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Read Chapter 19: “The Shock on the Stairs” – Chapter 23: “Help!;" Complete Student Packet Worksheets for Chapters 19-23

Share a Magic 8-Ball with students. Ask: "Who has ever heard of a psychic prediction? A psychic prediction is a prediction that’s based on unreliable ideas or thoughts." Allow the class to ask questions to the Magic 8-Ball. Note: If you prefer, or if you don’t have access to a Magic 8-Ball, you may use the Paper Fortune Teller Instructions for this activity. Follow the directions on the Paper Fortune Teller Instructions to create one for your class. Allow students to ask questions about the future and answer them by using the Paper Fortune Teller that they create.

Explain to the class that a Magic 8-Ball or a Paper Fortune Teller provides random predictions about a situation. People who believe or claim they are psychic also provide random predictions or predictions based on guesses or a hunch. Explain that unlike fortune telling, detectives make predictions to solve a crime by piecing together real facts and evidence. Ask: "What will give us a better prediction to a mystery: a Magic 8-Ball, a fortune teller, or an investigator?"

will explain that a Magic 8-Ball or a Fortune Teller gives weak predictions because they are based on guesses, hunches, or incorrect ideas. In Chasing Vermeer, I could predict that Petra stole the painting so she could become friends with Calder. That’s a weak prediction because it’s not based on evidence or clues. It’s based on an incorrect idea.

I will explain that detectives make strong predictions because they are based on real facts and evidence. Like a detective, good readers try to predict the solution to a mystery. A strong prediction is a prediction based on factual information, evidence, or clues. To make a strong prediction, I must first look at clues I have gathered.

To make a strong prediction about who stole the Vermeer, I will first refer to my Clue Tracker from Lesson 2. I will reread the clues I have written down. I will start with the clues from the beginning chapters of the book. The first clue states that three people received an anonymous letter. Next, I will look at my Suspects Chart and WANTED Posters from Lesson 3 to see if any of these clues match up with any of my suspects. I see that Petra’s father mentioned something about a letter. I see that he also acted suspiciously or strangely. On my Suspects Chart, I wrote down a possible motive for Petra’s father. I wrote that he might have stolen the painting in order to make lots of money.

I can make a strong prediction based on the clues and this suspect’s motive. I will predict that Petra’s father has stolen the Vermeer. Based on information about this character, I think this is a strong prediction. I will record my prediction on chart paper.

Ask: "What can you look for in a mystery to predict the outcome of the story?" Students should respond that clues in the story provide the reader with information to help solve the mystery. Characters and their actions, descriptions, and motives can also be clues to solving the mystery.

will make another strong prediction for the solution to who stole the Vermeer, based on character motivation and possible clues. We will focus on another character on our Suspects Chart from Lesson 3—Mrs. Sharpe. Our physical description of Mrs. Sharpe says she’s secretive, impatient, and rude.

We will see if any clues match up to Mrs. Sharpe. Let’s look at our Clue Tracker (from Lesson 3) to find clues that are linked to Mrs. Sharpe, such as the Vermeer paintings in her home. Next, we will check our WANTED Posters (from Lesson 3) to see what information and motive is listed on a poster for Mrs. Sharpe. I will take my motive (i.e. Mrs. Sharpe wanted to prove her dead husband, the Vermeer scholar, was correct), and combine it with clues and description to make a prediction about Mrs. Sharpe.

Now we will put all of our information together to make a strong prediction about Mrs. Sharpe. Note: Allow students to discuss predictions about Mrs. Sharpe; the predictions can be for the main mystery problem or other problems in the story. Encourage students to support their predictions with facts and clues from the text.

will make your own prediction about the solution to the main mystery in the story using your Clue Tracker Worksheet (from Lesson 2), WANTED Posters, and Suspects Chart, (from Lesson 3). You will write your prediction on a “Who Stole the Vermeer?” slip. Like a good detective, you must provide evidence! You must write down at least two clues and a character’s motive that led you to make this conclusion on the slip. When you are done writing, you will fold the slip and put it in the ballot box.

Finally, you will record your predictions on your Predictions Worksheet in your Student Packet, making sure to include predictions about any other minor mysteries you previously identified. (See page 31 in the Student Packet.) Note: Save Predictions Worksheets for use with Lesson 5.

will read aloud all the predictions that we have placed in the ballot box. If you agree with the prediction being read, raise your hand. We will keep count of how many votes each prediction receives. Note: Encourage conversation and debate regarding each vote. Students should try to convince each other using evidence from the text. The prediction with the most votes will become our Class Prediction for Chasing Vermeer. We will reread our prediction when we finish Chasing Vermeer to see if we were correct.