Home›Lesson Plans›English Language Arts›Reading: Comprehension · Grade 2

The 5 W’s: Asking & Answering Questions

Students learn the question words — who, what, where, when, why, and how — and discover that each one asks for a different kind of answer, helping them understand any story they read.

Grade 2Comprehension40 minutes1 class periodReading WorkshopExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Know the question words (5 W’s + how).
  • ✓Know what kind of answer each asks for.
  • ✓Ask questions about a story.
  • ✓Answer questions using the text.
Essential Question

Good readers ask questions as they read. What do the words who, what, where, when, and why each help you find out?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Question Words · Interactive

The Question Words

Project this and tap each question word. Have students learn what kind of answer each one is looking for — a person, place, time, or reason.

❓ Explore the question words — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Reading Workshop (Mini-Lesson · Practice · Share)

40 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Connect — Be a Detective

5 min

Good readers are like detectives — always asking questions!

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Introduce reading as detective work.
  • Ask a who/what/where question.
  • Set the goal: question words.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think like a detective.
  • Answer a question.
  • Predict the words.
2

Teach — The Question Words

10 min

Teacher models.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Use The Question Words tool.
  • Show what each W asks for.
  • Model asking and answering.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn each W.
  • See the answers.
  • Ask one question.
3

Active Engagement — Ask Together

10 min

Class practices.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Read a short story.
  • Ask who/what/where/when/why.
  • Answer using the text.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Ask each question.
  • Find the answer.
  • Use the story.
4

Independent Practice — Your Turn

10 min

Students ask and answer.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Give a story to question.
  • Have them write who/what/where questions.
  • Answer using the text.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Write questions.
  • Answer them.
  • Use the story.
5

Share — Share

5 min

Students share a question.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Invite a question and its answer.
  • Name which W it uses.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share a question.
  • Give the answer.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

CCSS
RL.2.1

Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to show understanding.

CCSS
RI.2.1

Ask and answer questions about key details in an informational text.

CCSS
SL.2.1

Participate in conversations, asking and answering questions.

CCSS
SL.2.3

Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says to gather information.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Question-word cards with picture clues.
  • Sentence frame: “___ asks about a ___.”
  • Match questions to answer types.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with who, what, and where.
  • Provide question-word cards.
  • Match each W to a picture answer.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Write all five W questions about one story.
  • Answer with evidence from the text.
  • Ask a “how” question too.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📓Reading notebooks
  • 💻The Question Words
  • 📚A short story
  • 🗂️Question-word cards
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

questiona sentence that asks somethingwhoasks about a personwhatasks about a thingwhereasks about a placewhenasks about a timewhyasks about a reasonhowasks about the wayanswerthe response to a question
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Which question word asks about a PLACE?
Where.
QUESTION 2
Which question word asks about a REASON?
Why.
QUESTION 3
Write a “who” question about a story you know.
Sample: “Who is the main character?”

Going deeper? Five questions, one story.

Have students read a short story and write one question for each W (who, what, where, when, why), then answer each using the text. A printable 5 W’s chart is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 The 5 W's (Asking Questions)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 The 5 W's (Asking Questions)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ The 5 W's (Asking Questions)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: answer, how, question, what, when, where, who, why
  1. asks about a time
  2. asks about a reason
  3. asks about a person
  4. a sentence that asks something
  5. the response to a question
  6. asks about the way
  7. asks about a thing
  8. asks about a place

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Which question word asks about a PLACE?
  2. Which question word asks about a REASON?
  3. Write a “who” question about a story you know.
Answer key — Part A: 1) when · 2) why · 3) who · 4) question · 5) answer · 6) how · 7) what · 8) where
Part B: 1) Where. 2) Why. 3) Sample: “Who is the main character?”