A Baker’s Dozen – 13 questions to help you determine if yours are Essential Questions

1. Is the question meaningful and purposeful?

2. Is the question open-ended? Is it one that can be revisited, or has been revisited over time?

3. Does the question require support, rationale, or justification, not just an answer or response?

4. Does the question lead students to ask other questions?

5. Does the question appeal to or trigger emotional responses?

6. Does the question encourage intellectual examination and responses?

7. Does the question center on a topic that is relevant to students? Is it a major issue, a problem, of particular interest or concern to their generation?

8. Does the question encourage discussion and/or collaboration?

9. Does the question ask the student to consider moral or ethical issues?

10. Does the question encourage discourse, discussion, or debate?

11. Does the question ask the learner to make a decision(s), create a plan of action, or come to a conclusion after examining related facts and issues?

12. Does the question encourage higher levels of cognitive processing – analysis, inference, evaluation, predicting, synthesis or creation.

13. Does the question lead the learner to important, transferable, applicable ideas that may cross disciplines or subjects, or help unite varied disciplines?