Writing Essential Questions for Lesson Plans

Essential questions are thought-provoking queries that foster inquiry, understanding, and transfer of learning. To write effective essential questions:

• Focus on big ideas and enduring understandings
• Make them open-ended and non-judgmental
• Ensure they’re relevant to students’ lives
• Design questions that promote higher-order thinking

Examples:

• “How does literature reflect society?”
• “What role does ethics play in scientific research?”