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What Would Tell You?

A 40-minute Kindergarten lesson on choosing the source that would answer a question.

What Would Tell You? is a free 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D1.5.K-2 — work out what kind of source would help answer the question. 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:
D1.5.K-2

Kindergarten to Grade 2 · Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries

D1.5.K-2

Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions.

Objective

Students will be able to choose which source would answer a given question.

Students are successful when they can

  • Chooses a source that could answer it.
  • Says why that one and not another.
  • Names a question none of the sources answers.

What you need

  • Four real sources: a menu, a chart, a sign, a price card
  • Question cards
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — what is this for?

5 min
  1. Hold up each of the four sources. Ask what each one tells you.
  2. One sentence each, no more.

Teach — match the question to the paper

13 min
  1. Ask 'what is for lunch?'. Hold up all four. Choose the menu.
  2. Say why: the menu is the one with lunch on it.
  3. Ask 'did it rain on Tuesday?'. Choose the chart.
  4. Ask a question none of them answers — 'who is my teacher?' — and say so honestly.
  5. Name the move: look at what the question is about, then find the paper about that.
“Which of these has that on it? If none of them does, say so.”

Guided practice — hold up the source

12 min
  1. Pairs get all four sources. Read a question; they hold up the right one.
  2. Two of the eight questions have no source — they hold up nothing.
  3. Ask for the reason each time.

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the which-source page.
  2. Read each question aloud.

Close

2 min
  1. Ask one question. Take the source and the reason.

What goes wrong, and why

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

Chooses the source they like rather than the one that answers.

Why: One of the four is more interesting to look at.

Fix: Ask what is on it. The choice has to be about content.

Says a source answers a question it does not.

Why: It is roughly on topic and nobody has checked.

Fix: Look at the source and find the words. If the words are not there, it does not answer it.

Will not say 'none of them'.

Why: An empty answer feels like failing the task.

Fix: Include unanswerable questions every time and mark 'none' correct. Knowing what you cannot find out is part of it.

If they are not there yet

  • Two sources rather than four.
  • Give the source and ask only for the reason.

If they finish early

  • Say what source you would need for a question none of these answers.
  • Find a question two of the sources both answer.
  • Say what a source does not tell you.

Exit ticket

You want to know how much milk costs. Which source, and why?

What to look for: The price card, with the reason. A source chosen with no reason is a guess that landed.

Printable practice for D1.5.K-2

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

Questions about What Would Tell You?

How long does the What Would Tell You? 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 Would Tell You? teach?

D1.5.K-2 — D1.5.K-2, Developing Questions and Planning Inquiries for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions.” In plain terms, work out what kind of source would help answer the question.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Four real sources: a menu, a chart, a sign, a price card, question 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: chooses the source they like rather than the one that answers; says a source answers a question it does not and will not say 'none of them'. 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: “You want to know how much milk costs. Which source, and why?.” The price card, with the reason. A source chosen with no reason is a guess that landed. 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 Would Tell You??

Yes — 1 printable D1.5.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 Would Tell You? 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 D1.5.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.