Who, What, Where, When, Why and How
A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on answering the six question words about a story and showing where the answer came from.
Who, What, Where, When, Why and How is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RL.2.1 — answer who, what, where, when, why and how questions about a story. 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:
- RL.2.1
Grade 2 · Reading: Literature
RL.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 a story and cite the part that answers each.
Students are successful when they can
- Answers each of the six question types.
- Points to the words for the answer.
- Says which question type was hardest and why.
What you need
- A short story, one per pair
- Six question-word cards
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — six cards, six questions
5 min- Hold up each card. Take one question about yesterday's story for each.
- Notice which cards were quick and which were slow.
Teach — four easy, two hard
13 min- Read the story. Answer who, what, where and when. Point at the words each time.
- Now ask 'why'. Show that the answer is not in one place — it is built from two.
- Do 'how' the same way.
- Say the difference: four of them are found, two of them are worked out.
- Both still need the text. Point at the two places for the 'why'.
“Where and when are in the story. Why is in the story too, but in more than one place.”
Guided practice — all six
12 min- Pairs answer one question of each type about their story.
- They mark the text for each answer — two marks for 'why' and 'how'.
- Take feedback on the two hard ones only.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the question-types page.
- The passage is on the sheet.
Close
2 min- Ask one 'why' question. Take the answer and both places it came from.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Answers 'why' with a restatement of what happened.
Why: The event is in the text and 'why' feels like a request for more of it.
Fix: Ask what caused it. A cause is a different sentence from the event, usually earlier.
Cannot mark the text for 'how'.
Why: 'How' answers are often spread over a paragraph.
Fix: Allow two or three marks. Requiring one is what makes the question feel impossible.
Answers from what they would have done.
Why: The story is about a person and they are a person.
Fix: Ask what the character did, and where it says so. The distinction matters more each year.
If they are not there yet
- Four question types rather than six.
- Give the paragraph for each question.
If they finish early
- Write a 'why' question the story answers only indirectly.
- Answer a question that needs the beginning and the end.
- Find a question the story cannot answer.
Exit ticket
Why did the character go back? Mark both places that tell you.
What to look for: Two marks. One mark, on the event itself, means the cause-versus-event distinction needs another airing.
Printable practice for RL.2.1
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Who, What, Where, When, WhyRead the story, then answer the questions.
Questions about Who, What, Where, When, Why and How
How long does the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How 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 Who, What, Where, When, Why and How teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1 — RL.2.1, Reading: Literature 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 a story.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A short story, one per pair, 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: answers 'why' with a restatement of what happened; cannot mark the text for 'how' and answers from what they would have done. 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: “Why did the character go back? Mark both places that tell you.” Two marks. One mark, on the event itself, means the cause-versus-event distinction needs another airing. 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 Who, What, Where, When, Why and How?
Yes — 1 printable RL.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 Who, What, Where, When, Why and How 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 RL.2.1 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.