There is a great importance in understanding the difference between Essential and Unit Questions, and believe it or not if you are able to ask these questions in an effective matter the easier it will make for us, as teachers, teaching our students.
An Essential Question is asked broad enough to make students think, for the answer, rather then just looking for the easy way out, in answer "Ummm I don't know it just is...". An example of a question that could be tweaked in ways to make it more effective is "Why are working in groups helpful?" The question doesn't give room for students to think in dept to answer it. The question can be answered by a students just saying "They help you see where you are..?" or "Because they just are Miss". Common answers that teachers are trying to avoid when we ask a question expecting students to think about the answer. The ability to ask a question is a task in it's self and we have to be able to ask a questions with figuring out the proper wording, and in a certain subject it is important for students to understand how this one topic can help the individuals in other courses/classes as well. If students are able to understand the importance the easier it is to get through to that child that didn't care before. We are teaching because we already have learning the power of knowledge, most students haven't learned that, yet.
Unit Questions are something drawn from that broad Essential Question that gives the students individual answers that they are looking for. It's important for Unit Questions to be specific to help our students know what exactly they are looking for, and this keeps the students from being confused. Confusing in a students can be difficult, because personally I know it use to be so common for me that if I didn't get something I'd just give up and not want to ask because I wouldn't want to be embarrassed.
...Here is an example of an effective Essential Question, and 3 Unit Questions. Along with how one topic can help the students with 3 different subjects and it's TEKs at one time.
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