Whole Earth Curriculum WEC

Lesson 02 — Asking Questions to Understand

Learners practice the five question words — who, what, where, when, and why — to ask and answer questions about a short talk, and discover that questions are the tool that turns listening into understanding.

D04 P3: Intellectual & Cognitive Awareness D04.S1 45 minutes Draft

Objectives

Essential question

How do I ask and answer questions to understand what a speaker means?

questionanswermeaningclarifywho, what, where, when, why

Materials

Standard materials

Low-tech / no-cost

Enriched / lab & device

Works in different contexts

A child raises a hand beside a speech bubble with a question mark, and five bubbles around it hold the words who, what, where, when, and why, teaching that asking and answering questions is how we understand a speaker's meaning
A child raises a hand beside a speech bubble with a question mark, and five bubbles around it hold the words who, what, where, when, and why, teaching that asking and answering questions is how we understand a speaker's meaning

Lesson 2 — Asking Questions to Understand

Summary

Learners practice asking and answering the five questions — who, what, where, when, and why — about a short talk or explanation. They discover that a question is not a test of the speaker but a tool the listener uses to reach the speaker’s meaning.

Objectives

  • Ask and answer questions to understand a speaker’s meaning. (D04.S1.03.02)

Connection

Think of a friend describing a game you have never played, or a grown-up explaining a recipe you want to cook. If you only nod, you may miss the point. But if you ask, “Where do I put it?” or “When do I add the water?” or “Why do I stir?” — suddenly the meaning comes clear. Questions are how a listener reaches inside a speaker’s words and finds the idea they are really trying to share.

Materials

  • Question word cards (who, what, where, when, why, each with a picture cue)
  • A short talk or explanation to hear

Preparation

  • Prepare the five question word cards.
  • Choose a short topic or happening for partners to talk about.
  • Arrange partners so each pair can face one another.

Facilitator note

This lesson is written to the learner (“you”) so it works in a classroom and for a self-directed learner. Teach the five question words as explicit, worked instruction: name each word, model the question it makes, then guide practice (Kirschner, Sweller & Clark, 2006). The key idea to protect: a question is an act of attention, not a challenge. Model asking with a warm, curious voice, and model answering with patience. Questions may be spoken, signed, written, or shown by pointing to a card — all count fully. Keep the talk friendly and small; no learner’s private life is put on display. This is an egalitarian moment: every question is worth an answer, and no question is “foolish.”

Procedure

  1. Gather (5 min). Think of a time you really wanted to understand something someone said. What did you do? Chances are, you asked.
  2. Meet the five questions (10 min). Learn the five question words: who (a person), what (a thing or happening), where (a place), when (a time), why (a reason). Say them in your home language. Put up one finger for each.
  3. Watch a worked example (10 min). The facilitator (or a volunteer) tells one short thing — a happening or an idea. Then the group asks the five questions, one at a time, and the teller answers. Notice how each answer adds a piece to the meaning.
  4. Ask and answer with a partner (15 min). Your partner tells a short happening or idea. Ask the five questions, one by one, and listen for each answer. Then trade roles: you tell, your partner asks, and you answer.
  5. Close (5 min). Who, what, where, when, why — five keys that open a speaker’s meaning. Asking is caring: it says, “I want to understand you.”

Differentiation

  • Support: Start with just who and what, then add where, when, and why one at a time; use the cards as a guide.
  • Support (non-speaking): Point to the question cards, sign, or write a question; the asking is what matters, not the voice.
  • Extension: After a question is answered, ask a follow-up — “and why is that?” — to dig one step deeper into the meaning.

Assessment

  • Formative (observation): Can the learner ask and answer the five questions about a short talk, and does the asking lead them closer to the speaker’s meaning?

Home connection

Tonight, when someone at home tells you about their day, ask one of the five questions — who, what, where, when, or why — and notice how much more you understand.

Resources