What Could We Do?
A 40-minute Kindergarten lesson on naming ways to take action on a problem near you or far away.
What Could We Do? is a free 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D4.7.K-2 — name ways to help with a problem near you or far away. 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:
- D4.7.K-2
Kindergarten to Grade 2 · Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action
D4.7.K-2
Identify ways to take action to help address local, regional, and global problems.
Objective
Students will be able to suggest an action for a problem and say who would do it.
Students are successful when they can
- Suggests a doable action.
- Says who would do it.
- Says what would show it worked.
What you need
- The problem list from the previous lesson
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — one problem
5 min- Take one problem from the class list. Read it aloud.
- Take three suggestions without judging them.
Teach — doable, by somebody, by when
13 min- Take the three suggestions and ask of each: who would do it, and when?
- Cross out any with no answer to those.
- Keep the one the class could actually do this term.
- Ask what would show it had worked. Name something you could see.
- Say the shape of an action: somebody, something, by when, and a way to tell.
“Good idea. Who would do it, and when? If there is no answer, it is a wish.”
Guided practice — match problems to actions
12 min- Pairs match four problems to actions that would help.
- For each they name who would do it.
- They pick the one the class could start.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the what-could-we-do page.
- Read each problem aloud.
Close
2 min- Choose one action to start this week.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Suggests something nobody could do.
Why: The biggest idea feels like the best one.
Fix: The who-and-when questions. A wish has no answer to either.
Thinks only adults can act.
Why: Adults do the visible fixing.
Fix: Choose one action the class does itself. One success changes the assumption permanently.
Suggests an action with no way to tell if it worked.
Why: Doing something feels like enough.
Fix: Name something you could see afterwards. Less litter, a fuller feeder, a shorter queue.
If they are not there yet
- Two problems rather than four.
- Give the action and name who does it.
If they finish early
- Suggest an action for a far-away problem.
- Say what could go wrong with your action.
- Say who you would have to ask first.
Exit ticket
There is litter in the playground. What could we do, and who would do it?
What to look for: A doable action with a person. A wish means the who-and-when questions need asking every time.
Printable practice for D4.7.K-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- What Could We Do?Draw a line from each problem to something that would help.
Questions about What Could We Do?
How long does the What Could We Do? 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 What Could We Do? teach?
D4.7.K-2 — D4.7.K-2, Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Action for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Identify ways to take action to help address local, regional, and global problems.” In plain terms, name ways to help with a problem near you or far away.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
The problem list from the previous lesson 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: suggests something nobody could do; thinks only adults can act and suggests an action with no way to tell if it worked. 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: “There is litter in the playground. What could we do, and who would do it?.” A doable action with a person. A wish means the who-and-when questions need asking every time. 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 What Could We Do??
Yes — 1 printable D4.7.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 What Could We Do? 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 D4.7.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.