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Six Questions About a Text

A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on answering who, what, where, when, why and how questions about an information text.

Six Questions About a Text is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RI.2.1 — answer who, what, where, when, why and how questions about an information text. 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:
Grade 2
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
RI.2.1

Grade 2 · Reading: Informational Text

RI.2.1

Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

Objective

Students will be able to answer all six question types about an information text and show where each answer came from.

Students are successful when they can

  • Answers each question type.
  • Marks the text for each.
  • Says which questions the text does not answer.

What you need

  • A short information text
  • Six question-word cards
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — sort the questions

5 min
  1. Give six questions about a familiar topic. Sort them under the six words.
  2. Ask which one they expect to be hardest.

Teach — found and worked out

13 min
  1. Read the text. Answer who, what, where and when by pointing at a sentence each.
  2. Ask a 'why' question. Show that the answer needs two sentences from different paragraphs.
  3. Do a 'how' question the same way.
  4. Then ask a question the text does not answer and say so.
  5. Name the three outcomes: found in one place, built from two, or not there.
“Three answers are possible: here it is, here are the two bits, or the text does not say.”

Guided practice — six and one

12 min
  1. Pairs answer six questions and mark the text for each.
  2. One of the six is unanswerable — they must find which.
  3. Take feedback on that one first.

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the question-types page.
  2. The passage is on the sheet.

Close

2 min
  1. Ask a 'why' question. Take both places the answer came from.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Invents an answer rather than saying the text does not give one.

Why: A blank looks like a failure and a plausible answer looks like success.

Fix: Include an unanswerable question every time and mark it correct when named.

Marks a whole paragraph for a 'what' question.

Why: The answer is in there and narrowing takes another pass.

Fix: One sentence for the four easy types. If it takes a paragraph, it was a 'why'.

Answers 'how' with 'why' and the reverse.

Why: Both are causal-sounding and both need building.

Fix: 'How' asks for the steps; 'why' asks for the reason. Ask which the answer gives.

If they are not there yet

  • Four question types rather than six.
  • Give the paragraph for each.

If they finish early

  • Write a question needing three parts of the text.
  • Write a question the text nearly answers.
  • Answer a question from the headings alone.

Exit ticket

Answer this question and mark where it came from. If the text does not say, write that.

What to look for: A marked source or an honest 'not stated'. An unmarked answer is prior knowledge in disguise.

Printable practice for RI.2.1

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Six Questions About a Text

How long does the Six Questions About a Text lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 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 Six Questions About a Text teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.1 — RI.2.1, Reading: Informational Text for Grade 2: “Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.” In plain terms, answer who, what, where, when, why and how questions about an information text.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

A short information text, six question-word cards 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: invents an answer rather than saying the text does not give one; marks a whole paragraph for a 'what' question and answers 'how' with 'why' and the reverse. 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: “Answer this question and mark where it came from. If the text does not say, write that.” A marked source or an honest 'not stated'. An unmarked answer is prior knowledge in disguise. 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 Six Questions About a Text?

Yes — 1 printable RI.2.1 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 Six Questions About a Text 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 RI.2.1 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.