Future Predictions

Curriculum Area: English Language Arts (ELA)

Grade Level: 4th Grade
Standards: Common Core State Standards (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.1.F)

• Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.
• Engage in collaborative discussions, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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Lesson Objective

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Use "will" and "won’t" to make predictions about the future.
2. Discuss and justify their predictions with their peers.
3. Write sentences correctly using "will" and "won’t" in context.

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Materials Needed

• Whiteboard & markers
• Flashcards with different future scenarios
• A "Magic 8-Ball" (real or a simple paper version)
• Sentence starter strips (e.g., “In the future, people will…” “By 2050, cars won’t…” )
• A small timer

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Lesson Breakdown (15 Minutes)

1. Warm-Up: Future Thinkers (3 Minutes)

• Ask students: “What do you think life will be like in 100 years?”
• Write down some responses on the board, modeling sentences with "will" and "won’t."
• Example:
  • “People will have robots as teachers.”
  • “People won’t need to drive cars.”

2. Predicting the Future Game (5 Minutes)

• Divide students into pairs. Give each pair a flashcard scenario (e.g., "The year is 2100! What will schools look like?" or "It's 2050—what won’t exist anymore?").
• One student makes a positive prediction using “will,” and the other makes a negative prediction using “won’t.”
• Example:
  • Student A: “People will live on Mars.”
  • Student B: “Cars won’t need gas anymore.”
• Encourage students to justify their predictions ("Because scientists are already working on it...").

3. Magic 8-Ball Predictions (5 Minutes)

• Bring out the "Magic 8-Ball" (real or a homemade version).
• Have students take turns asking the ball a fun future-focused question (e.g., “Will I have a robot pet?”).
• The teacher (or another student) shakes the ball and answers using "will" or "won’t."
• Example:
  • Student: "Will there be flying skateboards?"
  • Teacher: "Flying skateboards will exist in the future!"
• Quick discussion: “Do you agree or disagree with the prediction?”

4. Exit Ticket: Quickfire Writing Challenge (2 Minutes)

• Each student writes one sentence using “will” and one using “won’t” about the future.
• Example:
  • “People will have pet dinosaurs.”
  • “Homework won’t exist.”
• Have students share aloud if time allows.

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Assessment & Differentiation

✔ Formative Assessment: Listen for accuracy during discussions. Check exit ticket responses for correct usage.
✔ Differentiation:

• Struggling students? Provide sentence starters ("In the future, I think…").
• Advanced students? Ask for reasons why their prediction seems realistic/unrealistic.

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Teacher’s Note:

This lesson taps into curiosity and imagination, making grammar rules FUN instead of just a rulebook! The Magic 8-Ball activity surprises students and creates interactive engagement, while the flashcard scenarios ensure peer-to-peer collaboration.