Educators know that creativity and innovation involve questioning and the capacity to frame topics as problems to be solved. They know that we are living in a time of a new generation of standards, including the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In the U.S., compliance with these standards requires that educators encourage students to ask questions of texts, of disciplinary issues, and of the world. The new generation of standards also requires deep understanding and application of higher-order strategies that are best cultivated through inquiry. To work toward the next generation standards, to foster student engagement, and to teach toward transfer and creativity, teachers can pose essential questions that frame learning as a problem to be solved. This article begins by defining essential questions as those questions which probe for deeper meaning and set the stage for further questioning and creative activity. Essential questions foster the development of critical-thinking skills and higher order capabilities such as problem solving and understanding complex systems. This article offers guidance in composing essential questions, typical characteristics of essential questions, the requirements and rewards involved in using essential questions, and helpful tips for generating them. Common problems with the questions are also discussed.