WHY USE GUIDING QUESTIONS? We all want our classrooms to be dynamic places that are student-centered rather than teacher- oriented. We could
just cover the topic, force feed the information to the students and
let them regurgitate it on a test or quiz. But by using guiding
questions, we are asking the students to find the answers.
It's very motivating. We ask the questions and frontload the necessary
material; then the students investigate, analyze, and demonstrate
knowledge of the underlying concepts. In this way, we create
classrooms of inquiry, where real world problems are discussed and
contemplated.
WRITING GUIDING QUESTIONS
In order to write effective guiding questions, you have to consider a
few things first: What do you want the students to get out of this
unit? What real world issues do you want the unit to address? How
much time do you have to implement the unit? It's important to think
about this last question because it's important for your students to
see success. You need to be sure that they can get a full
understanding of the topic and go far in investigating the topic before
you run out of time!
Wilhelm offers a list of criteria that guiding questions must meet, including:
-A guiding question "addresses the 'heart of the discipline' being studied. Essential disciplinary knowledge will be required to answer it."
-A
guiding question "is open-ended, possible to contend, arguable. It
must be complex enough to house multiple perspectives and possible
answers."
-A
guiding question "possesses emotive force, intellectual bite, or
edginess." Students should be able to engage in quality discussions
about the topic.
-A guiding question "may lead to new questions asked by the students." (p.44)
For my unit on Utopias, during which the students read The Giver, I wrote the following guiding questions: Are humans capable of creating and maintaining a Utopian society? Why or why not? What might a true Utopian society look like?
Using these questions as a guide for the unit, the students engage in a
variety of activities aimed at finding answers. They research the
concept of a Utopia, investigate real world attempts at creating
Utopian societies, read The Giver and discuss the merits and
drawbacks of that society, and complete a project wherein they attempt
to design their own Utopian societies from the ground up.
For my unit on Conflict and Justice in the Community, during which the students read Touching Spirit Bear, I wrote these guiding questions: What is our responsibility to deal with those who are in conflict with the community? Can alternative forms of justice work? What might these look like? Are they necessary?
Using these questions, the students investigate and evaluate various alternative justice programs across the world, discuss Touching Spirit Bear
and how communities should deal with troubled teens, and design their
own alternative justice program that addresses the issues raised in
class.
PLANNING A UNIT WITH GUIDING QUESTIONS
Units framed with guiding questions should be planned in the following
steps: First, write your guiding questions. Identify what learning
needs to be done to address the questions, what Wilhelm calls "the
heart of the matter." Next, create a final project for the unit. Upon
completion of the project, students should be able to demonstrate their
understanding of the real world issues raised in the guiding
questions. Finally, plan the sequence of activities and readings that
moves the students down the path toward mastering these concepts and
developing the "expert tools they will use in their final projects."
(p.39)
I've noticed a number of differences in my classroom
since I started implementing guiding questions. The students are
engaged in discussions that have greater meaning and depth now. We do
more than just talk about a book. We study a real world concept and
use the literature as a kind of jumping off point for our
investigations. in addition, the level of student engagement in these
units has increased tremendously. They have a stake in finding these
answers because the answers can affect their lives. Using guided
questions brings out the best in me as a teacher because I'm teaching
things that matter. I'm a facilitator, a guide for the students in
their own investigations of problems that require real world
solutions. The guiding questions bring out the best in the students,
too, because they are challenging and shaping their own beliefs and
understandings with each unit. I say that's a win-win situation.
Work cited: Wilhelm, Jeffrey D. (2007). Engaging Readers and Writers with Inquiry. New York: Scholastic.