A PowerPoint Presentation filled with electronic resources for a thematic unit on detectives and making predictions. The purpose of this presentation is to emphasize how technology can be effectively implemented into elementary education.

1. Detectives &
Making
Predictions:
Fourth Grade Unit
By:
Taylor Chelo

2. Technology Integration Rationale
• Twenty-first century students are
entering a world of academia that is
rooted in a technological age. This is why
utilizing technology in their learning helps
to engage them in its benefits not only
inside of the classroom, but also outside
of it when they enter the real world.
• As fourth-grade students engage in a unit
about detectives, they will learn how to
apply not only the skill of making
predictions, but also the investigation
skill of navigating the internet for further
evidence outside of the text of a book.
• Therefore, this PowerPoint presentation
will provide teachers and students with a
variety of electronic resources that can be
used to see how the skill of making
predictions can allow students to be
mastery detectives in any subject they
encounter.

3. Internet Content
• The websites and electronic resources provided
in this presentation are reliable and safe
resources of information for teachers and
students to use.
• These resources are also valuable to the unit of
detectives that teaches fourth-grade students
the skill of making predictions. Students will read
the book, Getting Into the Detective Agency by
Allison Lee, to not only introduce them to the
unit, but to also contextualize their
understanding of what it means to make
predictions and be a skillful detective.
• All links are cited in the notes section, and links
imbedded in the slides of this presentation grant
you direct access to the site. Links can also be
accessed by copying and pasting the links from
the notes sections of the slides and into the
address bar of your browser.

4. Blog
• EnglishClub is a wonderful
teacher’s blog that helps to
teach grammar and
vocabulary to not only
English-speaking students,
but also English Language
Learners!
• Tara Benwell's blog post
specifically provides a
wealth of in-class activities
and even videos about how
students can effectively
make predictions, both in
literature and beyond it.

5. Podcasts
• Making Predictions Podcast
– This podcast derives from the University of Texas College of
Education. It provides strategies regarding how to make
predictions using book covers or photographs prior to
diving into a piece of literature. It outlines specific
procedures teachers can use while planning their lessons.
• Technology in the Classroom Podcast
– Although the content of this podcast is not specific to the
topic of detectives and making predictions, it is still a
valuable resource for teachers to listen in on. This podcast
from EdSurge gives teachers insights into the minds of
children regarding their opinions of using technology in the
classroom. Teachers who listen might want to do the same
and ask their students if they are comfortable using
technology so educators can consider how to implement it
effectively into their lesson plans.

6. YouTube Videos
• PowToon Video
– This YouTube video was created using PowToon. It is an
animated video that teaches students what predictions
are, what to look for as evidence, and how to read
closely. It also provides sample questions for students
to answer as a warm-up exercise.
• Ulearn Video
– This YouTube video derives from ULearn. It is an
instructional video for teachers to take word choice
into consideration when students form sentences
about making predictions. This grammatical instruction
is also valuable for educators to consider when they
need to differentiate for ELL students.

7. Internet Resources
• Reading Rockets
– Reading Rockets is a national multimedia literacy initiative that provides
books, teaching articles, lesson plans, and activities for students and teachers
to enjoy. The link above specifically brings you to the “Making Predictions”
page.
• Beyond Weather
– Ohio State University’s College of Education provides an article for teachers
and students to read about the importance of making predictions in Reading
and Science. It also gives links to different activities where the skill can be
appliedwithin a variety of subjects.
• Electoral College
– This site is brought to you by the National Archives and Records
Administration of the U.S. Electoral College. Students are able to exercise the
skill of making predictions in a Social Studies context by using this interactive
2016 Election Prediction map. Students are able to also use Math skills as
they tally the electoral votes from each state and predict which candidate will
win.

8. Inspiration Resource*
Supporting
Fact #1 Supporting
Fact #2
Supporting
Fact #3
Supporting
Fact #1
Supporting
Fact #2
Supporting
Fact #3
Supporting
Fact #1
Supporting
Fact #2
Supporting
Fact #3
What
Really
Happened
What
Really
Happened
What
Really
Happened
Prediction Prediction Prediction
Title of Book:
Directions:
1) Read the book that was assigned.
2) As you read each chapter, write your
predictions in the clouds below.
3) For each prediction, write a supporting fact
in the yellow boxes. Include the page number
of where you found it.
4) When you finish each chapter, write what
really happened.
Name:
Created using Inspiration® 9 by Inspiration Software®, Inc.

9. Teaching Material #1: Book
• Students will read the
book, Getting Into the
Detective Agency by
Allison Lee, to not only
introduce them to the
unit, but to also
contextualize their
understanding of what it
means to make
predictions and be a
skillful detective.

10. Teaching Material #2: Worksheet
• Teachers can download
and print this “What
Happens Next?”
Worksheet as a warm-up
activity for students so
they can practice making
predictions after reading
each brief scenario.

11. Teaching Material #3: Word Search
• To refresh students on
the different concepts
and buzzwords that
come with the
Detectives: Making
Predictions unit,
download and print this
Word Search for them to
complete as a morning
activity when they first
come in!

12. Teaching Material #4: App
• BookTrack Classroom is an app that is also considered a
Google for Education Partner. This reliable reading app
allows students to explore eBooks on an iPad and have
an enriching auditory experience that makes them feel
like they are experiencing the setting first hand! The
mystery books provided in this app are perfect reads
for children working on making predictions. It further
integrates the use of technology in this unit, as well.
This app can be downloaded right from the website.

13. Subject-Specific Internet-Based
Resource
• Read Write Think provides a Calendar-based activity
that revolves around making predictions.
• Groundhog Day (Feb. 2nd) is a great holiday for
students to celebrate and apply their skill of making
predictions. The teacher brings in a stuffed animal to
stand in as the “groundhog.” At a predetermined time,
have the “groundhog” look for his shadow, and make
an official announcement. Students will be instructed
to watch the weather and make predictions as to
whether he will see his shadow or not.
• Students will be instructed to listen to local news
reports and compare the outcome with their
predictions to see if theirs were accurate.

14. Uses of the Internet
• Interactive Weather Maker
– This website is brought to you by Scholastic.com, the leader
in providing elementary educators with comprehensive,
interactive education tools. The making predictions skill can
be applied to making weather forecasts (putting the skill in
a real world context). On this animated, interactive site,
students can manipulate natural elements such as the
temperature, humidity, and wind speed and make
predictions as to how they will affect the weather.
• Groundhog Web Cam
– This website is brought to you by VisitPA.com, a tourist
website for the state of Pennsylvania. As aforementioned,
Ground Hog Day is a wonderful holiday to celebrate with
students and have them put their prediction skills to the
test. Students can watch the event live via this web cam
website so they can verify if their predictions were correct.

15. Web 2.0: StoryBird
• StoryBird is a free language arts tool
that allows educators and their
students to create their own story
books online and build their own
classrom library. Literary works
created by other students around the
country are able to be read, as well. It
is a flexible resource in how it aligns
with the Common Core and works
with any curriculum and device.
• Students and teachers who are
exercising the making predictions skill
in their detectives unit can write their
own mystery stories that their fellow
classmates can read and make
predictions of what the young author
has in store.

16. Slideshare
This presentation can be viewed on both
Microsoft PowerPoint software and Slideshare!
Thank you so much for viewing, and I hope
these electronic teaching resources are
beneficial toward effectively implementing
technology into the classroom!