Title: Putting classroom objectives within students
1Rainbow Essential Questions
Putting classroom objectives within students
reach.
Connecting Essential Question A question that
requires students to link back to previously
learned knowledge, or to an on-going
theme.Processing Essential Question A question
that requires students to link new knowledge to
previously known knowledge.Transforming
Essential Question A question that challenges
students to think about how they might use newly
learned knowledge.
2Rainbow Essential Questions
Heres an exampleCan you explain the purpose of
the three types of questions in your own words to
a colleague?
Connecting Essential Question In modern times,
when do people outside of school need to
summarize information? How is summary different
than plagiarism? Processing Essential Question
How would you know for sure that a summary youre
reading has been thoughtfully organized?Transform
ing Essential Question What will you think about
differently the next time youre asked to write a
summary?
3Another Rainbow Example
8.8.5 - Describe the causes and effects of the
Great Depression and the New Deal on life in the
United States and Nevada, including (1) stock
market crash, (2) family life, (3) Hoover Dam and
(4) government programs.
Connecting Do you think money is important?
How would your life change if your family
suddenly ran out of money? Processing What
caused the Great Depression? What effect did it
and the New Deal have on life for the US and
Nevada? Transforming Why is it important to
understand our economy? How will you describe
the Great Depression on our next test?
If this was a standard you were teaching, what
would your rainbow questions be? Please
adapt/revise/change the questions, working with
your group/PLC.
4Rainbow Essential Questions
Now its your turn to create a set!
- Choose a standard/objective youll be teaching
soon. - Write a rough draft set of Rainbow Essential
Questions for the objective using our blank
template . Prepare to share. - Revise the questions, inspired by conversations
with colleagues. - Try using Rainbow Essential Questions three or
four times in the next two weeks.