Asking for More Information

A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on asking and answering questions about what a speaker says to clarify or get more detail.

Asking for More Information is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard SL.2.3 — ask a speaker a question that gets you more than a yes or no. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, 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:: Grade 2
Length:: 40 minutes
Standard:: SL.2.3

Grade 2 · Speaking & Listening

SL.2.3

Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.

Objective

Students will be able to ask a speaker a question that clarifies something they did not understand or gets more detail about a topic.

Students are successful when they can

Asks a clarifying question, e.g. "What does pager mean?" or "Could you explain that again?"
Asks a "how" or "why" question that gets more than a yes or no.
Answers a partner's question in a full sentence with one more detail.

What you need

Two question cards: "Clear it up" (Could you explain...? What does ___ mean?) and "Tell me more" (Why...? How...? Could you give an example?)
A short talk script for the teacher (in the Teach section)
The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — yes, no, or more?

5 min

Ask the class: "Do you like apples?" Take answers — all yes or no.
Then ask: "Why do you like apples?" The answers get longer: "Because they are crunchy and sweet."
Ask: "Which question told me more?" Fish for "the why one." Write "why" and "how" on the board as the more words.

“A yes-or-no question closes the door. A why or how question opens it.”

Teach — two kinds of question

13 min

Give a one-minute talk with a deliberate unclear word: "My cousin is a lifeboat volunteer. When her pager goes off, she has six minutes to get to the station. She puts on a drysuit, and the crew launch the boat down the slipway."
Pause. Ask: "Was there a word you did not understand?" Expect "pager" or "slipway." Model the clarifying question: "What does slipway mean?" Answer: "A slope that the boat slides down into the sea."
Hold up the "Clear it up" card. These questions fix something you did not understand: "Could you explain that again?" "What does ___ mean?" "Did you say six minutes or sixteen?"
Hold up the "Tell me more" card. These questions get new information: "Why does she have to be so fast?" "How does she know where the boat is?" "Could you give an example of a rescue?"
Ask the class to sort three questions by card: "What is a drysuit?" (clear it up) "Why do they wear drysuits?" (tell me more) "Is she brave?" (yes/no — change it to "How does she feel when the pager goes?").

“If you are confused, ask a "clear it up" question. If you want to know more, ask a "tell me more" question. Both are what good listeners do.”

Guided practice — the interview

12 min

Partner A tells Partner B about a hobby or pet for one minute. B must ask one "clear it up" question and one "tell me more" question.
A answers in full sentences: "My hamster is called Bean. He lives in a cage with a wheel."
Swap roles. Walk round and note good questions to share, such as "Why is he called Bean?" or "What do you mean by a hideout?"
Share three questions and ask the class which card each one belongs on.

“Ask it so they have to give you more than one word.”

Independent practice

8 min

Students complete the printable. One sheet gives a speaking situation and a question with a missing word, such as "___ do you think that happened?"; the other asks them to circle the best response in reading and listening situations.
Remind them to read the situation and decide which card the question belongs to before filling the gap.

Close

2 min

Say: "Camels have three eyelids." Ask for one "clear it up" and one "tell me more" question. (What is an eyelid? Why do they need three?)

What goes wrong, and why

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

Asks "Do you like your hamster?" and gets "Yes," then has nothing to ask next.

Why: Yes/no questions are the first kind of question children learn, and they feel like real questions because they are polite and answerable.

Fix: Teach the swap: start the same question with "why" or "how": "Why do you like your hamster?" Practice turning three yes/no questions round.

Stays silent when a word is not understood, then cannot follow the rest of the talk.

Why: Asking feels like admitting you are not clever, and other children seem to understand.

Fix: Model being confused yourself in front of the class and praise every clarifying question, especially "What does that word mean?"

Tells their own story instead of asking: "I have a hamster too and mine is called Pip."

Why: Sharing a connection feels like a good response, and they have not separated commenting from questioning.

Fix: Allow the connection, then ask for the question: "That is a comment. Now ask about Bean." Check that the question ends with a question mark in their voice.

If they are not there yet

Give question starters on a card: "What does ___ mean?" and "Why do you ___?" to fill in.
Use a picture to ask about first, so the topic is in front of the child, not just in the speaker's words.
Practice with an adult speaker who pauses and points to the card at each chance to ask.

If they finish early

Plan five interview questions for a visitor, such as a firefighter, and sort them into clear it up and tell me more.
Listen to a partner's answer and ask a follow-up question built on that answer, not a new topic.
Explain why "Could you give an example?" often helps more than "Can you say it again?"

Exit ticket

A visitor says: "A polar bear's fur looks white, but it is really see-through." Write one question to clear it up and one to find out more.

What to look for: Clear it up: "What does see-through mean?" Tell me more: "Why does it look white?" Two yes/no questions: they need the why/how swap. Two clarifying questions only: they ask when stuck but not when curious. A comment ("I like polar bears"): question form needs reteaching.

Printable practice for SL.2.3

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

Questions That Deepen ItFinish each sentence.

Questions about Asking for More Information

How long does the Asking for More Information 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 Asking for More Information teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.2.3 — SL.2.3, Speaking & Listening for Grade 2: “Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.” In plain terms, ask a speaker a question that gets you more than a yes or no.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Two question cards: "Clear it up" (Could you explain...? What does ___ mean?) and "Tell me more" (Why...? How...? Could you give an example?), a short talk script for the teacher (in the Teach section) 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: asks "Do you like your hamster?" and gets "Yes," then has nothing to ask next; stays silent when a word is not understood, then cannot follow the rest of the talk and tells their own story instead of asking: "I have a hamster too and mine is called Pip.". 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: “A visitor says: "A polar bear's fur looks white, but it is really see-through." Write one question to clear it up and one to find out more.” Clear it up: "What does see-through mean?" Tell me more: "Why does it look white?" Two yes/no questions: they need the why/how swap. Two clarifying questions only: they ask when stuck but not when curious. A comment ("I like polar bears"): question form needs reteaching. 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 Asking for More Information?

Yes — 1 printable SL.2.3 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 Asking for More Information 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 October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to SL.2.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.