Driving Questions Tips

You'll driving question should fall into one of the categories below. You should be able to identify both your audience the 'who' part of the question and the 'purpose' the for part of your driving question

📐 Solve a Problem: There’s a real-world predicament with multiple solutions.

• How can we stop phantom traffic jams?
• How can we beautify the vacant lot across the street for $200?
• What’s the best way to stop the flu at our school?
• Design a better lunch menu for our school.
• Design a safe and sturdy bridge to replace one in our city.

🎓 Educational: The purpose of the project is to teach others.

• How can we teach second graders about helpful insects.
• Create a campaign to teach senior citizens how to use an iPad.
• What do the students at our school need to know about being respectful?

👍 Convince Others: Students persuade a specified audience to do something or change their opinions.

• Create a public service announcement (PSA) that persuades teens to drink more water.
• Drive yourself to define a question and then Prove It to your classmates.
• Convince grocery shoppers to return their shopping carts.
• How can we convince our principal that we should have a party in December?

🌏 Broad Theme: The project tackles big ideas.

• What does it mean to read?
• How does conflict lead to change?
• How does math influence art?
• How do writers persuade others?
• How are good and evil depicted in different cultures?

💬 Opinion: Students need to consider all sides of an issue in order to form and justify their opinions.

• Should pets be allowed to attend class?
• Why has a woman never been a U.S. president?
• What makes a good astronaut?

🚥 Divergent: Students make predictions about alternative timelines and scenarios.

• What if Rosa Parks gave up her seat?
• What if the world ran out of oil tomorrow?
• How might your city change if the climate became an average of 10°F warmer?
• What if the USA switched to the metric system?

🚀 Scenario-Based: Students take on a fictional role with a mission to accomplish.

• You’re a NASA engineer, and you are in charge of building a moon base. What are the ten most important things to include and why?
• Imagine that you are King George. What would you have done differently to keep American part of England?
• You are the CEO of a company that is designing a new social media app. Present a business plan to your investors that explains how your company will make money.
• You’ve been hired to revamp your local shopping mall. Come up with a plan to increase business.
• How would you spend $1,000,000 to help your community?