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What's the Big Idea?: Question-Driven Units to Motivate Reading, Writing, and Thinking Illustrated Edition

by Jim Burke (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
See all formats and editions
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Many people have written about how theory (or research) relates to practice; Jim is one of those rare professionals who live the relationship.

-Arthur Applebee
NAEP advisor,
Validation committee member for Common Core,
Author of Curriculum as Conversation

Why a book about questions? "Because when students' instruction is organized around meaningful, clear questions," writes Jim Burke in What's the Big Idea? "they understand better, remember longer, and engage much more deeply and for greater periods of time."
  • Listen to a podcast where Jim explains how How big questions can engage and motivate students who have grown up digitally.
  • Listen to a podcast where Jim explains how big questions can help you integrate standards, differentiation, and engagement.

Jim shows how making essential questions the center of your teaching can ease the tension between good teaching and teaching to the test while giving students dependable, transferable tools for reading, writing, thinking, and participating in the real world. Going in depth on his own units for frequently taught books, Jim shows how to plan lessons, units, and even entire courses around big ideas to help students:

  • grapple with content and deepen comprehension through reading, writing, and discussion
  • make learning stick by connecting it to texts, to students' experiences, and to the world
  • clarify and extend their thinking by learning which questions to ask and when
  • improve school and test performance by honing academic language and skills.

"Although no one thing can ever be the solution to all problems," Jim writes, "this book demonstrates the ways in which questions can address your concerns and develop in our students the mental acuity and fluency necessary to succeed in school and at work, as well as to achieve a sense of purpose in their personal lives." The only question now is, Are you ready to change your students' learning and lives?

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  1. ISBN-10
    0325021570
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0325021577
  3. Edition
    Illustrated
  4. Publisher
    Heinemann
  5. Publication date
    February 2, 2010
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    7.4 x 0.42 x 9.2 inches
  8. Print length
    216 pages
  9. See all details
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What's the Big Idea?: Question-Driven Units to Motivate Reading, Writing, and Thinking
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The English Teacher's Companion, Fourth Edition: A Completely New Guide to Classroom, Curriculum, and the Profession
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jim Burke is the author of numerous bestselling Heinemann titles, including the English Teacher's Companion, Fourth Edition and What's the Big Idea? The question he's always tried to answer is "How can we teach our students better?" He seeks these answers daily through his work in his own classroom at Burlingame High School in California where he still teaches after twenty years. Facing the same constraints and challenges as every other teacher, Jim shares his creative solutions in bestselling professional titles with Heinemann such as Reading Reminders and Writing Reminders as well as through Heinemann Professional Development Services. As part of his commitment to helping teachers and learning how to use the latest technologies, he founded the English Companion Ning, described by Education Week as "the world's largest English department" and winner of several Edublog Awards for Best Social Network for Education. In addition to the EC Ning, Jim offers a steady stream of recommended resources through his website (www.englishcompanion.com) and Twitter (@englishcomp) where he is ranked in the top 100 educators to follow at the top within the online English teacher community. Jim serves on several national commissions related to adolescent literacy and standards, including the Advanced Placement English Literature and Language Course and Exam Review Commission with the College Board and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) where he serves on the Content Technical Working Group, which advises PARCC on the national assessments being developed for the Common Core State Standards. In addition, he is a senior author on the Holt McDougal Harcourt Literature series. Jim has received numerous awards, including the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Award, the NCTE Conference on English Leadership Award, and the California Reading Association Hall of Fame Award. He served on the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Committee on Adolescence and Young Adulthood English Language Arts Standards. Through his work in the class and on such commissions, Jim Burke seeks not only to clarify but reimagine what English should be, honoring the past even as he works with others to create the future of the discipline he loves so much. Visit his website (www.englishcompanion.com) for more information.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Heinemann; Illustrated edition (February 2, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 216 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0325021570
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0325021577
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 11 - 17 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 6 - 12
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.4 x 0.42 x 9.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

About the author

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Jim Burke

Jim Burke

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A longtime English teacher, Jim Burke is the author of more than 20 books and senior consultant for the Holt McDougal Literature program. Jim has received several awards, including the 2000 NCTE Exemplary English Leadership Award. In 2009, he created the English Companion Ning―the largest online community of English teachers in the world. More recently, Jim has served on the AP English Course and Exam Review Commission and the PARCC Consortium.

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4.6 out of 5 stars
37 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • kebells
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for any ELA classroom!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Jim Burke is fabulous! His ideas/activities always work in my classroom. What's the Big Idea? gave me ideas in which to improve my questioning in my lessons/units, tapping into a student's interest in problem solving/finding truth/finding relationships, etc. I also own and use Jim's other books, Tools for Thought and English Teacher's Companion. I find his ideas and style work well with my students. All of his works would be on my Top 10 list, as mine are always by the side of desk! Another reviewer said that these are great ideas only if you teach AP, but his ideas have worked wonderfully in my classroom. I don't teach AP but 8th grade, and his ideas have been very popular with the kids. I may have to alter some activities or make them more accessible to my students, but his ideas/activities seem to be more memorable for my students than others. I'll always be a fan!!!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • iherdcats
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great content, but Kindle users be wary...
    Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Though I'm not finished yet, I can tell you a give a thumbs up to the content. Thoughtful and specific, Jim Burke provides an easy-to-understand narrative about essential questions. I do have a warning for Kindle users. The book does not neatly translate its format to the smaller Kindle. I just now found the blurb on the book's Amazon page that warns about the text layout being optimized for larger screens (Kindle DX, computer screen, iPad, etc.). My fault, I'll be certain to check that out from now on. Had I known ahead of time, I would have purchased the paperback.

    Great content, though!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • New Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars It's all about connections
    Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    As a fairly new teacher, I love it when I find a book that helps me do my job better. This book does that. As teachers we're often given things like Essential Questions in our curriculum, and often these have little bearing on what we do. Mr. Burke takes the idea and shows how to connect the lesson(s) to the students' lives, thereby giving them meaning. Wonderful concept which I'm beginning to apply now. Also, the lessons and ideas provided are very useful, and it was so nice to be able to download the original blacklines for these lessons (and they came in Word format so I could customize them a bit). Great buy!
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  • G. Anderson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Practical Advice for English Teachers
    Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    Here are lessons and advice based on successful experiences with a wide range of Jim Burke's students, all based on the concept of using inquiry as the foundation of units, lessons, and learning.

    Jim draws on and makes connections with many of the best contemporary thinkers as he provides the theoretical bases for his chapters. Although many of the lessons deal with specific texts, they are easily adaptable to any works a teacher might be using in class.

    This important book is supported by superb graphics, online access to handouts and organizers, and useful appendices.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • E-Marie
    3.0 out of 5 stars The book is great -- just don't buy the Kindle version
    Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    There are issues with words/images being cut off. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't utilize the content well but it was frustrating. The book isn't that much more to buy the hard copy so I'd recommend that. The book itself is a fantastic teaching resource that I highly recommend. I read it for a teaching course but I feel that it's very accessible and would be just as easy to benefit from reading independently. It has resources and unit plan ideas. A bit idealistic at times and isn't focused on daily lesson planning, but a great resource.
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  • Karin Westbrook
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    It has changed the way I teach, and has improved how my students think!
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  • sbz
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    repeats itself at times, but overall very good
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  • Bkc4
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reading Suggestions
    Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    With this book I have gotten some ideas for helping students become better readers. I hope to find some ideas for pieces to present to my classroom.
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