Essential Question
You will need to have your Essential Question approved – don't neglect this step! You don't want to expend your energy researching a question that isn't viable or meaningful. Together, we will refine the question so that it can lead to a good thesis statement, but it is your job to work on the question until it reflects exactly what you want to research. Keep in mind the following tips:
Ø Develop a question. Do not simply come up with a TOPIC. Generating a topic is only the first step. A topic requires a report of information, as in grade school when you did reports on Nebraska, whales, wheels of cheese, and Abe Lincoln. That's not what we're looking for here.
Ø Write your question carefully so that it asks exactly what you want. A good question requires research and your analysis/opinion on that research. You may start your question with an opinion, but you should NOT start with an answer already fixed in your mind—that defeats the point of researching.
Below are some essential questions from previous years. Notice how the questions are worded to require evaluation or analysis and not just a reporting of facts.
Ø What do fairy tales teach us about the roles of women and to what degree are these roles similar in various cultures?
Ø What is the scale of college sports recruiting scandal, and what should be done to limit illegal schemes?
Ø In what ways is the media portrayal of Asian Americans distorted; what are the sources of these stereotypes, and what should be done to address them?
Ø What are the principal challenges single mothers face and what should be done by society to support single mothers?
Ø How would radical realignment of the National and American Leagues affect major league baseball?
Notice that the questions often have two parts – the first asks for information, and the second part of the question asks for analysis or evaluation of the information. Here are some possible formats for good questions:
Ø How is changing, and why have ?
Ø What are , and what should society do to ?
Ø What is the cause of , and how can ?
Ø When should ?
Ø How______?
Material for this packet taken from:
The Student Writer, Barbara Fine Clouse, ©2000
The Practical Stylist, Sheridan Baker, ©1998
Writers INC, Great Source Education Group, ©2001
"Senior Exhibition" Guidelines, Assignments, Information: Hillsdale High School