ReadWorks.org

Read Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief, Chapters 14-16; Complete Student Packet Worksheets for Chapters 14-16

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 Paper Fortune Teller gives weak predictions because the predictions are based on guesses, hunches, or incorrect ideas. In Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief, I could predict that Mr. Garnucci, the manager of Grams’ building, stole the money because he needed it. 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, like a detective, good readers try to predict a mystery’s solution based on facts and evidence. A strong prediction is a prediction based on factual information, evidence, or clues.

I am going to make a strong prediction about the solution to who was the hotel thief. To make a strong prediction, I need to look at the evidence and clues I have gathered while reading. I will first choose one suspect from my Suspects Chart (from Lesson 3). I will choose Bill Eckert/Rockin’ Rick and see if any of the clues I have gathered match up with him by referring to my Clue Tracker (from Lesson 2). I see that one of my clues says that Hudson’s dog dug up a purse from the backyard. I now know that Bill Eckert, Hudson’s tenant, is really Rockin’ Rick. This is the same person who was holding shopping bags when Sammy bumped into him at the mall. I see that a few of my clues could lead to Bill Eckert. His motive could have been to make more money so that he could go on a shopping spree. These strong clues, plus the evidence about the suspect, lead me to make a strong prediction. I’ll write my prediction as an equation on chart paper and title this list, “Predictions.” I’ll write my equation like this: Clues + Motive = Strong Prediction. So: Dog dug up purse in Hudson’s yard + Bill Eckert/Rockin’ Rick went on a shopping spree at the mall = Bill Eckert/Rockin’ Rick could be the thief.

I will explain that good detectives don’t stop at just one prediction. I’ll have to think about all of the suspects, motives, and evidence in this case. I’ll have to eliminate all but one person to solve this mystery. Good investigators make sure there is only one possible solution to a mystery.

Ask: "How did I make a prediction about the mystery?" Students should answer that you looked at your Suspects Chart (from Lesson 3) to choose a possible suspects and thought about their motive. Then, you looked for clues that could be linked to the suspects listed on your Clue Tracker (from Lesson 2). Finally, you created an equation that combined the suspect, clues, and a possible motive to write a prediction about the mystery’s solution.

will continue to review our Suspects Chart (from Lesson 3) and Clue Tracker (from Lesson 2) to make another prediction about the hotel thief. We will make a prediction about the hotel manager as the possible thief. First, we’ll review our Suspects Chart, thinking about his possible motive. Then we will look for clues on our Clue Tracker might match up to the hotel manager. Ask, "Does anyone have a clue that can be linked to the hotel manager?"

Once we find a clue, we will review our suspect’s description, motive, and clues to make a prediction. We will write our prediction in the form of an equation 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. Note: Keep the Predictions Chart for use with Lesson 5.

will continue to make predictions about the solution to the mystery by reviewing your Suspects Worksheet in your Student Packet (Independent Practice for Lesson 3) and looking for clues on your Clue Tracker Worksheet (Independent Practice for Lesson 2) that matches up to each suspect. If you find clues linked to a suspect, you will then think about the motive you have written down for this suspect. You will then write an equation using Clue + Motive = Strong Prediction. You will write your predictions on the Predictions Worksheet in your Student Packet. (See page 27 in the Student Packet.) Note: Predictions/equations will also be used in conjunction with Lesson 5. Save the Predictions Worksheet for use with Lesson 5.