CLOSE READING INFERENCE MYSTERY: WHO FILLED THE SCHOOL HALLWAY WITH BALLOONS?

This April Fools’ Day close reading inference mystery is a fun way to engage your students and challenge them to look for text evidence, infer information, and read more closely. The resource includes everything you need to facilitate the activity in your classroom.

April Fools' Day is here, and a school principal warned his students and staff against pulling any pranks. However, upon walking into school this morning, they see that the hallways have been filled with balloons. Someone went against the principal's wishes and pulled off a massive April Fools' Day prank, and your students need to determine who did it.

This works well around April Fools’ Day; however, it can also be used at any point in the year.

Included in your purchase:

• A teacher presentation that guides the mystery with the backstory, evidence, the culprit reveal, and detailed explanations for why each suspect is innocent and why the culprit is guilty.
• A classroom poster that reads “Who filled the hall with balloons?” that you can put up on the door to hook students into the activity.
• An original narrative backstory that sets up and initiates the mystery.
• A variety of clues that require students to close read and use their inference skills. There is a static electricity lab instructions sheet, a student suspension notice, a weekly school memo, a school budget, an email, a balloon artist poster, text messages, and a school staff award.
• A graphic organizer where students can keep track of their findings that support or refute different suspects in the mystery.
• A detailed teacher answer key in print format and within the presentation slideshow.

How it works:

• Start by putting up the poster on your door to build anticipation when students enter the room. When students enter, put them in 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 lesson. The slides will help you introduce the story and evidence to each of the groups.
• Hand out all the evidence to students and allow them time to make their predictions and inferences and solve the mystery.
• Once each group has made their final prediction, use the presentation slides to reveal the culprit and go through each of the suspects to show the evidence of their innocence or guilt.

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