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Before the Lesson:
Read The Westing Game, Chapters 3-5; Complete Student Packet Worksheets for Chapters 1-5

Activation and Motivation

1. I will tell students that one of the characters in The Westing Game, Turtle Wexler, is very knowledgeable, or even obsessed, with the stock market.
2. We will read the “Taking Stock of the Stock Market” Reading Passage to learn background information about the stock market.
3. Instruct students to carefully follow the steps for Textual Analysis in order to successfully read the passage and answer the questions that follow. Be sure to have students discuss and prove their answers after they are done.

Before Reading

1. Read the passage title, introduction, and any captions.
2. Look at any pictures or photographs.
3. Read the first two sentences only.
4. Stop! Brainstorm what you think the text is going to be mostly about.
5. Read and label the Textual Analysis questions with the Concepts of Comprehension.
6. Do not read the answer choices. Spend only a few seconds labeling each question with the appropriate Concepts of Comprehension.

During Reading

1. Read the whole section of text that was assigned.
2. As you read, underline or highlight any information that may help you answer the question.

After Reading

1. Have students answer questions 1-4 independently. Guide students through questions 5-8, using the steps outlined below in Step 5.
2. Use the process of elimination for any questions for which you are not positive of the answer.
3. Prove all of your answers by underlining or copying evidence from the text. Go back and check your work. Do your answers make sense? Can you prove each answer?
4. Share your answers with the group. Use text evidence to explain why you think an answer is correct.
5. Guidance for Questions 5-8:

• For Question #5, say, "Let’s look back in the passage on page 2 where the author explains stock symbols. It explains that the symbol for Nike is NKE. The answer is explicitly stated in the text. Underline your proof. On the chart, what company could the symbol DIS stand for? How do you know?"
• For Question #6, ask, "In the net change column on the chart, what do the “+” and “–” symbols mean?"
• For Question #7, choose students who have differing opinions about which stock is a better investment and facilitate a discussion. Opinions may differ if students consider short term or long term investments or which is a safer investment. Scaffold for students by explaining how to calculate the 52 week gain/drop by figuring out the difference between the High and Low figure. Point out the current price of the stock as a factor as well.