20 Essential Questions

The Following is a list of 20 essential questions that could form the basis of problem-based learning experiences. Many of these questions came about from reflecting on lessons and units I have taught, witnessed or collaborated on in various elementary grade classes while others were inspired by topics covered in some of the method courses I took during my MAT studies. While many of these questions cover a multitude of learning standards, for the sake of brevity I have listed only the most relevant state goal after each question.

Physical Development & Health:

Why is proper nutrition vital for your growth and development?

ISBE State Goal 22.B.1: Encourage and support others in making positive health choices (e.g., eating practices, cleanliness, safety practices).

Why should we wash our hands?

ISBE State Goal 22.A.1b Identify methods of health promotion and illness prevention.

Fine Arts:

How does an one's environment influence his/her art work?

ISBE State Goal 27.A.2a: Identify and describe the relationship between the arts and various environments

How do artists express their ideas through art?

ISBE State Goal 25.B.2: Understand how elements and principles combine within an art form to express ideas.

Science:

Why is space travel important?

ISBE State Goal 13.B.1c: Describe contributions men and women have made to science and technology.

How do animals interact with their environment?

ISBE State Goal 12.B.1a: Describe and compare characteristics of living things in relationship to their environments.

How and why do insects change over time?

ISBE State Goal 12.A.2a: Describe simple life cycles of plants and animals and the similarities and differences in their offspring.

What are the purposes of the different parts of the plant?

ISBE State Goal 12.A.1a: Identify and describe the component parts of living things (e.g., birds have feathers; people have bones, blood, hair, skin) and their major functions.

Where do rocks come from?

ISBE State Goal 12.E.2a: Identify and explain natural cycles of the Earth’s land, water and atmospheric systems (e.g., rock cycle, water cycle, weather patterns).

How do adaptations ensure the survival of different species within ecosystems?

ISBE State Goal 12.B.2b Identify physical features of plants and animals that help them live in different environments (e.g., specialized teeth for eating certain foods, thorns for protection, insulation for cold temperature).

Social Science

Why is Thanksgiving celebrated?

ISBE State Goal 16.B.1b (US): Explain why individuals, groups, issues and events are celebrated with local, state or national holidays or days of recognition

How is your family similar to and different from a Native American family?

ISBE State Goal 16.D.2 (W): Describe the various roles of men, women and children in the family, at work, and in the community in various time periods and places (e.g., ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, ancient China, Sub-Saharan Africa).

How did the environment affect the way Native American tribes of the Southwest, Eastern Woodlands, and Arctic live?

ISBE State Goal 16.E.2a (W): Describe how people in hunting and gathering and early pastoral societies adapted to their respective environments.

Why are there different environments instead of just having things be uniform throughout the planet??

ISBE State Goal 17.A.2a: Compare the physical character- istics of places including soils, land forms, vegetation, wildlife, climate, natural hazards.

Mathematics

Are there different ways to solve a given problem?

ISBE State Goal 9.C.1: Draw logical conclusions and com- municate reasoning about simple geometric figures and patterns using concrete materials, diagrams and contemporary technology.

What are different ways to collect, display, and analyze data?

ISBE State Goal 10.A.1a: Organize and display data using pictures, tallies, tables, charts or bar graphs.

How do we measure the world around us?

ISBE State Goal A.1: Measure and compare quantities using appropriate units, instruments and methods.

English Language Arts:

What do you do when you come across a word you don't know?

ISBE State Goal 1.A.1b: Comprehend unfamiliar words using context clues and prior knowledge; verify meanings with resource materials.

How is information conveyed through different forms of writing?

ISBE State Goal 1.B.1a: Establish purposes for reading, make predictions, connect important ideas, and link text to previous experiences and knowledge.

How can you use the library and technology lab to help find resources?

ISBE State Goal 5.A.2b: Organize and integrate information from a variety of sources (e.g., books, interviews, library reference materials, web- sites, CD/ROMs).