Essential questions are the "big ideas" that are used to engage students and reflect the core or the essence of the topic being studied. Included are essential questions pertaining to each theme area, as well as questions that relate to exploring the whole Mavericks site. These questions can provide many possible ideas as to how students can examine Alberta history.

How do I use Inquiry Based Learning with students?

• Do we need mavericks to bring about change in our society?
• How can I be a maverick? How am I already a maverick?
• Did I have a maverick in my past? (Ancestry - parent/grandparent)
• What do all the mavericks have in common? Different?
• Is a specific maverick a good representative of Alberta?
• Who do you think should be added to the list of Alberta Mavericks? Why?
• Why was __________ important to the story of Alberta?
• What was __________'s impact on Alberta's history?

• What is the real story of my family's past?
• Why did my family settle in Alberta?
• Why did my family settle where they did? Where would you settle?
• How will I be remembered in 100 years?
• What can I do to bring about changes that would make Alberta and the world a better place?

• Who is the "Greatest Albertan" of all time?
• What is the "real story" of Alberta? Is it changing to meet the future?
• What are the characteristics of a true "Albertan"?
• How do the symbols of Alberta represent us?
• What do the Maverick characters and stories tell us about Alberta's history and people?
• How is our heritage and history different from that of another culture or country?

• What was it like to be a __________ (rancher, etc.) in early Alberta? Could I live their life and be happy?
• How is the perspective of __________ different from that of __________?
  (e.g. ranchers and First Nations)
• What questions would you ask __________?
• What were the five most distinguishing characteristics of __________ and how did they contribute to her/his success or failure? (strengths and weaknesses)
• What lessons should we learn from the story of __________?
• Taking advantage of 20-20 hindsight, what would you do differently if you were __________? Why would you make those changes?
• How was __________ seen in his or her time by their peers or by other groups?
• Could something like the __________ ever happen again? Is it happening now in the world? How could we prevent it? (e.g. The First Nation's loss of land land, Ukrainian or Japanese internments, World Wars, people fighting for the right to vote.)

[ Return to Index of Essential Questions ]