ELA Daily Lesson Plan: How Do W e Question a Text?

/ Course: Playing with Knowledge

Created by Michael W olach, 2009

Lesson Plan Overview: Classroom Preparation for Lesson:

This lesson is a foundational lesson in the unit in that it introduces one of
the key literacy strategies: questioning. Students will learn the difference
between thick (evaluative) and thin (understand) questions and the
purpose behind asking both. Students will then evaluate the types of
questions they asked and explore their understanding of the book and how
the two types of questions enhance their comprehension.
Lesson Objective:
Students will be able to ask, and distinguish between, thin and thick
questions to deepen their understanding of a text.
Learning Strategies Used:
• Questioning
• Bloom’s Taxonomy/Higher Order Thinking Versus Lower Order
Thinking
Key Concepts, Terms, and Vocabulary:
• Understand
• Evaluate
• Thick Questions
• Thin Questions
• “In the text” versus “Between the lines”
Make sure all reading material is prepared and photocopies have been
created of the graphic organizer. Students should already be familiar with
using a reader’s notebook. In addition, make sure all chart paper is
prepared for the synthesis portion of the lesson.
Resources Needed for This Lesson:
• The Little Prince (chapters 3-4)
• Chart Paper
• Markers
• Reader’s Notebook
• Thick and Thin Question Graphic Organizer: a T-chart
• Learning Strategies Rubric (needed in case students have trouble
creating questions)

ELA Lesson: How do we Question a Text?

Created by Michael Wolach, 2009
Page 1 of 3
Lesson Launch – Build Background for New Learning:
1. To begin the lesson, lead a discussion about the words “understand” and “evaluate” and how we use them in our daily lives.
2. Provide an example of how we all "understand" Michael Jordan is a good basketball player, but only those of us with knowledge about basketball
can "evaluate" why he is good. Note: Remind the students that knowledge and comprehension are the lower thinking skills on Bloom’s
Taxonomy, that we need in order to undertake higher order thinking like analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
3. Ask students if they can think of another analogy that might help us understand the difference between understanding something and evaluating
it.
4. As a class, come up with a working definition for the words, "evaluate" and "understand". Write this on chart paper and ask students to put this in
the "key concepts" section of their reader's notebook.
5. Transition to the read aloud/think aloud by explaining to students that today we will be reading aloud and practicing asking different types of
questions about the thoughts, behaviors, and values/beliefs of the characters in The Little Prince. Introduce the graphic organizer that the
students will use to write down their questions (a T-chart).
6. Begin to read chapter 3 with students. Stop and model the questions you have as you are reading. Begin with an "understand" question and then
form a more evaluative question. Below is an example of a think aloud.
• Understand: "How did the Little Prince end up on Earth?" Make sure students notice that the answer to this question can be found in
the book and it is what we might call a thin or clarifying question.
• Evaluate: "The narrator mentions that he wants us to read his book 'carefully'...What does he mean by this? What does it mean to read
a book like this carefully? Does this have something to do with how the book is written?" Help students see that this is a thicker question
because you have to answer it through thinking critically and using background knowledge. The answer is more “in between the lines.”
The reader has to interact with the text more and find evidence to support their answer.
7. Ask students to notice what is different about the questions. Why are they different? What do they do differently for us as
readers? Model for the students how to write the questions on the graphic organizer which will help clarify for the students which
questions are thin and which ones are thick.
8. Continue the read aloud but have the students start writing down questions on their graphic organizer. Read for a couple of pages and then have
the students take some time to write down questions. Remind the students to think about creating questions that are understand/thin questions
and can be found in the text, and questions that are evaluate/thick questions that push thinking about the text. (Students will write the questions
in their separate categories on the graphic organizer.) Also, remind the students to focus on the characters and to ask questions of the
characters.
(If students are having a difficult time creating questions, then use the Learning Strategies Rubric that is referenced in this handbook. and have
students look specifically at questioning.)
9. Next, as a whole-class, have several students share an understand question and an evaluate question and have the rest of the students assess
whether they think the questions are in the appropriate category. In addition, explore with the students what the questions are helping them
answer. Challenge students to answer the questions and then talk about what they are learning by answering both types of questions.

ELA Lesson: How do we Question a Text?

Created by Michael Wolach, 2009
Page 2 of 3
Students Investigate New Learning:
1. Students read chapter 4 on their own, practicing questioning on their graphic organizer. Students will be asked to do the same thing we did in the
mini-lesson: come up with questions and decide what types of questions they are. Are they thick and evaluative or thin and more about
understanding?
2. Circulate and conference with students, recording notes on each student. Check in with students about the distinction between higher-order
(evaluative) questioning and lower-order (understand) questions. Ask the students what they are learning about the characters through the
questioning. Anticipate that students might have trouble deciding what types of questions they have. To help them with this, ask some of the
following questions:
• Where might you find the answer to this question?
• If you were to answer this question, what would you say?
• How and why did you come up with this question?
• What does asking this question do for you as a reader?
3. Have students work in pairs to talk through possible responses to one thick question from each student in the pair.
Students Synthesize New Learning:
1. Ask each student to write what they feel is their best question on chart paper and indicate whether it is thick (evaluate) or thin (understand).
2. As a class, identify 2 of the thick questions that look interesting and explore them together in a 10-minute discussion.
3. 5 mins: Students then individually reflect on 1 of the following questions in their reader’s notebook (or more than 1 if they finish quickly):
• How does asking both thick and thin questions help you gain insight into the book?
• What did you learn or understand about the book today that you didn’t otherwise know before the questions were asked?
• What was the best question you asked today? Why do you think it’s the best?

ELA Lesson: How do we Question a Text?

Created by Michael Wolach, 2009
Page 3 of 3