Overview

Starting from a teacher-provided declarative statement about a text, students form a "Why…?" question, then swap with a partner to answer it. From each answer, a new "Why…?" question is derived, repeating three times. Students finish by writing a summary sentence incorporating all three layers of "why." This pushes students past surface-level responses and into deeper, more thoughtful readings.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Write a declarative statement about the text on the board (e.g., "The main character makes a selfish decision in Chapter 4").
2. Students independently turn the statement into a "Why…?" question (e.g., "Why does the character make a selfish decision?").
3. Students swap their question with a partner. Each partner writes an answer.
4. From the answer, students derive a second "Why…?" question and swap again.
5. Repeat for a third round.
6. Students independently write a summary sentence that incorporates all three layers of "why."
7. Share summary sentences as a class.

Tips

• Choose statements that are debatable or have layered explanations.
• If students get stuck deriving a new "Why?" from an answer, model the process.
• This activity is quick enough to use as a lesson starter.

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