The Last Wave at Echo Lake - Making Predictions in Literary Texts (Grade 8)

Based on the first paragraph, a reader can predict that Sasha is struggling because she...

• is afraid of the old house.

• is holding on to memories of her grandmother.

• does not want to play with her brother, Ian.

• is cold from the weather at the lake.

Answer explanation

The text says Sasha missed the smell of her Grandma's baking and that the house now had a 'cold stillness.' This suggests her sadness is tied to the loss of her grandmother and the changes in the house, allowing a reader to predict her internal conflict.

The whisper Sasha and Ian hear is 'I can’t find it…'. What does this specific phrase lead the reader to predict about the 'ghost'?

• It is angry and wants to scare them away.

• It is looking for a specific, lost object.

• It is trying to warn them about the lake.

• It is a memory of their grandmother.

Answer explanation

The phrase 'I can't find it' directly implies a search for something missing. This leads the reader to predict that the central conflict of the ghost story will be about finding a lost item, rather than escaping a threat or remembering the grandmother.

When Sasha first hears the whisper and feels a chill, what does this clue lead the reader to predict?

• That a storm is coming.

• That Sasha is getting sick.

• That the house is just old and drafty.

• That there might be a supernatural presence.

Answer explanation

In ghost stories, a sudden chill and a disembodied whisper are common clues that foreshadow a ghostly or supernatural element. This leads the reader to predict that the story involves a ghost.

After Sasha reads the journal entry about Daniel's lost boat, what can the reader most likely predict will happen next?

• Sasha will decide to sell the lake house.

• Sasha and Ian will search for the lost boat.

• The whispering will stop on its own.

• Ian will become scared and want to leave.

Answer explanation

Discovering the specific cause of the 'ghost's' sadness (a lost boat) creates a clear path to a solution. The most logical prediction is that the protagonists will now act on this new information and try to find the object to resolve the mystery.

Match each story clue with the prediction it most strongly suggests to the reader.

• An act of letting go

• Reading the journal

• A search for a lost item

• Releasing the boat

• A solution from the past

• The repeating whisper

• A theme of grief

• Sasha's initial grief

Answer explanation

Sasha's grief establishes the emotional theme. The whisper's words predict a search. The journal is a classic clue that predicts the solution lies in the past. Releasing the boat is a symbolic action that predicts the story's resolution and the character's own emotional release.

Sasha finds the boat hidden under a loose floorboard. Based on this discovery, what is the most logical prediction about what Sasha will do to resolve the conflict?

• She will keep the boat as a memento of her grandmother.

• She will try to find the grown-up Daniel to return it.

• She will perform an action to help the 'ghost' let go, like releasing the boat.

• She will hide the boat again to preserve the secret.

Answer explanation

Finding the object of the 'ghost's' search predicts that the next step is resolution. Given the theme of 'letting go,' the most logical action is a symbolic release that will bring peace to the lingering sadness, which is what releasing the boat represents.

The story uses different clues to build suspense and sadness. Categorize the following predictive clues based on what they first suggest to the reader.

Groups:

(a) Predicts a Scary Presence

,

(b) Predicts a Sad Story

• A loose floorboard on the porch

• The house's 'cold stillness'

• A persistent chill

• A faint, sad whisper

• The phrase 'I can't find it'

• A journal entry about a lost toy

Answer explanation

Details like a 'chill' and 'cold stillness' are common tropes that initially predict something frightening. However, the whisper is described as 'sad,' and the journal entry, the specific phrase, and the clue of a loose floorboard all predict that the mystery is rooted in sadness and loss, not horror.

The story uses a 'ghost' to represent a memory that is 'stuck.' Think about a time when it's hard for people to move on from something in real life (like leaving a school or a friend moving away). Based on how Sasha helped the 'ghost' find peace, what is one strategy someone could use to help themselves or a friend let go and move on? Use evidence from the story to support your answer.

Answer explanation