Lesson Plan 5 - Why

WHY?
I. Pre-Assessment Data
Guiding Questions: What do students already know about this topic? What data (formal or informal) is
available? How will you use this assessment data for instruction? How will you use students funds of
knowledge?
Students have a foundational understanding of WHEN that has been developed through conversations that they
engage in every day. There is no formal or informal data regarding this topic however students do have background
knowledge regarding this topic.
II. Content and Language Objective *Must be conveyed to students

Guiding Question: What will students be able to do at the end of todays lesson? How will this objective(s)
support language development? What is the cognitive rigor of your objectives?
Describe Explain Apply Analyze Compare Evaluate Defend Create Interpret
Formulate
Students will be able to define why. (Remember - DOK 1)
Students will be able to ask and answer why questions. (Apply-DOK 2)
This lesson will support student language development by fostering a greater understanding of a question that we use
every day to gain a better understanding of texts and the world around us.
Key Why: The reason or cause of something that is being read about, talked about, or written about.
Vocabulary:
III. Rationale * Must be conveyed to students

Guiding Questions: What are the big ideas and essential questions? Why is this important to students? How is
this related to unit goals, essential questions, or relevant standards? How does this connect to students real
lives and cultures? How will you plan with intentionality? What do you want students to understand, know
and do?
Big Ideas: 1)Asking questions, such as why? is an effective way to gain a better understanding of a text.
2)By knowing when to ask specific questions, such as why? we can not only gain a better understanding of text, but
also the world around us.
Essential Questions:
1) How can asking why? help us to understand our world?
2)How can asking why? help our comprehension?
This topic is critical to students lives both in and out of school as we are continually asking questions in order to get
a better understand of a topic or event and by receiving explicit instruction in this area students will be better
prepared to ask these questions. Additionally, this lesson will benefit students in special education who might have
difficulty with self-advocacy by teaching them questions that they can use every day to better understand something
going on in their lives.
IV. Assessment * Must be conveyed to students

Guiding Questions: How will you measure students progress toward the objective? What feedback will you
give to students? What will you do if students have not reached the goals? Will the data you gather allow you
to differentiate future instruction?
Throughout the lesson I will perform informal checks to see if students are able to recall the question of the day
(Why?). I will also make informal check to see if students are able to recall the definition of why?. At the end of
the lesson students will be given picture cards and be required to ask a Why? question related to that picture and
answer a who question that another student asks - being able to do so will indicate that students are able to ask and
answer who questions.
The information gained from the observations and informal checks for understanding will allow me to determine the
extent to which students have learned and also provide insight into ways in which I may have to adjust my instruction
for the next lesson in this unit.
V. Differentiation
Guiding Questions: How will you use data to intentionally group, instruct and assess students according to
skills/readiness/interest? What choice will students have in the process or product associated with this
lesson?
While I will not utilize data I will use my understanding of student skills and needs to create two small group that I
will teach this lesson to. I will make sure to include students who are more independent and students who I
anticipate will need additional support in each group.
I will use heavy visual support for all students and provide sentence stems for students who may need more support
with questioning. For students who are developing readers I will include within the lesson visual representation of
the 5 Ws that I will consistently use throughout the lesson.
The graphic 5 Ws hand chart graphic organizer will support students learning of the key vocabulary and the
associated relationship to the hand will be a useful way of prompting students to remember the key vocabulary.
VI. Lesson Components

Active Engagement Strategies Checks for understanding Strategies to support ELLs
Oral language development Frequent feedback o Visual supports
Cooperative learning Student voice and choice o Explicit vocabulary
Critical thinking Scaffolding o Realia
Arts Integration o Native language support
Component Time
required
A. Lesson Introduction: Hook students into content. Explain objective, rationale, and assessment
During the past couple of days we have learned about WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE which are
questions that we can ask to get a better understanding of a story and today we are going to discuss a new
question that will allow us to understand even more! Today we are going to explore the question: WHY? By
exploring the question why? we can understand more about the reasons why events in our story happen. By
the end of todays lesson we will be able to define why. We will also be able to ask and answer why
questions.
B. Body of Lesson
Teacher Does Students Do
I will show students the Why poster and define
Why: The reason or cause of something that is Students will be given a 5 Ws hand chart graphic
being read about, talked about, or written about. organizer and write why in the pinky finger.
I will give an example from the students lives and Students will describe the reasons for going on
say that we could ask a why question about the our field trip.
field trip we took recently. I will say that someone
might ask Why did you go on the field trip? and
as a group we will discuss the reasons for going on
the field trip.
After this I will tell the students that we are about

to read our book again and that while we are Students will echo read the text.
reading they should try to focus on why the
main events the story take place. Students should
think about the reason or cause of something
happening in the story.
After the text is read aloud I will turn to pages __,

__, __, and ask students if they can think of a why
question related to these pages. I will record Students will be given the opportunity to share
students answers on the sheet. Should students the questions they have and see if they can
struggle with coming up with questions answer them together.
independently I will ask probing questions related
to the definition we covered earlier and see if
students can independently think of a question.
Upon completion of this activity I will review the
student questions and answers.
Students will break off into pairs and each will
I will then distribute picture cards to the students receive a picture card and generate a why
and model the next activity with my own card.
question related to the card. Students will then
ask their partner the question and then they will
switch roles. Students will also get a chance to
ask/answer who, what, when and where
questions with these pictures.
C. Closing: Review progress toward objective (may include student self-assessment)

At the end of this lesson I have students discuss the definition of why and the types of why questions thatt we
can ask/answer.
I will also have students tell me all of the WH questions that we have covered in the unit. I will also tell the
students that we will be using our ability to use questions on a new book.
Key Instructional Materials Needed and References Used Extension of Learning (e.g., homework)
Five Ws Hand Chart
Five Ws Hand Chart Graphic Organizer
Text
Picture Cards
Why poster

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WHY?

II. Content and Language Objective *Must be conveyed to students

III. Rationale * Must be conveyed to students

IV. Assessment * Must be conveyed to students

VI. Lesson Components

After this I will tell the students that we are about

After the text is read aloud I will turn to pages __,

C. Closing: Review progress toward objective (may include student self-assessment)

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