Asking 'Who' and 'What' QuestionsActivities & Teaching Strategies
For young learners, turning ideas into spoken questions happens best when they move, speak, and see at the same time. This topic grows listening into talking by linking pictures to voices, hands to words, and turns to clear sentences. Moving around the room while asking keeps every child engaged and builds confidence in using two small words that open doors to whole conversations.
Learning Objectives
- 1Identify people and objects in a given image by asking appropriate 'who' and 'what' questions.
- 2Formulate a 'who' question to inquire about a person in a picture or scenario.
- 3Formulate a 'what' question to inquire about an object or action in a picture or scenario.
- 4Distinguish between the appropriate use of 'who' for people and 'what' for things in question formation.
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Pair Share: Picture Prompts
Give each pair 4-5 picture cards showing people, animals, and objects. One student asks a 'who' or 'what' question about the picture; the partner answers in a full sentence. Switch roles after three turns, then share one question with the class.
Prepare & details
Who is in this picture?
Facilitation Tip: During Pair Share, move between pairs every 90 seconds to listen for the question word and the full question, not just the answer.
Setup: Standard classroom arrangement with chairs or desks rearranged to seat 4–6 panellists facing the class; suitable for rooms of 30–50 students with a central panel table or row.
Materials: Printed expert role cards with sub-topic reading extracts, Audience question cards (one per student), Student moderator guide and facilitation script, Note-taking framework for audience members, Printed debrief synthesis and individual exit reflection sheets
Circle Time: Question Chain
Form a whole class circle with a central object or toy. The teacher models a question like 'Who can hold this?', then passes it. Each student asks a 'who' or 'what' question to the next child before passing the item.
Prepare & details
What is the boy holding?
Facilitation Tip: In Circle Time, model the rhythm of a question by raising your voice on the last word and clapping after the partner answers.
Setup: Standard classroom arrangement with chairs or desks rearranged to seat 4–6 panellists facing the class; suitable for rooms of 30–50 students with a central panel table or row.
Materials: Printed expert role cards with sub-topic reading extracts, Audience question cards (one per student), Student moderator guide and facilitation script, Note-taking framework for audience members, Printed debrief synthesis and individual exit reflection sheets
Role Play: Scene Questions
In small groups, use 2-3 puppets to enact simple scenes like a market visit. Group members take turns asking 'who' and 'what' questions about the action; performers respond. Groups perform one scene for the class.
Prepare & details
Can you ask a 'who' question about this picture?
Facilitation Tip: For Puppet Role Play, keep a small basket of props nearby so students can grab an object and immediately ask, ‘What is this?’ or ‘Who uses this?’
Setup: Adaptable to standard classroom seating with fixed benches; fishbowl arrangements work well for Classes of 35 or more; open floor space is useful but not required
Materials: Printed character cards with role background, objectives, and knowledge constraints, Scenario brief sheet (one per student or one per group), Structured observation sheet for students watching a fishbowl format, Debrief discussion prompt cards, Assessment rubric aligned to NEP 2020 competency domains
Object Hunt: Individual Inquiry
Each student picks a classroom object or brings a small item. They write or draw one 'who' question (imagining a person) and one 'what' question, then share with a partner for answers.
Prepare & details
Who is in this picture?
Facilitation Tip: During Object Hunt, place identical objects in different corners so students practise asking the same question in different ways.
Setup: Standard classroom arrangement with chairs or desks rearranged to seat 4–6 panellists facing the class; suitable for rooms of 30–50 students with a central panel table or row.
Materials: Printed expert role cards with sub-topic reading extracts, Audience question cards (one per student), Student moderator guide and facilitation script, Note-taking framework for audience members, Printed debrief synthesis and individual exit reflection sheets
Teaching This Topic
Start by giving children plenty of oral models; children learn question frames the way they learn songs, by hearing and repeating. Avoid drilling isolated words; instead, always pair the question word with a clear picture or object so the meaning sticks. Research shows that when students physically point to what they are asking about, the link between word, object, and voice is stronger. Keep corrections gentle and immediate, turning mistakes into teachable moments right in the flow of play.
What to Expect
At the end of these activities, you should see students pointing, speaking in full sentences, and swapping simple questions with partners without waiting to be asked first. Their questions will start with ‘who’ for people and ‘what’ for things or actions, and they will naturally link the question word to the right part of the picture or object in front of them.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring Pair Share, some children treat animals or objects like people and use ‘who’.
What to Teach Instead
Give each pair a sorting mat with two columns: one labelled ‘who’ with pictures of children, and one labelled ‘what’ with pictures of animals, toys, or actions. Ask them to place each card under the correct word while saying it aloud, so the rule becomes a physical sorting game.
Common MisconceptionDuring Circle Time, students say single words like ‘Who?’ or ‘What?’ instead of full questions.
What to Teach Instead
Model the full question first, then clap the beats of the sentence while students echo: clap-clap-clap-clap for ‘Who is jumping?’. Keep a visual strip with the question structure above the circle so students can read and repeat the sentence frame.
Common MisconceptionDuring Object Hunt, students believe questions are only for unknown items.
What to Teach Instead
Give each child an object they know well, such as a pencil or eraser. Ask them to ask three questions about it, including ‘Who uses this?’ when pointing to themselves. This shows that questions build shared knowledge, not just new knowledge.
Assessment Ideas
After Pair Share, hold up one picture from the activity and ask students to turn to their partner and ask one correct ‘who’ question about a person and one correct ‘what’ question about an object. Listen for the accurate question word and natural intonation before moving on.
During Circle Time, present the scenario ‘A busy street near school’. Ask each student to share one ‘who’ question and one ‘what’ question with the group. Note which students consistently start with the correct question word and which need gentle prompting to expand the sentence.
After Puppet Role Play, hand each student a picture of a familiar scene. Ask them to write one ‘who’ question about a person and one ‘what’ question about an object on the back before they line up. Collect these to see if the question words are used accurately and the sentences are complete.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge: Ask students to add a colour or number to their questions, such as ‘Who is wearing a red hat?’ or ‘What are three things on the table?’
- Scaffolding: Provide sentence strips with blanks for students to fill: ‘Who ______?’ and ‘What ______?’
- Deeper exploration: Create a class ‘Question Wall’ where students pin their own questions and classmates respond by writing or drawing answers.
Key Vocabulary
| Who | This word is used to ask questions about people. For example, 'Who is singing?' |
| What | This word is used to ask questions about things or actions. For example, 'What is this?' or 'What are you doing?' |
| Question | A sentence used to ask for information. Questions often start with words like 'who', 'what', 'where', 'when', 'why', or 'how'. |
| Person | A human being, like a boy, a girl, a teacher, or a mother. |
| Thing | An object or item that is not alive, like a ball, a book, or a chair. |
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