COVID-19 Discussion Prompts for All Ages

Are you wondering how to address COVID-19 in your classroom (or e-classroom) in a way that is both engaging and age-appropriate? Below are some suggestions. You might want to pick the questions that you think will most interest your students, and then prepare by predicting their answers, having exemplar answers available, and reminding students of expectations for class discussion.

Grades K-3: 

  • Have you ever had a cold or the flu?

  • What was it like?

  • What did you do?

  • Do you know how to keep other people from getting sick?

  • Do you know how to keep yourself from getting sick?

Grades 4-6:

  • What is a virus?

  • How to viruses spread?

  • What have you heard or read about COVID-19?

  • Who should you listen to about COVID-19?

  • What are ways you can prevent the spread of disease?

Grades 7-9:

  • What is a virus?

  • What viruses do you know about?

  • What have you heard or read about COVID-19?

  • What makes a source trustworthy?

  • What are trustworthy sources recommending?

Grades 10-12:

  • What makes viruses so dangerous?

  • How is COVID-19 similar and different from influenza?

  • What are trustworthy sources recommending?

  • What are the possible local and large-scale impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Robin Satty