Street Questions, Big and Small
A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on seeing how small questions about the street add up to a big one.
Street Questions, Big and Small is a free 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D1.4.K-2 — show how a smaller question helps with the big one. 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 to Grade 2
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- D1.4.K-2
Kindergarten to Grade 2 · Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries
D1.4.K-2
Make connections between supporting questions and compelling questions.
Objective
Students will be able to match small street questions to the big question they serve.
Students are successful when they can
- Matches a small question to a big one.
- Says which piece the small answer gives.
- Rejects a small question that does not help.
What you need
- One big question written large
- Small question cards about the street
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — too big for one answer
5 min- Ask 'how does our street work?'. Wait.
- Nobody can answer it in one go, which is why we break it up.
Teach — each small answer is a piece
13 min- Write the big question at the top.
- Add 'which day are the bins emptied?'. Ask which piece that gives.
- Add two more and name the piece each gives.
- Read the three answers together. They are starting to describe the street.
- Offer one that gives no piece — 'what colour is the postbox?' — and set it aside.
“What piece of the big picture does that little answer give you?”
Guided practice — build a pile
12 min- Groups take a big question and six small cards, two unhelpful.
- They build a pile of four and say the piece each gives.
- They justify the two they set aside.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the big-and-small page.
- Read each pair aloud.
Close
2 min- Give a big question. Take one small question and its piece.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Matches on a shared word.
Why: 'Street' appears in both questions.
Fix: Ask what piece the small answer gives. A shared word gives none.
Thinks four small answers finish the big question.
Why: The pile looks complete.
Fix: Ask what is still missing. A big question is rarely finished, and noticing that is honest.
Offers a small question as broad as the big one.
Why: Scale is hard to judge.
Fix: Could one person answer it in a sentence? A small question can be.
If they are not there yet
- Four cards rather than six.
- Give two obvious matches.
If they finish early
- Write a small question of your own.
- Say which small question gives the biggest piece.
- Find a small question that serves two big ones.
Exit ticket
Big question: how has our street changed? Give one small question that helps.
What to look for: A specific, answerable question about the past. A restatement means the one-sentence test needs another run.
Printable practice for D1.4.K-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Street Questions, Big and SmallDraw a line from each big question to the small one that helps.
Questions about Street Questions, Big and Small
How long does the Street Questions, Big and Small 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 Street Questions, Big and Small teach?
D1.4.K-2 — D1.4.K-2, Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Make connections between supporting questions and compelling questions.” In plain terms, show how a smaller question helps with the big one.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
One big question written large, small question cards about the street 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: matches on a shared word; thinks four small answers finish the big question and offers a small question as broad as the big one. 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: “Big question: how has our street changed? Give one small question that helps.” A specific, answerable question about the past. A restatement means the one-sentence test needs another run. 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 Street Questions, Big and Small?
Yes — 1 printable D1.4.K-2 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 Street Questions, Big and Small 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 D1.4.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.