Olaf, the sailor of the North Sea, decided it was time for him to have a boat.

“Will you buy a ship from the shipmaker?” Ragnar asked.

“No,” Olaf answered with a smile. “I will cut some trees, and I will work for seven months. In the end, I will have a boat fashioned by my own hands.”

How was Olaf going to get a boat of his own?

The desert was unsafe for pioneers. A desert has little water and shade. It was difficult for the pioneers to find food or water. There were also many unusual animals they had never seen before.

Based on this information, what can the reader conclude?

Steve and David wanted to go fishing. There was a large pond nearby. The pond was filled with all kinds of freshwater fish, such as trout and bass. There was another smaller pond nearby where people were not allowed to fish.

What prediction can you make?

The earth began to tremble. Everyone froze right where they were. Even the traffic in the streets came to a halt. Windows cracked, then shattered. Buildings began to sway like grass in a strong breeze. Finally, tiny cracks appeared in the sidewalks, and a low rumbling sound filled the air. Somewhere, someone shouted a warning – but it could barely be heard above the din.

What can the reader conclude?

Stan and his sister, Roslyn, were new to their neighborhood. They decided to explore all the new places. First, they visited the zoo, which was filled with unusual animals. “Where shall we go first?” Stan asked his sister as they entered the zoo. There was a sign with five arrows pointing in different directions.

What prediction can you make?

Natasha got up early and made a cake. She made sure she had paper plates and plastic silverware. Then, she decorated the living room with paper streamers and balloons. Finally, she went to the store and picked out something she knew Beth would like. When she got home, she wrapped it in shiny silver paper and tied a bow on top. Everything was ready.

The reader can infer that Natasha is preparing for --

“Seriation,” explained Mrs. Parker, “is a word that means putting things in order of age or date. The oldest is listed first.” Robbie nodded. “For instance,” she went on, “let’s say you saw a baby, a grandma, and a teenager walking together. Which one do you think would be listed first using this process?” Robbie thought for a moment and raised his hand.

What can the reader predict will likely happen?

Sam and Leah were preparing a small garden. They had to plant their garden in a special greenhouse. “I think we should plant some string beans, potatoes, and carrots,” Sam said. “I’d rather plant roses, tulips, and carnations,” Leah replied. “Let’s do both!” Sam said, and Leah agreed.

What are Sam and Leah likely to do?

Carrie and Juanita heard the crash inside the house as they stood outside the front door. Several seconds later, Juanita’s grandmother answered the door. “I must apologize for the loud noise,” Juanita’s grandmother said. “I can’t imagine what you must be thinking!” Carrie looked beyond the door and saw the floor covered with broken plates. “What happened?” she asked? “Oh – just a little accident,” Juanita’s grandmother said, blushing.

How did Juanita’s grandmother feel when she first met Carrie?

The Johnson family was moving. Emily wasn’t sure where they were going yet; it was still under discussion. Emily’s mom wanted to go where there were sunny beaches. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson discussed where they wanted to live and finally told the girls where they were moving.

The reader can conclude that the Johnson family will likely move to --

Galileo was a famous scientist from Italy who studied the stars. He was born in 1564. He is best known as one of the first people to study the sky with a telescope. He discovered many things, including mountains on the moon. He is one of the most important astronomers.

What prediction can you make?

Hector decided he had waited long enough for Dr. Moban to arrive. Just as he opened the door to leave, a man entered. “Are you my first patient?” the man asked. “I’m so sorry to be so late, but I was stuck in traffic.” Hector looked at the man and said, “I’m sorry. I must leave right now. Perhaps I’ll make another appointment.”

How did Hector feel about this appointment?

Neil Armstrong was a very lucky man. In the past, he had been a Navy jet flyer and test pilot. Then, in 1962, he became an astronaut. Seven years later, Armstrong and three other astronauts were on the Apollo spacecraft that touched down on the moon. The door to the small ship opened, and Armstrong was the first astronaut to get out.

Neil Armstrong is famous for being the first person to –

Joy looked forward to the weekend because she and her father would travel by train to Hope City. There they would choose an animal to adopt from the Hope City Pet Rescue. The weekend arrived, and they set off for Hope City. In the Pet Rescue's yard, Joy spotted a cute four-legged animal with black fur.

What prediction can you make?

“Our boat is gone!” Cara cried. She and her friend Nasreen looked at the spot where they had tied their rowboat during the storm. Suddenly, there was the sound of a motorboat. The girls turned around to see a man waving to them from a boat. As the man dragged his boat on the beach he exclaimed, “Thank goodness you two are safe! I was sent by the hotel to find you!”

The reader can infer the man feels --

Archaeologists look at the past for clues. They try to find information about people from what they left behind. They work to figure out mysteries. Archaeologists study how long people lived, what they ate, what they wore, what they did all day, and what the rest of the world was like at that time.

What other profession studies clues to solve mysteries like an archaeologist?

Jules enjoyed traveling so much that it was her ambition to become an airline pilot. In college, she took many classes in math and science. Jules’ hobby was to collect and read books on air travel. In fact, she was so serious about becoming an airline pilot that she was even saving her money to go to flight school.

What prediction can you make?

Cara and Nasreen joined Jack in his boat. He had come to rescue them from the deserted island after the storm. “Why did you two row to that island? You know it’s deserted.”

“We were looking for adventure,” Cara said. “The island isn’t really deserted because we found a house where we spent the night.”

Jack laughed. “You’re right, and I’m the one who built the house on the island.”

Who owned the house on the island?

Archaeologists are often thought of as treasure hunters. They find the things that people used and dropped or threw away everyday. These items are clues about life long ago. That is how archaeologists learn best about how people lived.

Which item is most helpful for an archaeologist to investigate?

Pedro was sleeping soundly in bed. Suddenly, he heard a bird singing outside his bedroom window. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the morning light filling his room. He looked at his clock and saw that it was nine o’clock. It if were a school day, he knew he would be late for school. He was relieved it was not a school day.

What can the reader infer about Pedro?

Penny had $2.05. She wanted to buy something fun at the store that she could take back to the beach house to play with. Something caught her eye. There it was – a funky, striped hula-hoop. It was perfect! Penny and her friend Rudy were going to have so much fun having a hula-hoop contest! Then Penny saw the price tag – it was $3.00.

How did Penny likely react when she saw the price tag?

Dr. Stark was a physical anthropologist. This meant that he was a scientist trained to study bones and skeletons. Whenever he got a new sample of bones to examine, he would begin by sorting them. Next, he would measure them. Then, Dr. Stark would get out equipment that would allow him to look even closer. Often, this would help him figure out the age of the bones.

Which tool did Dr. Stark most likely use to examine bones?

Human beings have always been interested in flying. One of the first ways of travel above the earth came with the invention of the hot air balloon. This happened about 300 years ago.

About 100 years ago, flying in a balloon was used as a mean of travel and for fun. Today, balloon flying is still done mostly for fun.

What can the reader predict will likely happen?

Luis liked to draw all different kinds of pretend characters. After studying about the pyramids in school, he knew he wanted to draw a sphinx. He knew that a sphinx was a combination of two things – only one was an animal. He decided to ask Mr. Coffman if he had a picture of one that he could see.

What do you think the sphinx mostly looks like?

Laura, Enrique, and Jayden decided to work in the computer room one day after school. The room was filled with all kinds of computer equipment for students.

Laura began to work on her computer. Enrique soon followed by beginning to play a game on his computer. Jayden had a problem with his computer; it didn’t work. Then he saw it hadn’t been plugged in.

What prediction can you make?

Eric and his friend Yorin decided to sail the dangerous West Sea in search of King Kranor’s lost treasure. Eric and Yorin had chosen a special crew for their voyage. Each person was an experienced sailor. None would give up, no matter how difficult the trip might become. They sailed for three weeks on the West Sea. The wind was good, and there were no storms. Finally, the saw land. It was an island.

Why did Eric and Yorin want to sail the West Sea?

Mr. Kline went through the papers in front of him. They were a combination of diaries and bills. It was his job to look through these historical documents to learn more about the town’s papers. Many of the papers were fragile and had to be handled gently or they would fall apart.

There was a knock. “Ready for lunch?” asked his partner. Mr. Kline nodded. He was hungry.

What do you think Mr. Kline will likely do next?

American bison used to be very easy to find in the West. When people moved West, they would hunt the bison for food and sport. In the 1880s, the bison were close to being extinct. It soon became illegal to hunt bison.

Today, bison are no longer close to extinction. In fact, herds of bison can be seen walking around some national parks.

What prediction can you make?

Ms. Hernandez’ class was planning a party for Cinco de Mayo. She volunteered to bring tortilla chips and homemade salsa. She went to the store after school and bought tomatoes, onions, green peppers, and seasonings. It wasn’t until she returned home that she realized she had forgotten something. If she didn’t go back to the store, the class would have to eat salsa with their spoons!

Why does Ms. Hernandez need to go back to the store?

Angie carefully scraped the coat of paint covering the picture frame. She and a whole team of others were working to clean up all the historic home’s artwork. In the end, it would look like it once did. It was exciting to see the old house becoming fresh and beautiful again. It was also nice to know that it wasn’t knocked down and replaced. Instead, it was being brought back to its former glory.

What job do you think Angie and her team have?

Jennifer and Carolina decided to play a ball game called Monkey-in-the-Middle with their friend Andre. It was decided that he would be in the middle first.

Jennifer and Carolina began throwing a ball to each other with Andre in the middle trying to catch it. If he caught it, whoever had tossed it would be in the middle next. Carolina tossed the ball towards Jennifer, but Andre quickly nabbed it.

The reader can predict that --

Aidan had given his speech on salamanders, and Erin had given hers on rocket ships. While they were speaking, Jen sat quietly at her desk and listened. Jen knew her turn was coming next. She kept glancing at the clock as her time slot inched closer. She could feel her palms getting sweaty and her heart starting to race. It was almost time.

How did Jen feel about giving her speech?

Jasper decided to enter his school’s writing contest. He knew he wanted to write about archaeology. He decided he would focus his story on a character called Dr. Verne. He was a scuba-diving archaeologist who looked at underwater sites and shipwrecks. Jasper’s story about how Dr. Verne ran into big trouble on one of his ocean rigs took first prize.

The reader can infer Jasper’s story was likely called --

Iris and Miguel were members of an after-school kickball team called the Choppers. Today, they were playing against another team called the Falcons. The game was to last only 40 minutes. At the end of 39 minutes, the score was very close; 10 to 9 with the Choppers winning. Suddenly, Miguel scored another point for his team in the last minute of play.

Based on the information, the reader can predict --

Jonie’s mom was making cornbread and chili for supper.

“Doesn’t this chili smell wonderful, Jonie?” her mother asked.

Jonie nodded in agreement. But, when her mother’s back was turned, Jonie wrinkled her nose. She scanned the cupboards for something to eat for supper. Perhaps she was just going to have buttered cornbread for supper tonight.

How did Jonie react to the idea of eating chili for supper?

Daniel was tired of getting lost when he rode his bike around his home or into town. He needed something that he could look at that would show him the best way to get to the public library and how to get to where his mom worked. Suddenly, knew just what to do. Why hadn’t he thought of this before? He got out his markers and got started.

The reader can conclude that Daniel will create --

Robert and Adrian decided to play a computer game after school. The game was called Crazy Monkey. Each player would try to have as many monkeys as possible climb a tree without being knocked down by a giant bird.

With only two minutes left in the game, the score was 30 to 2, with Adrian in the lead.

What prediction can you make?

Raquel and Pavel were playing catch during lunch. They watched Lori walk by with her baseball glove on. She was tossing a ball up in the air and catching it by herself. Raquel and Pavel saw Lori watching them play catch. Raquel gave Pavel a look. Pavel nodded and smiled. He caught the ball and turned to say something to Lori. Pretty soon all three kids were having a fun time.

What can the reader infer Pavel said to Lori?

Max goes to the grocery store with his grandma. They are in a hurry, so they will need to use the “Five Items or Less” lane. Max’s grandma gets apples, bread, ham, and cheese. Max wants to get a comic book, a candy bar, and a pack of pencils for school.

What prediction can you make?

Prince Arthur entered the enchanted forest. He led his horse into the dark woods and listened for the slightest sound.

“It’s odd,” he spoke to himself. “I do not hear the sounds of birds or small animals. Not a twig seems to break, and no wind seems to stir the leaves of the trees.”

Prince Arthur walked until he saw light in the distance. Quickly, he walked toward it.

The reader can infer that Prince Arthur was confused because –

Susan wanted a summer job, but she didn’t know what to choose. She was allergic to grass, and she didn’t know how to take care of children. She knew there was a good job out there that was made for her, but she didn’t know what it was. To help her think, she climbed on her bike and went for a long ride around the neighborhood. She knew all the roads, alleys, and side streets perfectly.

What do you think would be the right job for Susan?

The way people take care of their yards has changed a lot since the 1800s. People used to have to cut the grass by hand. In the late 1800s, there was a lawn mower that worked by a person pushing it. The gas and electric mowers were invented. These still need to be pushed, but a motor does most of the work. Today we even have riding lawn mowers that make the work even easier.

What prediction can you make?

The evil wizard, Narvo, kidnapped Princess Diane and took her to his secret cave near the water.

“If you agree to marry me,” Narvo sneered, “you will be free.”

Narvo walked to the cave’s entrance and was about to leave. Then, he turned toward Princess Diane and said, “There’s a sea serpent that guards the entrance to this cave.”

The reader can conclude that Princess Diane --

Allie took the dirty clothes out of the hamper. She filled up the laundry basket and carried it downstairs. Allie filled up the washing machine. She added the soap and started the water. She remembered to stop and check the dryer. No surprise – it was full of clean, dry clothes. Allie sighed. She knew what would be the nice thing to do, even if she didn’t want to do it.

What is Allie likely to do next?

Alejandro and Jeremiah were doing a simple science experiment at school and writing down what they found. Their science teacher said that if they boiled water it would disappear into the air.

Alejandro filled a pot with water and put the pot on heat. Jeremiah wrote down what happened. In five minutes, the water began to boil. They decided to let the water boil for 15 minutes.

What prediction can you make?

The word artifact means anything that people have made. Often it is something made from natural materials like stone and wood. Artifacts are what experts and archaeologists look for on a dig. They often find tools and weapons.

Which of these is a good example of an artifact?

Elsa was working day and night on her art project. There was a big contest coming up, and she wanted to enter her artwork. She knew her painting of horses in a field had a good chance of winning. Her art teacher had held it up in front of the class to show them superior student work. Elsa couldn’t wait to see her painting hung next to all the other great pieces of art.

How did Elsa feel about entering the contest?