Longburn+School+Significant+Questions


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Significant Questions... **

These are part of the ** “WHAT” ** in learning.

Significant questions are questions that we develop from the deeper understanding, the learning disposition and the deeper knowledge. They help our teachers guide children in to the main focuses of learning and make connections with their previous understandings. This is important as when children’s prior knowledge is activated, children are more easily able to make links in their new learning, which increases and helps them develop their understanding much more in depth.

For example, previously a child has been to a Pacific island to visit family there. While they were there they found out lots about the island and their culture and how their family fits into it. When the child comes back to school, the class is looking at the following deeper understanding…

//The past helps us understand who we are, where we are going and possibilities for the future. //  The learning disposition being focused on may be: //Perseverance//

**So, a significant question might be…** · //Why is it important to understand our past? //  The child who has just returned can easily draw on their understanding about their own family and where they come from and already begin to make connections. This significant question allows the child to begin to think about new learning in relation to things that already mean something to them – encouraging engagement in learning and deeper understanding in their learning. It also allows our teachers to see the range of knowledge in the classroom and provide further questions or focuses to develop their learning.

Significant questions have the possibility of being numerous. There is no set list of these so we develop them together during whole staff rich learning planning for units.