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General Information
Subject: Language Arts
Class Theme and Genre Study: Mystery Mayhem Month
Lesson Title: Nate the Great and the Hungry Bookclub,
written by Marjorie Weiman chart and Mitchell Sharmat
Topic or Unit of Study: Making Predictions to Establish the Purposes of Reading
Grade Level: 4th
Instructional Setting:
- Location:
In the Classroom
- Class Size:
The class is comprised of 18 students of mixed ability, some are very high level readers,
while a few others are struggling. A good portion of the children are reading on grade
level.
- Class Description:
The classroom has large a large bulletin board which hangs above a small book shelf. It is
currently announcing the classes genre study: Mystery, Mayhem, & Madness and is
decorated with detective imagery such as a magnifying glass and the classic Sherlock
Holmes hat, along with an Albert Einstein quote, The important thing is to not stop
questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. The shelf beneath it features
some of the recent writing the students have worked on, creating their own mystery
pieces.
- Seating Arrangement:
The class desks are grouped into 4 areas. The first two groups are comprised of 4 desks
each, while the two groups behind them are comprised of 5 desks each. These groups sit
in front of the white board and are the primary seating during direct whole group
instruction.
- Work Stations:
Behind the primary seating, against a wall, sits a large semi-circle table which is used for
small group instruction. Here the teacher can sit in the center and address each of the
students. It also allows for students to converse with one another.
The class also houses a circular table for group work; a class library with bookshelves,
cushions, an area rug, and some kid sized couches and bean bag chairs ideal for
independent reading time; and a small computer desk which seats two computers.
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- Reading Groups:
In order to meet students at their various levels, the students have been separated into 3
different reading groups. As a class, the students are studying the mystery genre, and
each group is spending some time covering various mystery books at their reading level.
Each group meets with the teacher during a portion of the lesson, where various skills
such as decoding, fluency, and comprehension can be targeted, modeled, and monitored
accordingly. The groups are as follows:
Lower Level Readers: The Canary Caper, written by Ron Roy (Grade Level 3.5)
On Grade Level Readers: The Mystery of the Dark Lighthouse, written by Laura E.
Williams (Grade Level 4.2)
Higher Level Readers: The Wright 3, written by Blue Ballet (Grade Level 5.4)
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Copies of the Making Predictions take home assignment for every child in the class
3 Story Bags and corresponding Items: Some items should be found in the Nate the Great book,
others should be random and would not be something they found in the book.
9 Story Bag Charts to be given to each reading group
9 Samples Packs from Nate the Great chapter 2 containing pictures, the chapter 2 title and sample
paragraphs.
Resources:
Completing a Directed Reading/Thinking Activity:
Reutzel, R.D. and Robert B.C. Jr. (1992). Teaching children to read: From basals to books. Macmillan
Publishing co. New York, NY.
Text used for the Solve the Mystery worksheet for Gifted Learners:
Education.com. (2011). Complete the mystery. Retrieved on August 31, 2015 from http://
www.education.com/worksheet/article/complete-mystery/
The Making Predictions: Cross-Curricular Focus: Language Arts take home sheet:
K12Reader. (2012). Cross-Curricular Reading Comprehension Worksheets: E-20 of 36. [Worksheet].
Retrieved on August 31, 2015 from http://www.k12reader.com/reading-comprehension/reading-
comprehension/Gr5_Wk20_Making_Predictions.pdf
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Instructional Plan
Sequence of Instructional Procedures/Activities/Events (provide description and indicate
approximate time for each): 90 minutes
1. Student Prerequisite Skills/Connections to Previous Learning: 6 minutes
The lesson will begin as a whole group with the children seated at their desks. Each
seating group has one gift wrapped box in its center. I will ask the students to try to predict
what each box holds by passing it amongst their group members and discussing it. (2
minutes)
Ask the students what guesses they made and why they guessed those responses. Let
them open the boxes. How did they predict what was inside? (shaking, the size, what noises
were made, etc. Explain that, just like detectives, they called upon their current schema,
their past experiences with gifts, to find ways to predict what was inside. Ask how they can
use those same skills to guess what todays book might be about and show them the book,
Nate the Great. (2 minutes)
By looking at the picture and title, ask the students to guess what the book might be
about. Be sure to ask why they think what they do. Explain the importance of predicting,
explain that its a strategy they can use for better understanding what they read, and let them
know that they will be practicing this skill throughout the lesson. Tell them the order of the
lesson: whole group lesson to further explain predicting, before breaking into our assigned
reading groups for further practice. (2 minutes)
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Ripped, Ruined. Invite the students to see if they are correct and begin reading. (4
minutes)
Throughout the first couple of pages, model stopping and checking to see if the class
predictions are correct. Explain how good readers stop and check their predictions
regularly and alter them as they learn new information, just like a detective would while
working on a case. Read through most, but not all of the chapter. (6 minutes)
After altering some of the predictions as a class, have the students read the rest of the
chapter in pairs or groups of three and discuss their predictions for a few minutes. (5
minutes)
Come back together as a class and discuss the uses and importance of predicting and
how it can make reading more meaningful. Teach for transfer: Ask how the students think
this skill can help them when they are reading other books. Explain how it can help find the
purpose of a text and give examples of doing so with other text types: a biographical
paragraph, a scientific article, etc. (5 minutes)
Dismiss into work stations for further practice and explain what each group will be
working on: (2 minutes)
- Group 1 will meet with the teacher to apply this new skill in their current reading and will work
together to complete their Follow the Clues organizer.
- Group 2 will practice independently by completing their Make your own Predictions worksheet
- Group 3 will meet at the circular group table and work together with the Story Bag game.
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sample paragraphs. Students will study the information and predict what items from the
bag belong in the story. This game will lead to the next days lesson and will segment into
the following days prediction making practice.
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require higher level thinking and will go beyond making predictions, implementing their
creative writing skills as well.
Use of Technology:
I will employ Powerpoint or Keynote to make an engaging and interactive
multimedia presentation for whole group instruction. The presentation should be visually
appealing and could have sample text of Nate the Great which allows words to be
highlighted as they are read aloud. This could especially help ELL learners.
Student Assessment/Rubrics:
The Make your own Predictions worksheet will serve as an informal summative
assessment to let the teacher see how much of the strategy students have initially
understood. It asks students to make predictions, provide supportive evidence, and give a
meaning or understanding which came from their prediction. This can help me make
sure they are understanding how to appropriately create predictions and infer information
using both the information provided by the author as well as their own experience. Rather
than giving correct predictions, the teacher will need to assess how students are making their
predictions.
Additionally, the end of the class should serve as an informal formative assessment time
to verbally question students to check for understanding.
Some questions to ask:
1. Why do you need to know how to predict what will happen in a story or text?
2. What could you do the next time you read a story in class?
3. Why would you want to predict while you are reading
4. How does making a prediction help you find the purpose of reading a given text?
5. What steps do we use to make a prediction in a story?
6. What are some things you can use to help you make a prediction? (look at pictures, titles,
etc)
7. Why would those things help you?
8. Why should we use predictions?
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Make your own Predictions!
Can you deduce what will happen next in each
Directions: Read the following passages. Determine what event is likely to occur next.
Explain what clues helped you make your predictions.
Vince Thunder waved to the crowd one more time before he put on his motorcycle helmet. The crowd
cheered uproariously. Vince looked down the ramp and across the 17 school busses that he was about to
attempt to jump. It was a dicult trick and everything would need to go right for him to nail it. His cape blew
in the wind. As Vince hoped on his motorcycle and started down the ramp, he noticed something that he had
not seen before. There was large oil slick at the end of the ramp. He attempted to stop the bike, but it was too
late. He had already built up too much momentum...
1. What will happen next?
Rex sat at the mouth of the alley and chewed the bone that he had found by the dumpster. It was a meaty
bone that had belonged to a larger animal, perhaps a state fair prize winning pig. Rex was attracted to the
bone by its strong scent. Apparently, he was not the only one who could smell it. He heard the jangle of tags
behind him and turned to see a larger dog. Rex released the bone and began growling at the other dog. The
other dog began growling at Rex. The two dogs inched toward one another, maintaining eye contact. Each
began growling louder as the other approached within striking distance...
1. What will happen next?
John sat in the classroom and drew pictures of the Tatakai Fighting Warriors in his notebook while his
teacher lectured about biology or something. He didn't really know for sure. The last thing he remembered
her saying was that there would be a test tomorrow. His heart jumped. He went home to study for the test, but
he was soon drawn to his Game Box. He played Tatakai Fighting Warriors long into the night. When his alarm
clock rang the next day, he was too tired to hit the snooze button, so he let it beep for about 20 minutes before
he got up and went to school. As she had promised, the teacher has prepared a test. She reviewed the testing
procedures and directions with the class and then passed out the test. John looked at his test and scratched his
head...
1. What will happen next?
Instrucciones: Lea los siguientes pasajes . Determine qu evento es probable que ocurra
despus. Explique qu pistas ayudaron a hacer sus predicciones. Asegrese de traducir sus
respuestas en Ingls
Vince Trueno salud a la multitud una vez ms antes de que l se puso el casco de la motocicleta . La multitud
aplaudi a carcajadas . Vince mir por la rampa y en los autobuses escolares 17 que estaba a punto de intentar
saltar . Era un truco difcil y todo lo que tendra que ir a la derecha por l para clavar l. Su capa soplaba el
viento. Como Vince esperaba en su moto y empez a bajar la rampa, se dio cuenta de algo que no haba visto
antes. No era grande mancha de aceite al final de la rampa. l trat de detener la moto, pero ya era demasiado
tarde . Ya haba acumulado demasiado impulso ...
1. Qu pasar despus?
Rex se sent a la entrada del callejn y se mordi el hueso que haba encontrado por el contenedor de basura.
Era un hueso carnoso que haba pertenecido a un animal ms grande , tal vez un premio feria estatal cerdo
ganar. Rex fue atrado al hueso por su fuerte olor. Al parecer , l no era el nico que poda olerlo. Oy el
tintineo de las etiquetas detrs de l y se volvi para ver a un perro grande. Rex lanz el hueso y comenz a
gruir en el otro perro. El otro perro empez a gruir en el Rex . Los dos perros subieron uno hacia el otro ,
mantener el contacto visual . Cada empez a gruir ms fuerte que el otro se acerc a corta distancia ...
1. Qu pasar despus?
John se sent en la sala de clases y sac fotos de los guerreros que luchan Tatakai en su cuaderno mientras que
su maestro dio una conferencia sobre la biologa o algo as. l realmente no saba a ciencia cierta . Lo ltimo
que recordaba ella diciendo era que habra un examen maana . Su corazn dio un salto. Se fue a casa a
estudiar para el examen , pero pronto se sinti atrado por su Game Box . Jug Tatakai Fighting guerreros hasta
bien entrada la noche. Cuando el despertador son el da siguiente, estaba demasiado cansado para golpear el
botn de repeticin , as que deja que un pitido durante unos 20 minutos antes de que l se levant y fue a la
escuela . Como haba prometido, el profesor ha preparado una prueba. Ella revis los procedimientos de
prueba y las direcciones con la clase y luego pas la prueba . John mir a su prueba y se rasc la cabeza ...
1. Qu pasar despus?
Directions:
Read the beginning of this story, search for clues, and make some predictions. Then use them to
write the end of this story.
Janie came in from recess with the rest of her class to find Mr. Holmes, her teacher, looking down at his
desk and frowning. Jamie took her seat along with the rest of the class, watching as Mr. Holmes walked to the
front of the room. Slowly, the noise and bustle of students settling in and taking books from their backpacks
died down. Mr. Holmes looked out at the kids and began to speak.
What do you notice about my desk? he asked. Can anyone tell me whats dierent?
Janie looked at Mr. Holmes desk, and suddenly she realized why hed looked upset. Nibbles, the class
hamster, was missing from her normal spot, along with her cage and the bag of hamster food that always sat
on the corner of the desk. Thats when Janie remembered that she had seen Doug standing beside the door at
the start of recess, seeming to wait for everyone else to file out into the yard. She glanced under Dougs desk
and noticed a strangely square lump beneath his jacket. Janie hesitated, and then
List 3 predictions you made to help you write the end of the story:
1.
2.
3.
What clues did you find in the story to help you make these predictions?
Cross-Curricular Reading Comprehension Worksheets: E-20 of 36
Making Predictions
Cross-Curricular Focus: Language Arts Name: ______________________________________
Making Predictions
Cross-Curricular Focus: Language Arts
Key
Name: ______________________________________