Challenging History: Essential Questions in the Social Studies Classroom

Many history classrooms are led by well-intentioned, knowledgeable teachers who work hard to find and develop engaging activities that connect to the larger concepts of history. But, too often, these teachers are the ones doing all the thinking in the classroom. This dynamic needs to shift--teachers need to be facilitating student thinking. One approach that the author and her colleagues have found to be successful in supporting a move toward student ownership of historical understanding is the use of unit-framing, or essential questions. Drawing on educational research and classroom experience, this article makes a case for why such an approach is appropriate in the history/social science classroom and gives examples of its application. (Contains 14 notes.)