Be a C.S.I.

(Cool Student Inferencer)

Objective: Students will identify character traits based on inferences gather through reading and illustrations. TEKS: 1st- Fig. 19 (D) make inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding 4(A) confirm predictions about what will happen next in text by reading the part that tells 2nd- Fig. 19 (D) make inferences about text using textual evidence to support understanding 3(A) use ideas (e.g., illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words and foreshadowing) to make and confirm predictions Materials: - leveled book that supports strong character traits through inferencing - Detective Report page - small sticky notes, several per student - ink pad - Wipees - pipe cleaners or Wikki sticks, one per student (optional) Preparations: ! Introduce and model making inferences based on illustrations and/or text. ! Make a loop on one end of each pipe cleaner or Wikki stick to resemble a detectives magnifying glass (optional) !Run copy of Detective Report page and cut in half, one report per student Directions: 1. Discuss detectives such as those on the television series C.S.I. Explain to the students that in your class, C.S.I stands for Cool Student Inferencer. Review inferencing if necessary. 2. Have students brainstorm items and tools a detective might use while solving a crime (i,.e., magnifying glass, notebook, clues, etc.). 3. Discuss how real detectives look for clues such as fingerprints to help them solve crimes. Demonstrate how to make thumbprints by rubbing your

thumb into the ink pad and pressing it on one of the sticky notes. (NOTE: it might be necessary to lead a discussion in the uniqueness of thumbprints.) 4.Allow each student to make 1-3 thumbprints on sticky notes that they will use to mark places in the book where they used inferencing skills about a characters trait. Use Wipees to clean ink off of thumbprints. 5. Explain the reading assignment for your newly trained CSI agents- they are to read the book and hunt for clues that the author used to give insight to characters in the book. For example, if a J pushes a little boy oe down to the ground, a good CSI agent can infer that the J is a bully. Or oe if Lisa cried when she saw the hurt bird on the ground, a CSI agent can infer that Lisa is an animal lover and sensitive. Students are to place a thumbprint sticky note wherever they are able to infer something about a character. It can be placed on an illustration or a point in the text. 6. If desired, give each CSI agent a pipe cleaner/Wikki stick magnifying glass to use to track while reading the book independently. 7. When finished reading, students complete a Detective Report page based on the inferences they uncovered while reading. 8. Allow students time to share their Detective Reports with the group.

Detective Reports
Detective Report for CSI Agent _________________________
What I Discover about ______________ Evidence from the Story

Detective Report for CSI Agent _________________________

What I Discover about ______________ Evidence from the Story