Does curiosity build a good unit or program?

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Does curiosity build a good unit or program?
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Writing a good driving question
It doesnt matter what you call it driving
question, essential question, compelling question
or key question. Every unit or program you plan
needs to have a question to hook your students
interest.
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Inquiry learning
The driving question that you come up with forms
the basis of inquiry learning. The question
needs to be juicy enough that it piques the
interest of your class members.
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QCAR Standards some givens
The standards ask us to plan learning experiences
that are differentiated. The A level students
need work that will be challenging, and the C-E
students need work at their level. A good
driving question will provide opportunities for
students to opt in to the learning at their
level, and you can maintain an inclusive
environment.
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Lets take a look at a sample driving question.
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Lets start with an age old unit for Middle Phase
about coal mining. Whats this unit really
about? Energy.
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Whats a question we could pose about energy? How
about What are the forms of renewable and
non-renewable energy? This is okay, but it is
still purely content based. If you did this
unit, the most you could really grade the
students is a C, as there is no higher order
thinking involved.
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Lets go a step further and pose this as a
question What would happen if we ran out of
coal? This is an improvement, but its probably
not open ended enough to really push those A
level students.
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So how about a question with student appeal? Why
is Homer Simpson a danger at the power
plant? From here the students can go off in a
whole lot of directions nuclear power and its
pros and cons, which countries use it, nuclear
waste, what the alternatives are and so on.
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If that doesnt ring your bell you could try
something very topical like How big is my
carbon footprint? This allows you to get the
spread from A-E with less complex activities
still picking up on the energy issues but the
higher order thinking encompassing topics such as
whole household usage analysis or pulling apart
the statistics Al Gore used in An Inconvenient
Truth.
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• Lets look at the levels of these driving
  questions again so you can see the depth -
• Coal Mining
• What are the forms of renewable and non-renewable
  energy?
• What would happen if we ran out of coal?
• Why is Homer Simpson a danger at the power plant?
• How big is my carbon footprint?

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Hook your students with an interesting driving
question that is connected to the real world and
you will reap the rewards. Your students will
select the ICT tools that will assist them in
conducting their inquiry and you will be able to
facilitate them on their journey.
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What else should you consider? Productive
Pedagogies QCAR Framework Assessment of Learning
and Assessment for Learning Designing quality
assessment tasks
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How suitable is your question? Will it generate a
task that is intellectually challenging? Will
that task be authentic? How trustworthy will the
task be in generating sound evidence about
student performance? Will the task support all
students in the production of a performance of
the best quality? http//education.qld.gov.au/qca
r/pdfs/placemat.pdf
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• Intellectually challenging tasks
• have depth and breadth
• require higher order and critical thinking
• allow learners to demonstrate their thinking
  and understanding, as well as valued attributes
  and attitudes
• promote learners ability to use the
  metalanguage of the domain
• The intent of the task must be clear from the
  outset
• http//education.qld.gov.au/qcar/pdfs/placemat.pdf

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• Authentic tasks
• are set within an appropriate context for
  learners
• are engaging and target realistic audiences
• have genuine and valued purposes
• involve negotiation
• Learners must recognise and be motivated by the
  purpose and relevance of the task
• http//education.qld.gov.au/qcar/pdfs/placemat.pdf
  

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• Credible tasks
• require relevant and adequate learner
  performances
• have clear and explicit criteria
• provide opportunities for learners of all
  backgrounds to demonstrate their achievement
• demand a variety of performances throughout the
  assessment schedule
• The connections to the educational intentions
  must be clear to all audiences
• http//education.qld.gov.au/qcar/pdfs/placemat.pdf

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• Accessible tasks
• are scaffolded and provide opportunities for
  learners to reflect
• are designed to facilitate engagement with the
  requirements
• provide examples and resources to assist
  learners
• assess only literacies that have been
  explicitly taught
• All learners must be confident that they
  understand the intent and specific requirements
  of the task
• http//education.qld.gov.au/qcar/pdfs/placemat.pdf