How do you provoke deep thought and lively discussions? How do you provoke sustained inquiry? How do you get students to consider alternatives, weigh evidence, support their ideas, and justify their answers? By asking essential questions.
Common Core State Standards ask students to learn about characterization; you can create a context for an inquiry with an essential question as straightforward as “What makes a good friend?” You could focus on traits with a question like “What is courage?”
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