Lesson: Main Idea (fiction), Lesson 12

Edward W. Brooke Charter School

Problems in Fiction Unit

Mini-Lesson: Readers predict what is going to happen with the problem next.  Will it get better?  Will it get worse?  How?

Materials:

• Book Baggies with leveled fiction books
• Unfamilar Read Aloud
• Short Unfamiliar Read Aloud

Connection: Scholars, yesterday we learned how the big problem in our books can sometimes get better. Today we are going to talk about predicting what will happen with the problem next.

Teach: It is important to think about what is going to happen with the big problem next  in our books because that will help us make sure we are understanding the big problem and the story. We can use clues in the story to predict whether the big problem will continue to get worse, or will start getting better. Let me show you what I mean.  Pick a book students have never read before. Model thinking aloud as you predict whether the problem will get better or worse. I think that the big problem is going to get better/worse because…. Scholars, did you notice how I used what I knew about the big problem to make my predictions? Did you notice how I used the word because so that I made sure my predictions made sense?

Active Engagement: Read another short book that students have never read. Stop a few times and have students turn and talk to predict whether the problem will get better or worse. Remind them to use the word because.

Link: Today when you are reading I want you to be thinking about the big problem as you read so that you can make predictions about whether the big problem will get better or worse. (Option: Have students write a prediction on a post-it note?)

Share: Have students share their post-it notes or orally share a prediction that they made.