Effective driving questions share a number of qualities, regardless of the topic.
Why are these qualities important to a question’s strength to drive a project?
Typical Questions vs.
Really-Get-You-Thinking Questions
Typical Question: What are the basic tenets of democracy? |
Really-Get-You-Thinking Questions: Who has authority over me? When does authority becomes authoritarian? |
Typical Question: What are the core values of democracy? |
Really-Get-You-Thinking Questions: Do the people serve the government or does the government serve the people? In what ways do restrictive laws allow us to have freedom? |
Typical Question: What were the causes of the Civil War? |
Really-Get-You-Thinking Questions: Is anything worth fighting and dying for? |
Typical Question: What is microgravity? |
Really-Get-You-Thinking Questions: What would you like about being weightless? What opportunities would it afford? Is being weightless in space an “altered” state? Where would you rather live: in a world that is unpredictable or predictable? What might be challenging? |
Typical Question: What are the factors that influence solubility? |
Really-Get-You-Thinking Questions: What is the difference between magic or mystery and science? |
Typical Question: What is the significance of cell specialization? |
Really-Get-You-Thinking Questions: When is being different an advantage? What differences between you and your siblings or cousins are significant? |
Typical Question: Who were the most important leaders in the ancient world? |
Really-Get-You-Thinking Questions: What makes someone worth remembering? |