The Life of an Essential Question

• What is life of an essential question?

Essential Questions drive your project.  You will start with a draft essential question and over time with some solid foundational research you will revise your question.  You may go into more depth in your foundation and revise it again.  Then you will run into the issue of starting to answer your essential question and presuming your research and answers are solid, then you will have your officially end of the year essential question.  This may happen in November, December, or February.  It is different for everybody.   We hope to have a second draft by late September and then drafts in October and November.  The November draft should be your final EQ.

Examples:

What is best way to treat skin cancer?

What is the most effective way to treat an HIV positive patient in drug rehab?

What is the most convincing piece of evidence to ensure a verdict in a criminal case?

What is the best way to achieve maximum performance from an Audi?
What is the most dangerous insect?
What is the best way to win a game of Chess?

Essential questions must:

(a) be an open-ended question (can't be yes or no)
(b) take a stance (it must allow you to argue some point, it can't be a mere recitation of facts)
          -The underline part:  best way, most effective, and most convincing are there to address part (b)
(c) provide a framework of studies (it calls for breadth and depth of research)

• When do you have to officially pick your topic?

By the end of September, you must select your topic.