Finding Out Together
A 35-minute Kindergarten lesson on a shared research project — a question, a source, and something written down.
Finding Out Together is a free 35-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.K.7 — join in a class project that finds things out and writes them down. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten
- Length:
- 35 minutes
- Standard:
- W.K.7
Kindergarten · Writing
W.K.7
Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).
Objective
Students will be able to contribute a question and a fact to a shared research project.
Students are successful when they can
- Asks a question about the class topic.
- Says where the answer could be found.
- Adds one fact to the shared record.
What you need
- Three books on one topic
- A large shared chart: QUESTIONS on one side, WHAT WE FOUND OUT on the other
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — what do we want to know?
5 min- Name the class topic. Collect five questions onto the chart.
- Take questions from as many different children as possible.
Teach — where would we look?
11 min- Take the first question and ask where the answer might be. Take three suggestions.
- Choose one of the three books and find the answer with them watching.
- Write the fact on the other side of the chart, next to the question.
- Do a second question, and this time fail to find it. Say what you would do next.
- Name the shape: question, source, fact. Three steps, in that order.
“We do not just wonder. We wonder, then we go and look, then we write it down.”
Guided practice — you find one
9 min- Groups take a question and a book and look for the answer.
- Adults read to each group. Finding it is the group's job, not the reader's.
- Each group reports back with the fact and the page.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the research page: write a question and say where to look.
- Scribe as needed.
Close
2 min- Read the chart back: five questions, and what was found.
- Name which questions are still open.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Answers their own question from what they already believe.
Why: Having a question and having an opinion feel the same, and the opinion arrives faster.
Fix: Require the page. The chart has a column for the fact, and the fact has to have come from somewhere.
Asks a question the books cannot answer and treats it as a failure.
Why: Not finding it feels like doing it wrong.
Fix: Leave open questions on the chart, visibly. An unanswered question is a real research outcome and should look like one.
Copies out a whole sentence without understanding it.
Why: Copying is safe and looks like work.
Fix: Ask them to say the fact in their own words before it goes on the chart. What cannot be said cannot be recorded.
If they are not there yet
- Give the question and let them find the answer.
- Work in a group with an adult reading aloud.
If they finish early
- Find the same fact in two different books.
- Ask a question that needs two facts to answer.
- Sort the chart's facts into two groups.
Exit ticket
What is your question, and where would you look for the answer?
What to look for: A real question and a real source. An answer instead of a question means the wonder-then-look order needs restating.
Printable practice for W.K.7
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Ask a Question, Find the AnswerDraw in the space, then write on the lines.
Questions about Finding Out Together
How long does the Finding Out Together lesson take?
35 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 11 min, guided practice 9 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Finding Out Together teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.7 — W.K.7, Writing for Kindergarten: “Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).” In plain terms, join in a class project that finds things out and writes them down.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Three books on one topic, a large shared chart: QUESTIONS on one side, WHAT WE FOUND OUT on the other and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: answers their own question from what they already believe; asks a question the books cannot answer and treats it as a failure and copies out a whole sentence without understanding it. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “What is your question, and where would you look for the answer?.” A real question and a real source. An answer instead of a question means the wonder-then-look order needs restating. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Finding Out Together?
Yes — 1 printable W.K.7 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Finding Out Together free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to W.K.7 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.