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Read Chapters 18-21; Complete Student Packet Worksheets for Chapters 18-21

Ask students to consider this question: "When you want to know what will happen in your future, what can you do?" Encourage students to discuss this question, talking about tarot cards, palmistry, psychic readings, or if the future is impossible to figure out. Explain to students that the ancient Egyptians believed in prophecies, or visions and dreams that foretold the future. One famous prophecy, called the Orion Prophecy, tells the future of the Earth. The prophecy proclaims that in 2012, major events will take over our planet and life as we know it will no longer exist. Some people claimed to have cracked an Ancient Egyptian and Mayan code that foretells the Earth’s future.

Ask: "Do you think a prophecy or a vision or dream can give you a good prediction about the future? What do you think you need to make a good prediction?" Explain that some people make predictions based on dreams or visions, but these are often weak predictions because they are not based on anything in reality. On the other hand, detectives make predictions based on facts and evidence connected to a mystery; these are often strong predictions.

will explain that, like a detective, good readers try to predict a mystery’s solution based on facts and evidence. To solve the mystery, I will combine the clues that I have found and the motives of my suspects to predict the outcome of the story. 

First, I will need to review the questions and mysteries that I charted in Lesson 1. What mysteries am I still trying to solve? What mysteries have been answered already in the book? How will these mysteries help me figure out the main mystery—who killed LeBrandi? I will make a prediction about the possible outcome of the mystery by using information from my Suspects Chart from Lesson 2 and my Clue Tracker from Lesson 3.

I will start with a suspect and connect clues to that suspect that will help me draw a conclusion. For example, I will draw a conclusion about one character—Hali. One motive on my Suspects Chart says that Hali could have killed LeBrandi to get revenge or because Hali didn’t like LeBrandi. A clue on my Clue Tracker says Hali took her time driving to Max’s house even though Sammy told Hali it was a matter of life and death. Another detail from the text I can use is that Sammy believes the person who killed LeBrandi was actually after Dominique. Hali always acted angrily towards Dominique. Hali learned she was Max’s daughter, therefore Hali may have wanted to kill Dominique to become heir to Max’s fortunes or so that Max would marry Hali’s mother. Using all the details I’ve read and information I have learned from the book, I can make a strong prediction—I can predict that Hali killed LeBrandi because she thought LeBrandi was Dominique.

I will record my prediction on chart paper and label my chart, “Predictions.” I will explain that readers can make multiple predictions about the main mystery and other mysteries presented in the story.

Ask: "What do you need to do to make a strong prediction about the solution of a mystery?" Students should respond that you should look at facts, evidence, clues, and possible character motives to make a strong prediction.

will make another prediction for who killed LeBrandi. To make a prediction about this mystery, we will review clues noted on our Clue Tracker (from Lesson 3) and we will find the character motivations we identified and recorded on our Suspects Chart (from Lesson 2).

For example, we can look at our clue tracker and suspects chart to make a prediction about another character—Dominique. One motive on our Suspects Chart says that Dominique could have killed LeBrandi because they were both up for the same part. She may have killed LeBrandi so that LeBrandi could not get the part. She may have also killed LeBrandi to avoid marrying Max. A clue on our Clue Tracker says that Dominique was out of the bedroom when LeBrandi was killed. Another detail that we’ve noted is that Dominique wants to get the part so she can be independent of Max’s agency. The part will give her enough money to break away. Using all the details I’ve read and information I have learned from the book, I can make a strong prediction—I can predict that Dominique killed LeBrandi because she wanted to prevent LeBrandi from winning the acting part. She wanted the part for herself so that she did not have to marry Max.

We will record our prediction on our Predictions Chart that we started during the Direct Teaching. We will return to our prediction when we are finished reading the book to check if it was correct. I will explain that readers can make multiple predictions about the main mystery and other mysteries presented in the story. Note: Keep the Predictions Chart for use with Lesson 5.

will use your Clue Tracker Worksheet (Independent Practice for Lesson 3) and Suspects Worksheet (Independent Practice for Lesson 2) in your Student Packet to answer questions about who killed LeBrandi on the Predictions Worksheet. (See page 24 in the Student Packet.) You will record any additional predictions about the outcome of the mystery of who killed LeBrandi on the Predictions Worksheet Student Packet by using motives on your Suspects Worksheet and clues on your Clue Tracker Worksheet.

will discuss our predictions. Encourage students to ask questions about the predictions. We will write our Predictions on the “Predictions” Chart that we started during the Direct Teaching and Guided Practice, and raise our hands when our prediction is called out. The prediction with the most votes will be the final prediction for the class, and we will write the class final prediction on chart paper. When we are finished reading Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy, we will return to this prediction to see if it matches up with the final outcome of the story.