Big+Ideas+and+Essential+Questions

When we have completed our maps, our curricula will be organized around a set of Big Ideas (Enduring Understandings) and Essential Questions.


 * Enduring Understanding:** The important understandings that have lasting value beyond the classroom.


 * Essential Questions:** Over-arching questions that focus based on a key concept, enduring understanding, and/or big idea to prompt inquiry.

Heidi Hayes Jacobs, who has been working directly with us in the development of our maps, identifies criteria for writing essential questions in her book, __Mapping the Big Picture: Integrating Curriculum and Assessment__ (1997). You can find more detailed information on curriculum mapping on the following websites: __curriculumdesigners.com__ and __curriculum21.com.__


 * __Criteria for Good Essential Questions:__**
 * Each child should be able to understand the question. They should be "kid-friendly."
 * The questions should be written in broad organizational terms. They should reflect a heading for a set of activities. Narrower questions or questions that can be answered simply with facts are more appropriate for classroom discussions.
 * The question should reflect the conceptual outcome for students. What is it you want students to know and be able to do as a result of studying a given concept?
 * Each question should be distinct and substantial. In order to answer the question, students will need to engage in a number of instructional activities.
 * Questions should not be repetitious. Ms. Jacobs gives an example of questions that are repetitious that could be collapsed into one question or one question with subheads:
 * What is change? What causes change? How does change affect people? How has change affected our town over 300 years?
 * 2 to 5 questions is the average for a unit of student that ranges from 3 to about 12 weeks. Avoid having too many questions for the time allotted.
 * There should be a logical sequence to a set of essential questions.
 * The questions should be posted in the classroom.