.
Types of central
Questions
• "What
“How” Questions
if” Questions
– “How”
“What if”
questions
questions
focus
are on
hypothetical,
the process
questions
behind something.
which ask you to
use
the knowledge
you company
have to pose
a how
hypothesis
and
consider
• How
does the electric
decide
to charge
consumers?
options.
• What are some sustainable solutions to environmental problems in
• your
"Whatneighborhood,
if the Cultural and
Revolution
how could
hadthey
never
behappened?“
implemented?
• "What if students didn’t have to go to school?”
Types of
central
Questions (cont.)
• "Should” Questions
– “Should”
questions make a moral or practical decision based on
• "Why”
Questions
– evidence.
“Why” questions ask you to understand cause and effect. "Why"
• "Should
we clone humans?“
helps
us understand
relationships; it helps us get to the essence
"Should
of• an
issue.we discontinue trade with countries that abuse human
• rights?“
"Why do people abuse drugs?“
• "Why is the death rate higher in one Third World country than
another?"
How to Write an
central
Question
Step One:
•Choose a topic you’re
interested in.
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Jackie Robinson’s life
Aliens
Equal Rights for Women
War Experiences
Oil Spills
Ghandi
Dealing with Change
Academic testing in schools
The Academy Awards
Step Two:
•Create a central
Question that stems from
your particular interests in a
topic and begin that question
with “How,” “What if,” “Should,”
or “Why.”
– Why do we drill in the
oceans?
– Should the United States
reinstate the draft?
– What if Ghandi never
existed?
– What if students weren’t
required to take any
standardized tests?
– How did Pele impact soccer
around the world?
What are Guiding
Questions
?
• Guiding questions
– support the central question
– are still part of the big picture, but they begin
to break down the question into its smaller,
more manageable components.
Guiding
Questions
• central Question:
Examples of
– How do public utilities determine the price of water
related utilities?
• Guiding Questions:
– How do rates among different communities differ and
why?
– How many employees are there, and what are the
salaries of the employees?
– Do all of the utility companies use the same formula?
If so, what is this formula? If not, what other formulas
are used?