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Broadening My Understanding of Essential Questions
Step 1: Creating Project Ideas for an Essential Question
Essential Questions, by their very nature, can be used across a variety of grades, subject areas, and topics. For example, the Essential Question, How can we make a difference? is appropriate for a project plan in which middle school learners learn about community
government by creating plans for developing a vacant lot. The same question is also used in a project where high school learners assume the role of senators serving on an energy subcommittee and are given the task of developing a national energy plan that provides for the future economic and environmental welfare of the country.
In the table below and on the following pages, an Essential Question has been created for each project described in the middle column. Since Essential Questions by design cross projects and subject areas, practice creating other project ideas that address the same Essential Question. Some examples are provided for you.
- Read the four project descriptions and the corresponding Essential Questions in Module 2, Planning Ahead, Step 1: Creating Project Ideas for an Essential Question, in your Notebook.
- Choose one Essential Question based on your interest.
- In the column on the right, brainstorm other learner project ideas that connect to that same Essential Question.
 Note: We have thusfar avoided Essential Questions in this course and focused on Focus Questions. The essential question is more like a critical question, overarching several subject / learning areas and sponsoring interdisciplinary project work.
Step 2: Revising My Curriculum-Framing Questions (optional)
Review your Focus and Content Questions from your Project Plan. In the next module, you will share your questions and your presentation with a partner. If you choose to revise your questions, write your new questions in the following table or revise them directly in your Project Plan.
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