Understanding+by+Design+videos

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 * Essential Questions** as described by Grant Wiggins and JayMcTighe

//“At the heart of alluncoverage, then, is the deliberate interrogation of the content to be learned,as opposed to just the teaching and learning of material.”// Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins 1999 //Understanding By Design Handbook//

v Essential Questions have no one obviousright answer. Theyuncover, rather than cover up a subject’s controversies, puzzles andperspectives. e.g. **What issnow”**
 * Characteristicsof Essential Questions**
 * Why is winter colder than summer**?

v Essential Questions raise other importantquestions, often across subject-area boundaries e.g**.** **How does global warmingaffect all forms of life?**
 * What can be done to decrease CO2emissions?**

v Essential Questions address thephilosophical or conceptual foundations of a discipline. They focus the learning of big ideas andcore processes in Science. e.g**. In nature do only the strong survive?**

v Essential Questions recur naturally and areimportant enough to show up in several science units. e.g.**What evidence of Patterns of Change is illustrated**
 * within…(the Rock Cycle, Seasons,Adaptation)?**
 * What is the relationship of Form toFunction in…**
 * (Plants, Animals, Cell Shape, States of Matter)?**

v Essential Questions are framed to provokeand sustain student interest. e.g. **Why/how dowe see color?**

v Essential Questions provide a continuum oflearning from broad overarching questions to morespecific Unit Questions. Guidelines:
 * Questionsshould be framed for maximal simplicity.**
 * Questions should be worded in student-friendly language.**
 * Questions should provoke discussion.**
 * Questions should lead to larger essential and unit ideas****.**