You will learn
- Write historical questions.
- Tell factual from enquiry questions.
- Link to sources.
- Refine questions.
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
- Good questions begin an investigation.
- Factual questions have short answers.
- Enquiry questions need evidence and explanation.
- Questions can be linked to sources.
Words to know
a question that guides a search into the past
a question with one correct short answer
a question that needs evidence and explanation
a place or object that gives information about the past
1. Discover: Asking about the old school
Mr Cole shows a photograph of the school in 1965. Fatmata asks, “When was it built?” “That is a factual question,” says Mr Cole. “Now ask one that needs evidence and explanation.” Kofi tries, “How did learning at school change between 1965 and now, and why?” “Excellent,” says Mr Cole. “Now, what sources would help?”
Think: Can you improve the question “Who was the first king?”
2. Understand: Historical questions
Idea 1: Kinds of questions
A factual question has one short correct answer, such as “When was Fourah Bay College founded?” An enquiry question needs evidence and explanation, such as “Why did Fourah Bay College become important for education in West Africa?”
Idea 2: Writing good questions
Good historical questions are open, clear, focused and answerable. Use words like why, how, what changed, what caused and what was the effect. Avoid vague questions like “Tell me about the past”.
Idea 3: Questions and sources
Each question points to the sources you need: documents, photographs, objects, maps, oral accounts and books. Write the likely sources beside each question. If no source can answer it, refine the question.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Sort
Factual or enquiry?
- Read.
- Sort.
- Say.
Answer: When was it built? factual.
Example 2 (We do it together): Improve
Make it enquiry.
- Think.
- Write.
- Check.
Answer: Why was it built?
Example 3 (You try): Link
Which sources?
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- List.
- Say.
Answer: Photos and records.
Did you know?
Many history discoveries happen because someone asked a new question of old sources.
Why this matters
Better questions lead to better understanding of the past.
4. Explore: Question workshop
Choose a topic. Write six questions, sort factual or enquiry, improve two, and list possible sources for each.
- Choose.
- Write.
- Improve.
- Link.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Why and how questions opened up thinking.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- A historical question is ___.
- A factual question is ___.
- An enquiry question is ___.
- A source is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is a historical question?
Guides a search.
Question 2. What is a factual question?
Short correct answer.
Question 3. What is an enquiry question?
Needs evidence.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is a historical question?
- What is a factual question?
- What is an enquiry question?
- What is a source?
- Name a question word.
Level 2: Grow
- Why open questions?
- Why link to sources?
- Why focus?
Level 3: Stretch
- Write questions.
- Improve one.
- List sources.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Turn “Who built the fort?” into an enquiry question.
Show a sample answer
Why was the fort built and what effect did it have?
Another one. Ask an adult an open question about their childhood.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Some lead to deeper thinking.
Fix: Refine it or find sources.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can write historical questions.
- I can tell factual from enquiry questions.
- I can link to sources.
- I can refine questions.
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
- Good questions begin an investigation.
- Factual questions have short answers.
- Enquiry questions need evidence and explanation.
- Questions can be linked to sources.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Chronology. 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.
- Tell the difference between a factual and an enquiry question. [3 marks]
- Write two enquiry questions on a topic. [3 marks]
- Say how to link a question to sources. [2 marks]
- Say how to improve a weak question. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Factual [1]; enquiry [1]; example [1]
- Two [3]
- Source type [1]; reason [1]
- Open [1]; focused [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is a historical question?
- What is a factual question?
- What is an enquiry question?
- What is a source?
- Name a question word.
- Why open questions?
- Why link to sources?
- Why focus?
- Write questions.
- Improve one.
Homework
Write three enquiry questions about a historical site.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is a historical question? | Guides a search. | 1 |
| 2. What is a factual question? | Short correct answer. | 1 |
| 3. What is an enquiry question? | Needs evidence. | 1 |
| 4. What is a source? | Gives information. | 1 |
| 5. Name a question word. | Why. | 1 |
| 6. Why open questions? | Allow explanation. | 1 |
| 7. Why link to sources? | Plan the search. | 1 |
| 8. Why focus? | Avoid confusion. | 1 |
| 9. Write questions. | Write. | 1 |
| 10. Improve one. | Improve. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Guides a search.; 2 Short correct answer.; 3 Needs evidence.; 4 Gives information.; 5 Why.. Level 2: 1 Allow explanation.; 2 Plan the search.; 3 Avoid confusion.. Level 3: 1 Write.; 2 Improve.; 3 Sources..
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 Write historical questions | 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 Tell factual from enquiry questions | 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 Link to sources | 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 Refine questions | 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: “All questions are equally useful.” Some lead to deeper thinking.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a question wall.
- 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 writes historical questions. Please encourage curiosity. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Ask why.
- Look at old photos.
- Be curious.
- 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: write historical questions; tell factual from enquiry questions; link to sources; refine questions.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 3 ideas: local history, sources, and reading maps and timelines.
Materials. Paper, pens. 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. Prepare topics.
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). Tell the asking about the old school story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach historical questions.
Guided activity (10 min). Question workshop.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How do we ask good historical questions?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “All questions are equally useful.” Some lead to deeper thinking.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-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. Make a question wall. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. 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: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 4 Unit 1, topic 2; NCSS C3 Framework, change, continuity and context; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, history skills; IB Primary Years Programme, where we are in place and time. These sources informed the lesson.