Students will become detectives and investors as they read The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. Throughout the novel, students will make inferences, analyze clues, identify red herrings, and use text evidence to develop and revise theories about the mystery. Students will also explore the basics of the stock market, including stocks, investing, profit and loss, and how events can affect a company’s value. Through a simulated stock market connected to the novel, students will practice analyzing information, calculating changes in value, and making evidence-based decisions.
5th Grade Texas TEKS Connections: ELAR 5.6(F) – make inferences and use evidence to support understanding; 5.6(G) – evaluate details to determine key ideas; 5.7(C) – use text evidence to support responses; 5.8 – analyze literary elements such as plot, characters, and setting; and Math 5.3A–L & 5.1A–G – apply mathematical processes, operations with rational numbers, problem-solving, reasoning, and justification in real-world situations.