Asking About History

Grade Level

1st Grade

Duration

30 minutes

Unit

Exploring Washington, D.C. History (Lesson 3 of 5)

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Lesson Title

Understanding Historical Context

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Common Core State Standards Alignment

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1

• Ask and answer questions about key details in a text (adapted here for images).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1

• Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.8

• With guidance and support, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

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Lesson Objectives (I Can Statements)

• I can ask at least two questions to learn about the past by looking at pictures of Washington, D.C.
• I can talk about who made a picture and when it was made to understand its history.

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Success Criteria

• Students will formulate at least two questions about a historical image.
• Students will identify the creator and time period of an image during group discussions.

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Materials Needed

• 3-4 printed historical images of Washington, D.C. (e.g., old photographs or drawings of landmarks, people in historical dress)
• Sentence frames on colorful cards (red, blue, green prompts)
• Whiteboard and markers
• “I Can” and success criteria visual posters
• Color-coded question word chart (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How)
• Optional: iPads or tablets (for extension activity)

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Vocabulary

• Historical context
• Source
• Creator
• Timeline
• Question

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Dyslexia-Friendly Features

• Use large, clear font on all printed materials (e.g., Arial or Comic Sans)
• Color-coded question prompts
• Simple, short sentences on sentence frames
• Visual cues with images and icons beside keywords
• Read aloud instructions and model questioning

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Lesson Procedure

1. Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Gather students in a circle and show one historical image of Washington, D.C.
• Ask: “What do you see in this picture?” Let students share one observation each.
• Introduce the lesson focus: “Today we are going to practice asking questions to learn more about pictures from long ago.”
• Show the “I Can” statement: I can ask questions about a picture to learn about the past.

2. Explicit Teaching (7 minutes)

• Display the color-coded question word chart (Who - red, What - blue, When - green, etc.).
• Introduce simple question frames on sentence strips (examples below):
  • “Who is in the picture?”
  • “When was this picture made?”
  • “What is happening in this picture?”
  • “Where do you think this picture was taken?”
• Model thinking aloud with the first image:
  • “I wonder, who made this picture? When was it taken? I am using my question words to help me.”
• Highlight that understanding who created the image and when helps us learn about the image’s context and history.

3. Guided Practice (10 minutes)

• Divide students into 5 groups of 3 (one image per group).
• Give each group an image and color-coded question prompts with sentence frames.
• Ask each student to create at least two questions about their image, using the sentence frames.
• Circulate to assist, encouraging sentence structure and support as needed.
• Have students share one question aloud to the class. Write examples on the board.

4. Independent Practice / Extension (5 minutes)

• For students who finish early or who are advanced learners:
  • Choose one image to research further (teacher-provided fact sheet or supervised online resource).
  • Prepare 1-2 sentences to share one interesting fact about the image’s history with the class.
• Provide dyslexia-friendly materials and verbal support as needed.

5. Wrap-Up and Assessment (3 minutes)

• Review “I Can” and success criteria posters together.
• Ask, “Who can tell me two questions they asked today about the pictures?”
• Invite several students to share their questions aloud.
• Praise student participation and record anecdotal notes on success criteria for informal assessment.

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Differentiation Strategies

Learner Needs	Strategies
English Language Learners	Use sentence frames, visuals, and model questions clearly.
Students with Dyslexia	Provide color-coded prompts, simple fonts, and verbal repetition.
Students with Attention Difficulties	Keep groups small, provide movement breaks, and use engaging images.
Advanced Learners	Provide research extension and presentation opportunity to deepen content understanding.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of student participation during questioning and group discussion.
• Collect or record two student-formulated questions per image.
• Optional exit ticket: Student shows two written or oral questions.

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Reflection for Teachers

• How well did students use the color-coded question prompts?
• Were students able to identify the creator/time of the image?
• Which students benefited most from sentence frames or needed additional support?
• How did the extension activity engage advanced learners?

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Thank you for inspiring the young historians of tomorrow!