Asking a Source a Question
A 40-minute Kindergarten lesson on generating a question about a source and the event it comes from.
Asking a Source a Question is a free 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.His.12.K-2 — ask questions about a source and the event it comes from. 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:
- D2.His.12.K-2
Kindergarten to Grade 2 · History
D2.His.12.K-2
Generate questions about a particular historical source as it relates to a particular historical event or development.
Objective
Students will be able to ask a question a source could help answer.
Students are successful when they can
- Asks about the source or its time.
- Asks something the source could help with.
- Says what would answer it.
What you need
- One source per group
- Question-word cards
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — wonder aloud
5 min- Show a source and take three 'I wonder' sentences.
- Write them up as questions.
Teach — could this source help?
13 min- Take each warm-up question and ask whether this source could help.
- Keep the ones it could. Set the others aside without dismissing them.
- Say the two piles: questions for this source, and questions for a different one.
- Write one new question the source could definitely answer.
- Write one it could not, and name what would.
“Good question. Could this source help with it, or would you need another?”
Guided practice — two questions each
12 min- Groups write two questions about their source.
- They mark which the source could help with.
- They pass their source and questions to another group to answer.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the asking-a-source page.
- Read each option aloud.
Close
2 min- Take one question the source answered.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Asks about the present.
Why: The present is what they know.
Fix: Ask whether the source was made now. A source from the past answers about the past.
Asks a question the source obviously answers.
Why: It is safe and quick.
Fix: Ask whether they already know the answer. A question they can answer is a check.
Abandons a question the source cannot answer.
Why: It feels like a failed question.
Fix: Keep the second pile. Questions needing another source are how research grows.
If they are not there yet
- Give a question word.
- One question rather than two.
If they finish early
- Ask a question needing two sources.
- Answer another group's question.
- Say what source you would go to next.
Exit ticket
Write one question this source could help answer.
What to look for: A question about the source's own time. A present-day question means the when-was-it-made check needs asking.
Printable practice for D2.His.12.K-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Asking a Source a QuestionCircle the best question to ask.
Questions about Asking a Source a Question
How long does the Asking a Source a Question 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 a Source a Question teach?
D2.His.12.K-2 — D2.His.12.K-2, History for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Generate questions about a particular historical source as it relates to a particular historical event or development.” In plain terms, ask questions about a source and the event it comes from.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
One source per group, question-word 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: asks about the present; asks a question the source obviously answers and abandons a question the source cannot answer. 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: “Write one question this source could help answer.” A question about the source's own time. A present-day question means the when-was-it-made check needs asking. 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 a Source a Question?
Yes — 1 printable D2.His.12.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 Asking a Source a Question 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 D2.His.12.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.