5 W's + 1 H Using Goldilocks and the Three Bears

The students will approach a familiar story (Goldilocks and the Three Bears) from the perspective of a newspaper reporter. Children will learn and apply the 5 W's + 1 H (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How). While the focus of this lesson is an introduction to how the 5 W's + 1 H are used in the real world by way of the fiction that 2nd graders are famliar with, it also works on communication skills when a student 'reporter' asks questions and a student 'respondant' answers them. The lesson plan could also establish an important connection and engagement for students from fiction to informational text.

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5 W's + 1 H Using Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives: 

Students will be able to:

  • read news stories for information about the 5 W's + 1H.
  • understand simple newspaper vocabulary.
  • conduct a simple interview and make point form notes to record the results.
  • create their own news story lead.

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Understanding
Extension suggestions: 

Short Extensions:

Have the students imagine they are a police officer reading the interview with the three bears. Provide suggestions for the bears as to what they should do next? How should they prevent these events from happening in the future?

Home Work Extensions:

Repeat the process with another fairy tale, for example "Little Red Riding Hood". Have the children invent their own headline this time.

Next Day Extensions:

In a news story, the 5 W's + 1 H should be answered right away - either in the headline or in the first two paragraphs of the article. Reporters call this the 'Inverted Pyramid'

Examine an 'Encyclopedia Brown' mystery story. When are the 5W's + 1H answered in this story? How is this different from a news story? Why is it different? Would it be a good mystery story if the 5 W's and 1 H were answered in the first two paragraphs?

Helpful Hints

Materials:

  • one or two sample newspaper clippings
  • story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears
  • white board or flip chart and markers 
  • paper and pencil

References

Contributors: 
Jeffrey Hill
Originator: 
Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation