An essential question is a question that causes a person to use their imagination and expand their range of knowledge on a subject. It is not usually a yes or no type of question because they are simple and straightforward; that is the opposite of what an essential question inquires. An essential question also refers to more than just a specific passage or book. For example, in class we read a story. Once we finished the story, our professor asked us to write down an essential question after explaining what it is. The main point that we were asked to keep in mind is that an essential question needs to be a single question with many resources for answers, and not just come from a single source, here being the story. Essential questions are important because they assist in expanding someone’s thought process and inquire that you look deeper for the answer than you would for, an example, a literal question. For example, I worked on a project where I had to read an fictional fairytale. I chose Rapunzel and explained how she was taken from her original parents by mother Gothel. My literal question would be along the lines of “where did mother Gothel keep Rapunzel for most of her life?” versus my essential question that would be more along the lines of “what are the advantages and disadvantages of giving a child away for adoption?” Here, the answer to the essential question can come from between the lines of the fairytale, but also come from other sources that hold a similar or more complex answer(s).
Sister Crys 