Monday, March 20, 2017

All your research comes down to essential questions

Currently there are a lot of research projects going on at FHS.  The Public Policy Paper, critical analysis of Frankenstein or Jane Eyre, and issues in technology are just a few of the research tasks our students are in the midst of.  For all research, we encourage our students to develop an essential question.  An essential question gives purpose for your work and helps the student to define their learning task.  Below is a rubric we have shared with students to help them develop strong essential questions.

Yoda (A)
Your Essential Question:
-Can not be answered in a few sentences or even paragraphs
*Seeks an understanding of something that matters to us
-Requires expertise to answer. Students must create their own answers and construct their own meaning.
-Has an answer that is debatable
- Answers to the essential question may reveal deep ironies and/or paradoxes

Have Flavor Will Travel(B)
Your essential question:
-Can not be answered in a few sentences or even paragraphs
-Has an answer that is debatable
-Requires expertise. Students must create their own answers and construct their own meaning.

Solid Citizen (C)
Your essential question has two of the following three traits:
-Can not be answered in a few sentences or even paragraphs
-Has an answer that is debatable
-Requires expertise. Students must create their own answers and construct their own meaning

Slack (D)
Your question does not require an in depth explanation and can be answered easily.  To answer your question, one could spend minimal time on the internet and be done.

*The difference between an A and a B