4th Grade September Reading Adventure- Case of the College Credit

The Learning League casually turn on the TV, and what do they see? A commercial featuring a college owned by the History Hacker. He’s claiming that his college is the oldest in America...but that doesn’t sound right. Which college was the first in America? It’s up to you and the League to solve the mystery by answering reading questions and finding that college. This Reading Adventure will keep your classroom explorers engaged and working hard on reading skills, while learning some history!
 
Also available for 3rd and 5th grade.
 
WHO is this mystery for?
Students on the 4th grade level who are practicing these reading skills: 
ABC Order (to the third letter)
Choose the Correct Verb Tense
Identify the Verb
Inferences About Characters
Author’s Purpose- Passages
 
WHAT is included?
This adventure is an hour-long activity that can be completed in 3 Tracks:
 
Track 1: ORIGINAL
Students read the mystery on a printed booklet, and they solve the clues by answering questions on Google Slides, which they can access with a QR code or link on a computer, tablet, or phone.
Track 2: ANALOG
Students read the mystery on a printed booklet, and they solve the clues by answering questions on printed task cards.
Track 3: DIGITAL
Students read the mystery in one browser window of Google Slides, and they solve the clues by toggling between another browser window of Google Slides to answer questions. This method works great for laptops, but is not recommended for tablets. 
 
No matter which track you take, the core of the activity is the same. Students always have access to the mystery story, 42 reading problems, 5 Social Studies Exploration posters, a Writing Challenge, and an integral poster about:
 
College of William & Mary, Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, & Yale
 
Students will walk away from this lesson knowing these social studies concepts:
What students can study and get involved with during college
Why college can be an important part of their life
The first college in the world and in the United States
and more!!
 
WHEN is it designed to be completed?
These skills are best practiced at the beginning of the year, and September is a great month to be talking about college readiness!
 
WHERE can students solve this mystery?
Students can complete this activity in your classroom with pen and paper or technology, and even from home, thanks to the Digital Track!
 
HOW can this activity be differentiated?
Using either of these methods, you can scaffold these activities to meet each of your students, exactly where they’re at.
 
CUSTOMIZATION: great for students above and below grade level
Each math problem can be edited to whatever you please! Hypothetically, you could buy this mystery for the framework it provides, and change every single question. 
AUDIO SUPPORTS: great for multilingual students
For the tracks including technology, your students have access to a read-aloud of not just the story, but each word written on Google Slides. 
 
WHY should your students adventure with the Learning League?
Low teacher prep/High student engagement
Anti-racist curriculum that uplifts women and Black and Indigenous people of color
Three activity tracks with DISTANCE LEARNING OPTION
Audio scaffolding and editable problems
 
TRY OUT A MYSTERY FOR FREE!
Download The Oil Spill Mystery for math and The Case of the Absent Abolitionist for reading.
 
Adventure also available on TeachersPayTeachers!