Chapter 3: The 5Ws and 1H — CampusJourn
Chapter 3

The 5Ws and 1H

The ABCs set your standards. Now here's the toolkit that gets you all the facts before you write a single sentence.

🎯 Chapter Objective: By the end of this chapter, you will be able to identify and answer all six journalist questions — Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How — in a news story.
A Filipino student journalist holding a notebook with the words Who What When Where Why How written on the page
📖 Introduction

Last Chapter, You Learned the Rules. Now You Need the Tools.

Last chapter, you learned the four qualities of good news writing.

Accuracy. Brevity. Clarity. Ethics.

Those qualities tell you how to write. They set your standards.

But here's the thing. Before you write a single sentence, you need facts. Real, specific, verified facts.

And to get the right facts, you have to ask the right questions.

That's what this chapter is about.

🧩
Six Questions. Every Story. Every Time. Think of these six questions as your reporter's toolkit. Every time you cover a story, you ask all six. Miss even one — and your story feels like a puzzle with a missing piece. You can see most of the picture. But that one gap keeps bugging you.
📌 The Six Questions
Who.  What.  When.  Where.  Why.  How.
❓ The Six Questions

Let's Go Through Each One

W
WHO
The People Involved
Who the story is about. One student, a whole class, a teacher, a principal — someone is at the center. That's your Who.
"Grade 5 students from Mapagmahal Elementary joined the clean-up drive."
→ WHO = Grade 5 students from Mapagmahal Elementary
W
WHAT
The Event
What happened — the main action or event. This is the heart of the story. The thing that actually occurred.
"The school launched a new reading program."
→ WHAT = Launched a new reading program
W
WHEN
The Time
When it happened. Be specific — name the day, date, or time. Don't leave your reader guessing.
"The program started last Monday morning."
→ WHEN = Last Monday morning
W
WHERE
The Place
Where it happened. Name the exact location — the school, gymnasium, covered court, barangay hall. The more specific, the better.
"The activity was held at the Barangay San Isidro covered court."
→ WHERE = Barangay San Isidro covered court
W
WHY
The Reason
The purpose or cause behind the event. Why did it happen? What problem was it solving? What goal was it reaching?
"The project aims to reduce waste on campus and teach students about the environment."
→ WHY = To reduce waste and teach about the environment
H
HOW
The Method
How the event was carried out. What process was followed? What steps did people take? How did they make it happen?
"Students collected used bottles and sorted them into labeled bins."
→ HOW = Collected bottles and sorted them into labeled bins
Two Grade 5 Filipino students writing in notepads while covering a school event, asking questions to fellow students
✅ All Six Together

Now Let's See All Six Together

Here's a short news paragraph. Every single question is answered inside it. Read it, then check the table below.

"Grade 5 students from Mapagmahal Elementary launched a recycling program last Monday morning at the school's covered court. The project aims to reduce campus waste. Students sorted used bottles, paper, and cans into labeled bins provided by the barangay."
✅ Who
Grade 5 students from Mapagmahal Elementary
✅ What
Launched a recycling program
✅ When
Last Monday morning
✅ Where
The school's covered court
✅ Why
To reduce campus waste
✅ How
Sorted bottles, paper, and cans into labeled bins
❌ What Happens When One Is Missing?

Let's remove just one piece — the When. Read the paragraph again.

"Grade 5 students from Mapagmahal Elementary launched a recycling program at the school's covered court. The project aims to reduce campus waste. Students sorted used bottles, paper, and cans into labeled bins."

Something feels off, right? We still don't know when this happened. Was it yesterday? Last week? Last year? Without the When, readers can't tell if this story is current.

❌ Missing: WHEN — When did this happen?
✍️ Fill in the Blank

Identify the Question

Read each sentence and tap which question it answers. Then click Reveal to check.

Item 1
"The program was held last Friday afternoon."
Item 2
"Student Council President Zion Cruz led the activity."
Item 3
"The event took place at the Rizal Elementary School gymnasium."
Item 4
"The campaign aims to raise awareness about bullying in schools."
Item 5
"Students participated by making posters and signing a pledge sheet."
Your Reporter's Toolkit
Who+ What+ When+ Where+ Why+ How
Miss even one and your story feels like a puzzle with a missing piece. Answer all six and your readers walk away fully informed. 🧩

✏️ Practice Time

Find the missing piece in each sentence, then fill in the news using your own words.

1

Find the Missing Piece Spot which of the 5Ws or 1H is missing — then write a sentence to fill the gap.

📋 Read each news sentence. Tap which question is missing, then click Reveal Answer to check and see a sample fix.
Sentences checked:
Sentence 1
"Students planted trees at the school garden."
Sentence 2
"The school principal announced a new rule last Monday."
Sentence 3
"The school launched a new program to improve students' reading skills."
Sentence 4
"Daisy Santos won first place in the District Science Fair last Thursday."
2

Writing Practice — Fill in the News Plan your answers first, then write your own complete news paragraph.

📝 Fill in the planner first — then use your answers to complete the paragraph. Use a real or imagined event from your school or community.

📎 Sample Answer (to guide you)

✅ Sample Paragraph

"The Student Council of Maliwanag Elementary organized a school-wide clean-up drive last Friday morning at the school grounds and nearby basketball court. The activity aimed to prepare the campus for the upcoming Brigada Eskwela. Participants helped by sweeping classrooms, picking up trash along pathways, and repainting fences around the school."

Step 1 — Your Paragraph Scaffold

"[Who] organized a school-wide clean-up drive [When] at [Where]. The activity aimed to [Why]. Participants helped by [How]."

Step 2 — Fill in Your Planner

🔍 Self-Check Guide

What to CheckDone ✅Try Again 🔄
I filled in all five planner rows☐☐
Each blank answers the correct question☐☐
My sentences are clear and easy to read☐☐
My answers are specific — not vague☐☐

📊 Simple Rubric

5/5
You found every piece of the puzzle. 🗞️
3–4
Close. Go back and check which question you left out.
1–2
That's okay. Reread the six questions and try again one at a time.

Answers for writing activities will be different for each student. Use the rubric to check your work or ask your teacher for help.

🧠 Sort It Out

Read each detail from a news story. Tap which of the 5Ws or 1H it answers.

0/8
Score
Item 1 of 8
ITEM 1 OF 8
Which question does this detail answer?
Loading…
out of 8
Up Next

Chapter 4: The Inverted Pyramid

You've got your six questions. Now learn exactly where each answer goes in your article — and why the most important fact always comes first.

Chapter 4 →
← Chapter 2
Chapter 4 →