As the weather warms up and students are starting to feel Spring Fever, it can be helpful to add some engaging activities to the daily learning routine. In this post, I’m going to share a fun St. Patrick’s Day inferencing activity for kindergarten that would be a great addition to your March lesson plans!
The Importance of Practicing Inferences
As we know, authors don’t always connect the dots explicitly for readers. Part of the joy of reading is to be able to read between the lines and draw conclusions based on the information provided in the text. While this is something that experienced readers do automatically, it’s a skill that develops over time. Our young kindergarten students need practice to become more comfortable with making inferences.
One of my favorite ways to practice inferencing is with detective-themed activities. It’s easy for students to understand that they are using clues to help them solve a mystery. What they might not realize at first is that they are also making inferences! They will be strengthening their comprehension muscles as they practice reading between the lines and solving mysteries.
These detective activities can be even more engaging for students when they include a bit of seasonal fun. In this case, we’re going to talk about an inferencing activity that brings a bit of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday to the classroom.
The Case of the Lucky Charms
This mystery begins when the leprechaun’s mother is getting breakfast ready. She discovers that her son’s favorite cereal is missing! The students will need to figure out who took the cereal by using clues from a case file.
Step One: Meet the Suspects
The first step in this activity is to round up the possible suspects for this mystery! The first clue in the case file includes photos of each of the characters who might have had something to do with the disappearing cereal: Shamrock, Rainbow, Pot of Gold, Horseshoe, and Hat.
This is a great chance to review each suspect and their characteristics. Many of the clues will point out details about the disappearance that require students to rule out suspects based on characteristics. Taking the time to review details about each suspect can help students throughout the activity.
Step Two: Read the Rest of the Clues
Once students have had the chance to meet the suspects in this mystery, it’s time to go through the rest of the clues together as a class. Each clue is numbered, so the class can review numerical order as they decide which clue needs to be opened next. They can vote by holding up the correct number of fingers.
As you read each clue out loud to your students, the class can discuss which suspect or suspects can be ruled out based on the information in the clue. This activity comes with a response sheet that has each suspect listed across the top of the page. Students can mark off the suspects on their response sheets as they are ruled out. You can also add the suspect pictures to a pocket chart and turn them over as they are ruled out. Using multiple visuals like the cards and the response sheet can help students stay engaged in the activity.
Step Three: Make an Inference
After all of the clues have been read, it’s time to decide which suspect is responsible for the missing cereal! By this point, students should have gathered enough information to make an inference rather than taking a wild guess. There should be a clear choice between the five suspects! Students can draw a picture on their response sheet to show which of the characters took the cereal.
Step Four: Write About It
It’s important for students to practice communicating their thoughts and reasoning when they make inferences. This helps them remember that inferences should be based on text evidence. You can give them a chance to cite which clue caused them to decide which suspect took the cereal.
On their response sheet, students can write a sentence about why they made the inference they did. This adds some engaging writing practice to this activity! Prior to writing, it can be helpful to have students tell a partner about. their. inference. This can help them formulate their thoughts before putting them on paper.
Step Five: Celebrate
After you’ve had a chance to solve the mystery as a class, take a few minutes to celebrate! You can tie in the mystery by having a snack of marshmallow cereal as part of your celebration. This could be a fun addition to a St. Patrick’s Day party in your classroom!
Step Six: Make More Inferences!
You can continue to practice this skill with more Inference Detective activities! For example, your super-hero loving students will have fun solving The Case of the Missing Cape. Just like this St. Patrick’s Day inferencing activity, you can also choose mysteries that tie into the current season. The Case of the Missing Eggs is a great option during the spring months as Easter approaches!
By making inference practice fun and engaging, students are going to be much more comfortable with this skill as they work to become more confident readers.
Printable St. Patrick’s Day Inferencing Activity
Would you like to add this inference activity to your March lesson plans? I’ve put together a resource with everything you need for this fun St. Patrick’s Day activity! It includes all of the suspect cards, clues, response sheets and instructions to help you save time and enjoy this activity with your students.
If you’d like to take a closer look at everything included in this resource, you can find it in my TPT store.
Save This St. Patrick’s Day Activity
Be sure to save this post so you can come back to it later! Just add the pin below to your favorite Pinterest board of classroom activities. You’ll be able to quickly find this inference activity when you’re looking for fun and educational St. Patrick’s Day activities for your classroom.
