Developing Essential Questions For a History Project
How does hindsight help us understand _________________?
How did __________ get this way?
How would I have solved (how should the President,Congress, etc. have solved) _______________?
How has __________ reflected the American dream over the course of the decades?
How have efforts of reform impacted __________?
How significant were the efforts of individuals in ______________?
How did one area of culture influence another in a particular time period? (For instance, how did politics influence fashion? How did technology influence food?)
How has _________ changed over the period of _________ and why?How did ________ play a role in the evolution of the ______ century (decade)?
“Which” questions
Which was the best (or three best) or worst:
Event (Lindbergh flight? lunar landing?)
Discovery (nuclear fission? vaccines? plastics?)
Person (artist? musician? politician?)
Literary movement (beat period, Harlem renaiss
Legal decision (Brown v Board of Education? Roe v Wade? Amendment (prohibition? women’s right to vote? allowing 18-year-olds to vote? defeat of the ERA?)
Which were the biggest mistakes?
Which two decades were the most similar or most different in a particular way? Why?
Which resolutions, or attempted resolutions, were the most effective? How would I have advised resolving these conflicts?
Which were the major conflicts within ________? Have these conflicts been repeated?
Which period (or region) would I choose to live in? Which would I definitely not choose to live in?
Which were the most influential catalysts for change in this area?
“Why” questions
Why did the US _____________ during this period?
Why did _________________ (women, slaves, Native American, a political
group, the President, foreign governments) behave or respond as they did during________?
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