You will learn
- Use question words correctly.
- Ask a question that fits the topic.
- Ask a question to learn more.
- Tell the difference between a relevant and an off-topic question.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Question words: who, what, where, when, why, how.
- A relevant question fits the topic.
- Wait for the speaker to finish.
- Listen to the answer.
Words to know
connected to the topic
a word that starts a question, such as who or why
what we are talking about
not connected to what we are talking about
1. Discover: The visitor from the farm
A farmer visits the class and talks about her cows. Ama asks, “How often do you milk the cows?” Kofi asks, “What is your favourite colour?” The farmer smiles but says, “Let’s stay with the cows.” Ayo asks, “What do the cows eat?” and the farmer tells a long, interesting answer.
Think: Which questions were relevant?
2. Understand: Asking good questions
Idea 1: Question words
Questions often begin with a question word: who, what, where, when, why, how. They end with a question mark.
Idea 2: Relevant questions
A question is relevant when it connects to the topic. Asking about colours when we are talking about cows is off-topic.
Idea 3: Listen and follow up
Wait for the speaker to finish. Listen to the answer. You may ask another question about what they said.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Question word
Which word begins a question: who, table, green?
- Think of question words.
Answer: who
Example 2 (We do it together): Relevant
Topic is dogs. Which is relevant: What do dogs eat? or What is the time?
- Does it fit dogs?
Answer: What do dogs eat?
Example 3 (You try): Build
Ask a question about the sea.
Show the steps and answer
- Choose a question word.
- Add the topic.
Answer: Why is the sea salty?
Did you know?
Scientists, journalists and doctors all ask many good questions every day.
Why this matters
Good questions help you learn more and show the speaker you were listening.
4. Explore: Interview a visitor
Ask relevant questions of a classmate.
- Choose a topic.
- Think of three questions.
- Ask them politely.
- Listen to the answers.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You asked relevant questions.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Who ___?
- What ___?
- Where ___?
- Why ___?
Guided practice
Question 1. Topic is the moon. Ask a relevant question.
Why does the moon change shape?
Question 2. Is “What is your dog’s name?” relevant to a talk about whales?
no
Question 3. Which mark ends a question?
?
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- A question ends with a question ___.
- A ___ word begins a question.
- A question that fits the topic is ___.
- A question that does not fit is ___.
- We listen to the ___.
Level 2: Grow
- Ask a question about a bird.
- Topic: football. Is “Who scored?” relevant?
- Add a question word: ___ do fish live?
Level 3: Stretch
- Why wait until the speaker finishes?
- Why do good questions help us learn?
- Ayo asks about cows eating. Why was that good?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Ask a family member three relevant questions about their favourite food.
Show a sample answer
What is your favourite food? Who made it? Why do you like it?
Another one. Write four questions for a visitor who is a firefighter.
Show a sample answer
What do you do first at a fire?
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Ask about the topic.
Fix: End with ?
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can use question words.
- I can ask a relevant question.
- I can listen to the answer.
- I can spot an off-topic question.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Use question words.
- Fit the topic.
- Wait for the speaker to finish.
- Listen to the answer.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Giving clear explanations. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Name two question words. [2 marks]
- What does relevant mean? [1 mark]
- Write a relevant question about frogs. [1 mark]
- Why do we wait for the speaker to finish? [1 mark]
- Explain how to ask a good question. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- who [1]; what/where/when/why/how [1]
- connected to the topic [1]
- a valid frog question [1]
- so we do not interrupt [1]
- use a question word [1]; fit the topic [1]; listen to the answer [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- A question ends with a question ___.
- A ___ word begins a question.
- A question that fits the topic is ___.
- One question word:
- Another question word:
- True or false: off-topic questions help.
- True or false: we listen to the answer.
- Ask a question about the sun.
- Ask a question about a bus.
- Ask a follow-up question.
Homework
Ask someone at home three relevant questions about their job or hobby.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A question ends with a question ___. | mark | 1 |
| 2. A ___ word begins a question. | question | 1 |
| 3. A question that fits the topic is ___. | relevant | 1 |
| 4. One question word: | who | 1 |
| 5. Another question word: | why | 1 |
| 6. True or false: off-topic questions help. | false | 1 |
| 7. True or false: we listen to the answer. | true | 1 |
| 8. Ask a question about the sun. | Why is the sun hot? | 1 |
| 9. Ask a question about a bus. | Where does the bus go? | 1 |
| 10. Ask a follow-up question. | What happened next? | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 mark; 2 question; 3 relevant; 4 off-topic; 5 answer. Level 2: 1 What does a bird eat?; 2 yes; 3 Where. Level 3: 1 so you do not interrupt; 2 they get more information; 3 it fitted the topic.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Use question words correctly | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Ask a question that fits the topic | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Ask a question to learn more | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Tell the difference between a relevant and an off-topic question | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Asking about something else. Ask about the topic.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use question word cards.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child practises asking good questions that fit the topic. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about a topic and let your child ask questions.
- Praise good questions.
- Answer in full.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: use question words correctly; ask a question that fits the topic; ask a question to learn more; tell the difference between a relevant and an off-topic question.
Prerequisite knowledge. Following multistep instructions.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Model relevant and off-topic questions.
Explanation (10 min). Teach question words.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise interviews.
Independent activity (10 min). Share the best questions.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What do you want to know? Does it fit the topic?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use question starters. Extension. Ask questions that need explanations.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Asking about something else. Ask about the topic.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use question word cards. Enrichment. Ask a follow-up to every answer. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 2 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.2.1c and SL.2.3 (ask for clarification and further explanation; ask and answer questions about what a speaker says); Cambridge Primary English Stage 2 (speaking and listening). These sources informed the lesson.