The Six Question Explorers: Unlocking Stories!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 2:54 Video
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Lesson Description

Embark on a learning adventure using the 'Six Questions Rap' to understand stories better! Discover who, what, when, where, how, and why with fun activities.

Video Resource

Six Questions Rap | Jack Hartmann

Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel

Duration: 2:54
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Asking Questions
  • Story Elements (Who, What, When, Where, How, Why)

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the six key questions: Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why.
  • Students will be able to answer simple 'Who,' 'What,' 'When,' and 'Where' questions about a short story.
  • Students will be able to sing and/or say the 'Six Questions Rap' song.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by gathering the students and introducing the idea that good readers ask questions. Ask them if they ever ask questions about stories. Tell them that today they will be learning about six important questions to help understand stories better.
  • Video Time (5 mins)
    Play the 'Six Questions Rap | Jack Hartmann' video. Encourage students to sing along and dance. Point out the visuals that correspond to each question.
  • Question Exploration (10 mins)
    After the video, review each of the six questions: Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why. Use simple language and examples. For example: * **Who:** Who is the story about? (Animals, people) * **What:** What happened in the story? (Someone went on a trip, someone found something) * **When:** When did the story happen? (Day, night, long ago) * **Where:** Where did the story take place? (Park, house, school) * **How:** How did someone feel? (Happy, sad, angry) * **Why:** Why did they do that? (Because they were hungry, because they were lost)
  • Story Time & Question Application (10 mins)
    Read a very short, simple story aloud. After reading, ask the students the six questions about the story. Start with 'Who?' and go through all six. Encourage participation and help them find the answers within the story. Repeat with a second short story.
  • Activity: Question Sorting (5 minutes)
    Prepare large cards with 'Who?', 'What?', 'When?', and 'Where?' written on them. Read simple sentences related to a very simple story (e.g., 'The dog barked loudly,' 'It happened at the park,' 'It was daytime,' 'The main character was a cat.'). Ask students to identify which question the sentence answers and place it under the corresponding card.
  • Wrap-up (5 mins)
    Replay the 'Six Questions Rap' video one last time. Encourage singing and dancing. Remind students that they are now 'Question Explorers' and can use these six questions to understand any story!

Interactive Exercises

  • Question Cubes
    Create a cube with each of the six questions written on one side. After reading a short passage, have students take turns rolling the cube and answering the question that lands face up.

Discussion Questions

  • What is your favorite question to ask about a story?
  • Why is it important to ask questions when we read?

Skills Developed

  • Active Listening
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Critical Thinking
  • Questioning

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

One of our questions is 'Who?' Who is about...

Correct Answer: The characters

Question 2:

Which question helps us find out where the story takes place?

Correct Answer: Where?

Question 3:

If we want to know what happened in the story, we ask...

Correct Answer: What?

Question 4:

To find out when the story happened, we ask...

Correct Answer: When?

Question 5:

Which of these questions helps us find out the reason why something happened?

Correct Answer: Why?

Question 6:

The 'Six Questions Rap' teaches us to ask questions when we...

Correct Answer: Read

Question 7:

Which question asks about the time?

Correct Answer: When

Question 8:

The question 'How?' asks about...

Correct Answer: The way things happened

Question 9:

How many questions do we learn in the song?

Correct Answer: Six

Question 10:

Are these questions important to use during reading?

Correct Answer: Yes

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

We can ask ________ questions about the story.

Correct Answer: six

Question 2:

_______ tells us who is in the story.

Correct Answer: Who

Question 3:

_______ asks what happened in the story.

Correct Answer: What

Question 4:

_______ tells us when the story takes place.

Correct Answer: When

Question 5:

_______ asks where the story happened.

Correct Answer: Where

Question 6:

If we ask '_______' we want to know the reason.

Correct Answer: Why

Question 7:

We can understand stories _______ if we ask questions.

Correct Answer: better

Question 8:

_______ is the question that asks the way things work out.

Correct Answer: How

Question 9:

The six questions help us with _______.

Correct Answer: reading

Question 10:

Jack Hartmann sings a song about ________ questions.

Correct Answer: six

Educational Standards

PK.1.L.1:Students will actively listen using agreed-upon rules with prompting. PK.3.R.2:Students will answer basic questions (e.g., who, what, where, and when) about texts, photographs, or illustrations during shared reading or other text experiences with prompting. PK.2.R:Students will begin to retell or reenact major events or details from a read-aloud. PK.1.S.3:Students will ask and answer questions with prompting.

Teaching Materials

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