Design for Learning

Instructor: Ellen DeWitt

Lesson Title: The 5 Ws
Curriculum Area: Reading

Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 1st/Gartman

Date: March 10th, 2015
Estimated Time: 45 minutes

Standards Connection:
Please include the standard. You must write out the number reference for the standard
you have selected. Please only include the bullet point or example that will be used in the
lesson. Please select only one area for the lesson focus even though you may be teaching
many standards in other content areas during the lesson. If you are teaching a math
lesson, you must use the Common Core standards (Or College/Career ready) found on
the ALEX website. We would prefer you to use these same standards for Language Arts as
well although they are not required until Fall, 2013.
Learning Objective(s):
After learning the 5 W Questions, who, what, when, where, and why, the students will
create their own story with at least eight sentences, including four out of five of the 5
Ws.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language:
Today we will be learning about the 5 W questions in reading. You will be able to tell me
who was in a story, what they were doing, when it happened, where it happened, and why
it happened.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s):
The students will be given the writing prompt: Tell me about your proudest moment.
They will be given a graphic organizer with boxes where they will fill out who, what,
when, where, and why for their story. They will use this graphic organizer for
brainstorming and prewriting. The students will then transfer their thoughts onto paper.
The students must write at least eight sentences, using at least four out of the five W
questions. Students who write eight or more sentences, using four or five of the W
questions will be in the green. Students who write six or seven sentences only using three
of the five Ws will be in the yellow. Students who write fewer than six sentences using
fewer than three of the five Ws will be in the red and will need re-teaching.
Engagement:
The teacher will project a picture of Trace Crossings Elementary School on the board. I
took this picture of Trace yesterday. I want everyone to take a minute to think about the
picture. Think about what you see. What other images come to mind when you see this
picture? I want you to think about your school. The teacher will ask questions about
Trace to connect to prior knowledge before introducing todays topic. Who can tell me
who is at Trace? What kind of people are at your school? Turn and talk to your neighbor
while I walk around and listen to your conversations. The teacher will walk around and
listen to student conversation and make note of any she finds interesting. I heard some
great conversation. I was just looking for teachers and students but you all thought
of lots of other people who are at Trace as well. We do have students and teachers at
Trace, but we also have a principal, Mrs. Barber, the assistant principal, Mrs. Stone, the
lunchroom staff, Mr. Jerry the custodian, the librarian Mrs. Farnlocker, the math and
reading coaches, and lots of other staff around Trace, dont we? Im proud of you. Next, I

want you to think about what goes on at Trace Crossings. What happens in this school?
Everyone think to yourself and put a thumbs up on your knee when you have an answer.
The teacher will give the students wait time so they have time to think and understand.
B, what goes on inside Trace? Great job! Lots of teaching and learning goes on in this
school, doesnt it? Who else? A, what else goes on at Trace? What happens at Trace?
Great, we have lots of fun here, dont we? The students learn, the teachers teach, and we
all have lots of fun, dont we? Who can tell me when we go to Trace? Or when I took this
photo? Who remembers when I said I took this photo? Thats right! I took it yesterday.
When do we go to school? Good, we go from 7:30 to 2:30! Do we go to school in the
summer? No, we dont, do we? Turn and talk to your partner about where Trace
Crossings is located. Stop, look, and listen, okay! I heard some great conversation going
on. Who can tell me where Trace is located? Good, not only is it located in Alabama, but
it is located in Hoover. Does anyone know what country Alabama is in? Good job! What
about continent? Planet? Thats right, Trace is on Planet Earth, on North America, in the
United States, in Alabama, in Hoover. I am so impressed. Lastly, who can tell me why you
all go to Trace. Why do we come to school every day, S? Thats right, we come to school
because we have to learn. We have to learn to be citizens in this country. I like the way
all of you thought with your partners and alone this morning. The teacher will read the
story, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. Before reading, she will ask questions. Has
anyone read this story before? Lets look at the title and make some predictions. Hmmm.
What about this picture on the front? Who do we think the main character will be? I think
it will be the wolf, as well. What do you think the wolf will need or want? Do you all
think this story will be fiction or nonfiction? Fiction? How do you know? Thats right!
Wolves dont actually do that, do they? I think this story is going to be fiction as well. We
can tell by the illustration on the front cover that this is probably going to be an untrue
story. Lets read to find out what happened. The teacher will read the story.
Learning Design:
I.

Teaching:

The teacher will wait to ask some questions about the story until after she has explained
each of the five Ws. Okay boys and girls, have any of you ever heard of the five Ws?
Who, what, when, where, and why? Well, we are going to go through each of these story
elements and discuss them. The first one is who. What do you think the who of a story
might be? Lets not think about the story we just read, but in general. Great job, B. The
who of a story is who is in it, or the characters of a story. So, who was in the book we just
read? Who were the main characters? Thats right, we had the wolf, the three little pigs,
and the grandmother. The teacher will write this on the chart paper under who. Okay,
lets talk about the what of a story. M, what do you think the what of a story might mean?
Yes, the what is talking about what happens in the story. So, what happened in The True
Story of the Three Little Pigs? Thats right, the wolf explained his side of the story of the
three little pigs and tried to make himself not look so bad. That is what happened in our
story. The teacher will fill out the what section of the chart paper with the student
response. Okay, lets talk about the when of a story. What do you think the when might
mean? Thats right, S, the when of a story talks about when the story took place. So, when
did this story take place? Great job, A, it took place during the day. It didnt tell us what
exact day, what season, or month or anything, but it did tell us it was during a day, not at
night time. A story might not always have an exact day or time, but we could see in the
pictures that it was not night time, was it? The teacher will fill out the when section of
the chart paper. Okay, lets talk about the where of a story. What do you think the where of
a story might mean, E? Thats right, the where of a story talks about where the story took
place. So, H, where does this story take place? Thats right, the wolf went to a straw
house, a stick house, and a brick house. He went to three different houses. The teacher

will fill out the where section of the chart paper. Okay, and finally, lets talk about the
why of a story. S, can you tell me what you think the why of a story would be? Great, the
why of a story explains why the character did what he did. So, why did the wolf go to the
three little pigs houses? Im looking for someone who has their hand raised quietly.
Thank you, M, because he wanted to get sugar for his grandmothers cake. The teacher
will fill out the why section of the chart paper. Okay, boys and girls, we are going to
play a fun game using a beach ball. The teacher will show the class her beach ball, with
each color section labeled a different W question. My beach ball is labeled with each of
the different Ws. See, we have who, what, when, where, and why. When I say go, we are
all going to stand in a circle around the perimeter of the carpet. Im going to throw the
ball to one of you, and whatever word your right hand is touching when you catch it, you
must answer that question about the story. So, A, if your right hand lands on who, you
are going to answer the who about the story. You will name the characters in the story.
After you have caught the ball once and answered your question, you will sit down. Only
throw the ball to someone who is standing up. On the count of three, stand up and walk
to the perimeter of the carpet and stand in a circle. Do you have to stand next to your
best friend? No. Just walk to the edge of the carpet closest to where you are sitting. 1, 2,
3, go. The class will play the game with the beach ball.
II.

Opportunity for Practice:

Boys and girls, we are going to go back to our seats and practice with your table groups.
I am going to give each table a passage to read. One person in your group read the
passage to your table. Each group is going to have one of the five Ws to think about when
you read the passage. Every table has the same passage, but only one of the five Ws. So,
table one, your piece of paper I have left on your desk says who. So, when you read
the passage, make sure you and your table are thinking about the who, or what
characters are in your passage. After you are all done, we are going to come back
together and each table group will share what they found. We will know everything about
the story once we have found out the who, what, when, where, and why of the whole
passage. Does everybody understand? Read the passage and fill out whichever W sheet
is on your table. You may return to your seats. I want to hear great conversation going on
between you and your table groups.
III.

Assessment

Okay boys and girls. Great job on your practice activity. Now, you are going to get to
write your own story using each of these 5 Ws. You are all going to write about your
proudest moment. I am going to give you a brainstorming graphic organizer where you
will fill out your who, what, when, where, and why about your proudest moment. So, my
proudest moment was after my senior violin recital at the end of high school. Who was
involved? Me, my violin teacher, my pianist, and my audience? What happened? I played
my final violin pieces. When did it happen? It happened in May of my senior year of high
school. Where did it happen? It happened in the parlor of my church? Why did it
happen? Because I wanted to show all of my hard work to my audience as a final
portfolio of my violin studies. This is going to be your thought process. So, be thinking
about your most proud moment as a I pass out your brainstorming sheet. When you are
done, come to the front of the room and your writing paper will be on my rocking chair.
Transfer your thoughts onto paper and write at least eight sentences, including each of
your 5 ws. The teacher will pass out the brainstorming sheet.

IV.
Closure:
Okay, to review this new comprehension skill, I want you all to come to the carpet and sit
next to your table group. Im going to call on you to share your particular W question.
Table 1, which W did you have? You had where? Okay, where did this take place? Thank
you. The teacher will continue to ask each table group their corresponding W question
about the fluency passage. So, each of you thought about your particular W question and
now the story is all coming together.
Materials and Resources:
Graphic organizer for brainstorming
Fluency passage
Chart paper
Markers
Pencils
Writing paper
Beach ball
Whiteboard
Who, what, when, where, and why worksheets
Projector
Computer
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):
H- Students will have a choice board with different prompts to write about after they
finish their first story.
L- Students will only include three out of the five Ws in their assessment story.
Data Analysis:
10 Students were in the green and had at least 8 sentences with 4-5 of the Ws. 4 Students
were in the yellow. 2 Students were in the red.

Reflection:
Thestudentsalreadyknewwhatwasgoingtohappeninthestorybecausetheyhadall
alreadyreaditbefore.Thestudentsabsolutelylovedthisactivity,especiallywiththe
beachball.Theyunderstoodwhatwasbeingtaughtandhadfunwiththelesson.My
teacheratTracehadnevertaughtthisbeforesoshewasreallygladIwas.Thestudents
respondedwell.Iwasscaredtheywouldfightoverthebeachball,buttheyreallydidnot!
Thelessonwentbetterthanplanned.Iranoutoftime,butotherwisethelessonwentas
plannedandIwouldnotchangeanything.

Samford University
Design for Learning