Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan
Students will learn to ask effective questions to gather information, boosting their communication and inquiry skills.
Asking questions helps students understand others, fosters collaboration, and strengthens critical thinking skills necessary for academic and personal success.
Audience
4th Grade
Time
20 minutes
Approach
Interactive warm-up, video viewing, group activity, and guided discussion.
Prep
Lesson Preparation
10 minutes
- Review the Slide Deck: Gathering Information Through Questions for key points on effective questioning.
- Watch the Video: The Good Learner Song to prepare for discussion on asking questions.
- Familiarize yourself with the Worksheet: Question Crafting Activity for the hands-on portion of the lesson.
- Ensure all materials are accessible and technology is set up for smooth transitions.
Step 1
Warm-Up
3 minutes
- Begin with a brief discussion: Ask students what they think a question is and why it’s important.
- Encourage a few students to share examples of questions they have asked recently.
Step 2
Video Introduction
4 minutes
- Show the Video: The Good Learner Song, highlighting moments where asking questions plays a role.
- Ask students to notice how questions help in understanding and learning.
Step 3
Guided Activity
8 minutes
- Distribute the Worksheet: Question Crafting Activity.
- In pairs or individually, have students practice forming open-ended questions based on a provided scenario (e.g., asking about a class pet or school event).
- Walk around to offer individual support and encourage thoughtful questions.
Step 4
Discussion and Reflection
5 minutes
- Regroup and ask students to share some of the questions they developed.
- Facilitate a discussion on how these questions can help gather more information and deepen understanding.
- Summarize the lesson by reinforcing that effective questions lead to better learning and sharing of ideas.
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Slide Deck
Gathering Information Through Questions
Welcome!
Today, we'll learn how to ask questions that help us gather information.
Introduce the topic and catch interest. Mention that asking questions is a skill that helps us learn more about the world and others.
What is a Question?
A question is a way to ask for more information. It helps us understand things better!
Explain what a question is in simple terms. Ask students to provide examples of questions they ask in daily life.
Types of Questions
Closed-ended questions: Answerable by 'yes' or 'no'.
Open-ended questions: Invite detailed answers (e.g., 'How did you feel about...?' or 'Why do you think...?')
Highlight the difference between closed and open-ended questions. Use examples like yes/no questions versus 'how' or 'why' questions.
Tips for Asking Good Questions
- Be curious: Think about what you really want to know.
- Use 'how' and 'why' to invite more details.
- Listen carefully to the answers.
Give tips on how to create good, open-ended questions. Encourage students to think about what they want to know.
Let's Practice!
Now, it's your turn to ask questions.
Think about a topic (like a class pet or a school event) and prepare an open-ended question to ask a friend!
Wrap up with a call to action, inviting students to try asking effective questions during the upcoming activity and discussion.
Worksheet
Question Crafting Activity
In this activity, you will practice crafting open-ended questions to gather more information about a topic. Open-ended questions are questions that cannot be answered with just 'yes' or 'no'. They help us learn more and think deeply!
Instructions:
- Read the scenario below.
- Write down three open-ended questions you would ask to get more information about the scenario.
Scenario:
Imagine there is a new school event coming up. The event is a fun fair with games, yummy food, and cool activities. You want to know more about the event to tell your friends and decide what to look forward to.
- What open-ended questions would you ask to learn more about this event?
Your Questions:
- _______________________________________________________________
- _______________________________________________________________
- _______________________________________________________________
Remember, good questions start with "how," "why," or "what" to invite detailed answers. Good luck!
Script
Script for Lesson Delivery
Introduction (Warm-Up - 3 minutes)
"Hello there! Today, we're going to explore the power of asking questions. I want you to think about what a question is. Tell me, what do you think a question is and why is it important? For example, have you asked a question recently about something you were curious about?"
Pause for student responses and encourage sharing with prompts like: "Can you give me an example?" or "How did that help you learn something new?"
Video Introduction (4 minutes)
"Great thoughts, everyone! Now, we're going to watch a fun video called 'The Good Learner Song.' In this video, you’ll see how asking questions can help us understand and learn new things. As you watch, try to notice how the characters use questions to discover more information."
Show Video: The Good Learner Song.
After the video, ask: "What did you notice about how the characters asked questions? How did these questions help them?"
Allow a brief discussion and invite responses.
Guided Activity (8 minutes)
"Now it's your turn to practice! I'm going to give you a worksheet called 'Question Crafting Activity.' On this worksheet, you will read a scenario about a fun school event and then write down three open-ended questions you would ask to learn more about the event.
Remember, open-ended questions are ones that need more than just a 'yes' or 'no' answer. Think about starting your questions with words like 'how,' 'what,' or 'why.'"
Distribute the Worksheet: Question Crafting Activity and give the students a moment to read the scenario and start writing.
Walk around (or monitor) to offer help. Ask prompting questions like, "What do you want to know about the event?" or "Can you rephrase your question to make it open-ended?"
Discussion and Reflection (5 minutes)
"Fantastic work, everyone! Let's come back together and share some of the questions you wrote. Who would like to read their question aloud first?"
After a few students share their questions, facilitate discussion by asking: "How do you think these questions help us gather more information?" and "Why are open-ended questions useful when we want to know more about something?"
Conclude with:
"Today, we've learned that asking the right questions opens the door to learning so much more about the world around us. Keep practicing by asking questions in your everyday life. Great job, everyone!"
Smile, give positive feedback, and encourage continuous curiosity and inquiry.
Activity
Interactive Questioning Activity
In this activity, you will practice your questioning skills in a real-world scenario. This activity is designed to be engaging and interactive, allowing you to apply what you've learned about asking effective, open-ended questions.
Instructions:
-
Think about a situation you might encounter during your day. This could be asking a friend about a new game, a classmate about a hobby, or a family member about a recent experience.
-
Write down three open-ended questions that you could use in this situation to learn more, keeping in mind that open-ended questions encourage detailed answers (use words like "how", "why", or "what").
-
Once you have your questions, practice asking them with a friend or family member, or even by imagining the conversation.
Your Questions:
- _______________________________________________________________
- _______________________________________________________________
- _______________________________________________________________
Reflection:
After practicing, think about the following:
- How did the person respond to your questions?
- Did your questions help you learn more about the situation?
- What could you do differently next time to make your questions even better?
Take a moment to write down your thoughts:
Remember, every good conversation starts with a good question. Keep practicing and enjoy your learning journey!