Unit Plan 17 (Grade PreK ELA): Mini-Research – Ask & Answer
PreK research and questioning unit: students ask wonder questions, gather facts from one informational source, and record what they learn through drawing and dictation—building early inquiry, evidence-based thinking, and vocabulary skills.
Focus: Wonder questions; gather facts from one source; note/dictate
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Early Research • Questioning • Informational Listening/Viewing)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session (use two short blocks if needed)
I. Introduction
This week children become tiny researchers. They build wonder questions, learn to gather facts from one source (a single high-quality picture book, video clip without ads, or teacher-created photo set), and capture notes by drawing and dictating. The class practices asking and answering simple questions using picture/word evidence.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Ask and answer simple questions about key details from one informational source (RI.PK.1).
- Participate in a shared mini-research project about one topic (W.PK.7).
- Gather and recall two facts by drawing and dictating notes (W.PK.8).
- Use topic vocabulary in talk and labels (W.PK.8; L.PK.6 supportive).
Standards Alignment — PreK
- W.PK.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects.
- W.PK.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question (draw/dictate).
- RI.PK.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Success Criteria — student language
- “I can ask a wonder question.” (RI.PK.1)
- “I can find an answer in the picture/words.” (RI.PK.1)
- “I can draw and tell two facts I learned.” (W.PK.8)
- “I can work with my class to make a little research page.” (W.PK.7)