Close Reading Mystery Inference Text Evidence Activity - Where is the Treasure?
Close Reading Mystery Inference Text Evidence Activity - Where is the Treasure?: Engage your students with a captivating close reading inference activity that challenges them to explore and find text evidence, make inferences, and read more closely. This resource provides all the necessary materials to facilitate this fun and creative reading activity in your classroom. Students will have the opportunity to work collaboratively, enhancing their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills as they unravel the mystery together.
An experienced treasure hunter gets a tip that there is a hidden treasure just one town over from where they live. The treasure has yet to be discovered, despite the valiant efforts of devoted treasure hunters from near and far. Your students, assuming the role of experienced treasure hunters, need to find where it is buried.
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Included In This Buried Treasure Close Reading Inference Mystery Activity:
➡️ Inference Mystery Presentation Slides: This 15-slide PowerPoint presentation serves as the guide for the activity, leading students through the mystery with a captivating backstory, detailed evidence, and thorough explanations for each suspect's innocence or guilt. The slides are crafted to engage students and encourage critical thinking as they analyze the clues and find text evidence.
➡️ Classroom Poster: Display this visually appealing poster designed to grab students' attention as they enter the classroom, setting the stage and drawing students into the mystery ahead.
➡️ Original Narrative Backstory: Use this short story to introduce the mystery. Within the story are hidden clues and subtle hints, and the narrative will engage students' curiosity and initiate the mystery.
➡️ A Variety of Clues and Evidence: Students will receive a variety of texts in different forms that include clues and evidence. Students must read the text closely and use their inference skills to analyze each of the clues. There is a treasure map, a treasure-hunting blog, an agricultural farmer’s digest, a treasure-hunting social media group, and town council meeting notes.
➡️ Text Evidence Graphic Organizer: Students will use the provided graphic organizer to organize their findings and evaluate the guilt or innocence of each suspect. This tool encourages students to support their conclusions with text evidence from the investigation.
➡️ Teacher Answer Key: Use the detailed answer key, both in print format and integrated into the presentation slides, to efficiently review students' work and share the reasons for each suspect's innocence or guilt.
How The Buried Treasure Close Reading Inference Mystery Activity Works:
- Start by displaying the poster on your door to build anticipation when students enter the room. Assign students into small groups, so they can work together to try to solve the mystery.
- Use the presentation slides to guide you through each element of the inference activity. The slides will help you introduce the story and evidence.
- Distribute all the evidence to students, allowing them time to read, make inferences, and find text evidence to solve the mystery.
- Once each group has made their final prediction, use the presentation slides to reveal the culprit and review each of the suspects to show the evidence of their innocence or guilt.
What Teachers Are Saying About This Close Reading Inference Mystery Activity:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My students loved using this resource! I used it in a small group; it was great to use independently, with a small group, or with partners.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I did this resource with my middle schoolers very guided, and it was a great way to practice showing evidence and making inferences.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My students loved working in groups for this activity. It was really great to hear their thought process and see their collaboration skills come out.
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