Home›Lesson Plans›World Languages›American Sign Language · Grade 8

ASL Question Types — Yes/No vs WH

Eighth graders master a key ASL grammar rule: the eyebrows show the kind of question. For yes/no questions, raise your eyebrows; for WH-questions (who, what, where, why), lower them. They sort questions by eyebrow position.

Grade 8Question Types50 minutes1 class periodACTFL / Visual LanguageExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Tell Yes/No from WH.
  • ✓Use eyebrows correctly.
  • ✓Sort the questions.
  • ✓Ask clearly in ASL.
Essential Question

In ASL, your eyebrows show what kind of question you’re asking! Which questions raise the brows, and which lower them?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Eyebrows Up or Down?

Project this and sort each question into Yes/No (eyebrows UP) or WH (eyebrows DOWN).

❓ Sort each — eyebrows up or down?Try it
⬆️ Yes/No (brows UP)
⬇️ WH (brows DOWN)
Tap a question, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Visual-Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Sign · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

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

1

Warm-Up — Your Eyebrows Ask

5 min

In ASL your eyebrows show the kind of question — which go up, which down?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask a yes/no question.
  • Ask a WH-question.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Ask.
  • Ask.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Question Types

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Present yes/no = up, WH = down.
  • Model both.
  • Have students copy.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Copy.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Sort Them

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Eyebrows Up or Down?
  • Sort each one.
  • Sign along.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Sign.
  • Explain.
4

Sign — Sign

12 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask a yes/no question (brows up).
  • Ask a WH-question (brows down).
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Ask it.
  • Ask it.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say when brows go up.
  • Say when they go down.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Novice-High).

ACTFL
Cultures 2.1

Explore ASL grammar.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare question-marking.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: ask questions.

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: read question type.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Question face cards.
  • Model brows up/down.
  • Use a mirror.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with one of each.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Copy together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Ask five mixed questions.
  • Interview a partner.
  • Add a head tilt.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • ❓Question cards
  • 💻Eyebrows Up or Down?
  • 🪩A mirror (optional)
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

questionsomething you askyes/no questioneyebrows RAISEDWH-questioneyebrows LOWEREDeyebrowsshow the question typeWHATindex draws across the palmWHEREindex finger shakesWHOthumb/“L” at the chinfacial grammarthe face carries meaning
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
For a yes/no question, what do your eyebrows do?
Raise up.
QUESTION 2
For a WH-question (who, what, where), what do your eyebrows do?
Lower down.
QUESTION 3
Is “What is your name?” a yes/no or a WH-question?
A WH-question (eyebrows down).

Reflect: question types.

Have students ask one yes/no question (brows up) and one WH-question (brows down). A printable ASL questions sheet is in the World Languages 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.

🃏 ASL Question Types (Yes/No vs WH)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 ASL Question Types (Yes/No vs WH)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

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.

🖨️ ASL Question Types (Yes/No vs WH)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: eyebrows, facial grammar, question, WH-question, WHAT, WHERE, WHO, yes/no question
  1. eyebrows LOWERED
  2. eyebrows RAISED
  3. the face carries meaning
  4. index draws across the palm
  5. show the question type
  6. something you ask
  7. thumb/“L” at the chin
  8. index finger shakes

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. For a yes/no question, what do your eyebrows do?
  2. For a WH-question (who, what, where), what do your eyebrows do?
  3. Is “What is your name?” a yes/no or a WH-question?
Answer key — Part A: 1) WH-question · 2) yes/no question · 3) facial grammar · 4) WHAT · 5) eyebrows · 6) question · 7) WHO · 8) WHERE
Part B: 1) Raise up. 2) Lower down. 3) A WH-question (eyebrows down).