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301 Awesome Essential Questions Examples by Subject
301 Awesome Essential Questions Examples by Subject
301 Awesome Essential Questions Examples by Subject
Here are over 300 essential questions examples by category. Dive in and discover them now!
Grant Wiggins and his colleague Jay McTighe did so much to bring an awareness of how to
create meaningful essential questions in education. They knew as we do now, that the
questions we ask our students matter.
“The big-idea questions signal that education is not just about learning the answer, but about
learning how to learn.”
— Grant Wiggins
• Triggers the hydra effect (investigate one question, and more appear)
“They are the kinds of questions that can drive us, haunt us, and move us to search for
answers.”
— Lee Crockett
All the essential questions are broken down into different categories. So off you go! Explore,
ponder, and never stop asking questions.
Essential Questions for Social Studies
• How can one individual’s experience reflect the struggles of an entire nation?
• How does our understanding of the culture of a people help us communicate with them
most effectively?
• How do you define the term “perfection” in contrast to how it is portrayed in our pop
culture media?
• In a culture full of ideas and images of what we should be, how do we form an identity
that remains true and authentic for the individual?
• How do we determine the ideals that should be honoured in a model society and
explain why they are the most important?
• How can we help people struggling in underprivileged regions of the world lead better
lives?
• How does the study of history help us realize that ideas and actions of individuals and
groups have consequences and shape events?
• What are the reasons that cultures and individuals create narratives of their
experiences?
• How does what you read influence how you should read it?
• How does an author create meaning in a text, and what makes that meaning valid?
• In what ways can we express ourselves when we don’t know another’s language?
• How can we use story writing and storytelling to help solve everyday problems?
• How can we use knowledge of the structure of language to write more persuasively?
• How can you make a convincing case about a problem that inspires people to take
action?
• What are some strategies for building effective oral communication skills?
• What is “art” and why do individual cultures place so much value on its continuing
evolution?
• What inner and outer factors influence how we express ourselves artistically?
• Do audiences and consumers have any responsibility towards artists? If so, what are
they?
• What would the world be like if we weren’t able to artistically express ourselves?
• What can the art forms of other cultures teach us about ourselves and about life?
Essential Questions for Mathematics
• In what ways do we use math in everyday life?
• How do we identify patterns and use them to predict what will happen next?
• How can we compare the sizes of objects when we can’t place them next to each other?
• When and how has mathematics played pivotal roles throughout our world’s history?
• How do I determine the best strategy to use for tackling a specific mathematical
problem?
• When solving multi-step problems using charts, tables, and graphs, how can you tell if
the information you provide is sufficient?
• How can we predict what life will be like 30 years from now?
• When can we be sure that estimation is more appropriate than finding an exact answer?
• How can we be sure that the universe beyond our world is truly “infinite”?
• How do we make predictions for the future and ensure that they have validity?
• Why is it important that we recognize universal patterns existing within our world?
Essential Questions for Ethics and Morality
• What is morality and what are the factors that have an impact on its development?
• Why do we choose to use labels in society, and when can they be harmful?
• How is our perception of good and evil shaped by our films, books, and video games?
• If you could choose one rule for the entire world to adhere to, what would it be and
why?
• Why is having values and beliefs important and how can we form them independently?
• Is humanity inherently “good” or inherently “evil?” Why do you feel this way?
• Why is it crucial to consider the effects of our words and actions on other people?
• What are the attributes of heroism and how could they change?
• Why is it necessary for long-term health and wellness to achieve balance in our lives,
and how can we achieve it?
• What would be the short- and long-term effects of all living humans striving to
understand each other?
• How do we define “happiness” for ourselves and how important it is in our lives?
• Why (and how) does choosing activities we enjoy contribute to our whole-being health?
• What causes some to thrive while others fail in the face of a challenge?
• What personal qualities do you have that help you deal with conflict, challenge, and
adversity?
• In what ways does where you live influence how you live?
• What is the difference between “surviving” and “living”?
• How does what we eat impact our health in both the short and long term?
• What is special about how you deal with personal conflicts and change, and how could
this help someone else?
• How can we support people who feel alone and are uncertain about themselves due to
social and psychological factors?
• Are there universal characteristics of belief systems that are common across all
cultures? What are they and how can they bring us together?
• How could we ensure and sustain enough food, water, and clothing for every living
person on Earth?
• How has technology transformed how we see ourselves and others? Is this good or bad?
• What is your vision of a “perfect society” and how would you describe it?
• How do we decide if the world as it is today is better or worse than it was in the past?
• How does what we know about the world affect how we view ourselves?
• Why does it often seem to take a global disaster or crisis to inspire us to help each
other?
• What personal contributions and changes can we make to help reduce the effects of
global warming?
• How can we ensure that conflicts lead to constructive change and a positive outcome
for everyone involved?
• What is the difference between management and leadership, and which is more
important?
• In a culture where we are bombarded with other people trying to define us, how do we
make decisions for ourselves?
• What are the elements of true friendship and how might these change or grow over
time?