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Read Chapters 3-8; Complete Student Packet Worksheets for Chapters 3-8; Continue to complete the Student Packet pages for the concepts discussed so far (Realistic Elements and Relationships Roster)

Read aloud the following scenario. Instruct students to think about what would come next in the scenario.

As the seventh-grader walked down the hall on her first day in her new school, she could feel fifty pairs of eyes staring at her. “Just keep your head up and quickly get to your homeroom,” she kept telling herself. She was used to this torture; with her mom in the military, Dana changed schools nearly every year. But this time, things felt different. From across the hall, she spotted one student pointing her way. You could tell this seventh-grader was popular: the jacket, the shoes, the cool hair. Everything spelled perfection. Suddenly, Dana found herself surrounded by the popular kid and a group of equally-slick students. “Oh, great,” Dana thought. “Here we go.” As Dana prepared for what was to come, “cool hair” scrambled through the group and stepped in front of her.

Ask students to predict what will happen next between Dana and the rest of the students. Give students five minutes to continue writing this scenario. After time has passed, ask a few students to share their predictions with the class. Note: You may want to write the scenario on chart paper and post so that students can refer to it when they are writing.

will explain that just like we made a prediction in our short scenario, readers can predict what will happen next in a book. It is important that readers make meaningful predictions or predictions that will help them to better understand the text. While readers can often make predictions at most places in a text, it is important to make sure the predictions have a purpose and are done at a point in the text when it is most appropriate. I will explain that there are four steps to making a meaningful prediction. I will review each step and then use the scenario from the Activation and Motivation to illustrate making a meaningful prediction.

First, I will think about where I stopped to make a prediction in the scenario. I did not stop to make a prediction after I read that Dana was walking down the hallway or what she would tell herself next. I did not stop to make a prediction here because these are smaller details. Readers stop to make predictions when they come across big events or cliffhangers which are important moments in the text. For example, in the scenario, the popular kids surround Dana and the reader doesn’t know what will happen. This is an example of a big event or cliffhanger. A cliffhanger is an event in the text that leaves the reader wondering what will happen next. This is when a good reader would stop to make a prediction. On chart paper, I will write, “Step 1: Find a big event or cliffhanger and stop reading.”

Next, I will explain that I need to ask myself questions about the big event or cliffhanger. These are usually specific questions about what will happen next. For example, I can ask myself, “Will the popular kids compliment Dana’s style? Will they harm her?” By asking specific questions about the big event or cliffhanger, I can begin to think about what might happen between Dana and the rest of the students. On chart paper, I will write, “Step 2: Ask yourself specific questions about what could happen next.”

After I ask myself specific questions about the big event or cliffhanger, I will think about my own prior experiences. What happens to new students on their first day of school? How would the students react? On chart paper, I will write, “Step 3: Access prior knowledge or experience to think about what could happen.” I will explain to students that when making a prediction, it is important to never stop at prior experience. Good predictions rely on details from the text. You must find evidence in the text that supports a good prediction. For example, I think Dana has had negative past experiences changing schools because she tells herself to quickly get to her homeroom. This may mean that she is shy or vulnerable to bullying.

I will then use the big event or cliffhanger, the specific questions, my prior knowledge, and text evidence to make a meaningful prediction. On chart paper, I will write, “Step 4: Make a meaningful prediction using text evidence.” I predict that the group of students will bully Dana.

I will explain that I can also use the four steps for making a prediction about Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes. I will use a previously read chapter to model making a prediction (Chapter 8), and I’ll record the information on Predictions Chart 1. Note: See Predictions Chart 1 for specific examples.

To make a meaningful prediction using Chapter 8, I will first follow Step 1: Find a big event or cliffhanger and stop reading. I will skim Chapter 8 and stop when I come to the part when Gary’s parents asked him not to tell jokes. This is a big event because joke telling was very important to Gary. I will record this information on Predictions Chart 1. Next, I will follow Step 2: Ask yourself specific questions about what could happen next. Specific questions about the event of Gary’s parents asking him to stop telling jokes include: Will Gary be able to go three weeks without telling any jokes? Will he win the $100 from his parents for sticking to the deal? I will record my questions on Predictions Chart 1.

Now I follow Step 3: Access prior knowledge or experience to think about what could happen. Think about text evidence. By using what I know about comedians, I think it would be hard for comedians to go three weeks without making jokes. I will write this down on Predictions Chart 1.

Finally, I will follow Step 4: Make a meaningful prediction using text evidence. From the text, I can tell that Gary is passionate about joke telling and that it is part of his personality. Although the money is tempting, I don’t think money will fulfill him like making people laugh. I predict that Gary will not be able to stop telling jokes. I will write this down on Predictions Chart 1.

I will explain that predictions can change as you read further into a story and gather additional details and information. As I continue to read the book, I will review Predictions Chart 1 to adjust my predictions and to make additional predictions.

Ask: "How do I make a meaningful prediction about what’s coming up next in a story?" Students should respond that there are four steps to making a sound prediction. First, you identify a big event or cliffhanger. Second, you ask yourself specific questions about what might happen next. Third, you access prior knowledge and experience, as well as text evidence to think about what could happen next. Finally, you make a meaningful prediction using text evidence.

will work with Chapters 9 to 12 to make predictions, recording the information on Predictions Chart 2. Note: You may either read these chapters aloud if classroom time allows, or skim through the chapters with your class to identify big events and cliffhangers. Encourage students to raise their hands when they feel there is a big event or a cliffhanger they can make a prediction about. See Predictions Chart 2 as for sample responses.

For example, stop at the end of Chapter 9 when Joe tells Gary to keep out of his face. This confrontation is a big event in the chapter. Do students think Gary will stay away from Joe? Will the two of them become friends in the future? Will Gary impress everyone at football? We will use personal experiences to consider about what might happen next, and identify textual information to help predict what will happen next to their friendship.

You may also make a prediction in Chapter 12, when Gary forgets his book report. Will he remember his assignment on Friday? Use evidence from the previous chapter in which Gary resolves to be the best Gary Boone he can be in order to make this prediction.

will complete the Predictions Chart Worksheet in your Student Packet for Chapters 13 and 14. (See pages 13-14 in the Student Packet.) You may make as many predictions as you see fit, but try to focus your predictions on Gary’s friendships and interactions with other characters, since this is mostly what these two chapters are about. 

will each share one prediction with the class and we will identify the textual details that allowed us to make our predictions. We will return to our predictions as we read further into the book in order to check them or change them according to new events or what we have read. Before Lesson 5, we will review some of our predictions as a class.