LESSON 1.7
Why
Grades 1-3

Have you ever been told to do something, but you don’t know why you should do it?
Pretend, for example, that your mom says, “Clean your room.” You assume she said that because it’s messy, so she doesn’t have to tell you it is. You already know it.
But what if she said, “Clean your room. We’re thinking of selling the house. A real estate agent is coming over to let us know what it’s worth.”
Or what if she said, “Clean your room! A Hollywood director is on his way here. He’s thinking of using our house to shoot another of his zombie movies!”
Wouldn’t you want to know why a real estate agent or a Hollywood director is on the way? Wouldn’t readers want to know? And which would likely interest them more – a real estate agent, or a Hollywood director?
Task 1.7.1 – Tandem

Number from 1-10. Then put the following in order of reading excitement for an adult reader.
Go like this: 1 (worst), 10 (best), 2, 9, 3, 8, and so on.
- Pack your bags! We’re going to Disneyland!
- Pack your bags! We’re going to go take pictures of snow leopards in the Himalayas!
- Pack your bags! We’re going skiing in Colorado!
- Pack your bags! We’re going to go to your Aunt Simona’s!
- Pack your bags! We’re going to go meet Elon Musk!
- Pack your bags! We’re going on a cruise!
- Pack your bags! We’re going to spend the weekend on a dairy farm!
- Pack your bags!
- Pack your bags! I just won three tickets for the third game of the NBA finals!
- Pack your bags! We’re going to Paris for two weeks!
Task 1.7.2 – Tandem
With your teacher’s help, compare your answers. What did the top three answers have in common? What did the bottom three answers have in common?
Reach for the sky!
Summarize with What because Why

In Lesson 1.2, you learned that part of the foundation of a story is What. It’s what you’re talking about.
The other part is Why. Why the subject is important or true.
Together they make up the foundation: What because Why.
Once you know that basic structure, then the sky’s the limit!
So let your imagination fly! Use… I had a problem with a troublemaker because Why.
The Summary Statement
A summary is made up of the What Statement and the Why Statement. It tells–
- What the story is about.
- Why the story is true or important.
What
What | ||
---|---|---|
I | had a problem with | a troublemaker |
What because Why
What | Why | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
I | had a problem with | a troublemaker | because | Why |