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4th Grade  Project 4 weeks

Text Detectives: Evidence Expedition

Meagan K
Apr 2, 2026
Updated Apr 2, 2026
RI.4.1
Critical Thinker
Empowered Learner
1-pager

Purpose

The purpose of this learning experience is to equip 4th graders with the skills to effectively identify and use text evidence to understand and communicate the main idea of various texts. Through hands-on activities and collaboration with university student teachers, students will develop critical thinking skills and deepen their comprehension. This project fosters a supportive environment where students can confidently demonstrate their mastery through interactive presentations, engaging them in meaningful and real-world learning.

Learning goals

Students will develop the ability to identify and use text evidence to support their understanding of the main idea across various genres. They will engage in critical thinking by analyzing and interpreting text details to draw inferences. Through collaborative projects and reflections, students will enhance their skills in articulating their thought processes and demonstrating their understanding through multimedia presentations.

Standards
  • [Kentucky] RI.4.1 - Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Competencies
  • Critical Thinker - Thinks deeply and makes informed decisions to create solutions or new understanding supported by relevant and reliable evidence.
  • Empowered Learner - Demonstrates mastery and application of academic competencies. Develops the skills and dispositions to persist through difficulties and plan for a future of self-improvement.

Products

Students will create a series of interactive posters that visually represent different types of text evidence and explain how they support the understanding of the main idea. Throughout the project, students will develop multimedia presentations that showcase their ability to use text evidence effectively. These products will be displayed during the "Text Detectives Showcase," allowing students to articulate their findings and demonstrate their learning to an audience.

Launch

Begin with "Text Evidence Adventure Day," where students participate in a scavenger hunt around the classroom. They will discover clues leading to various texts, each containing hidden evidence that answers the essential question. This interactive activity will spark curiosity and set the stage for exploring how text evidence supports understanding.

Exhibition

Host a "Text Detectives Showcase" where students present their multimedia projects to parents, university partners, and peers. Each student will have a station to display their interactive posters and explain their findings using text evidence. Encourage visitors to engage with the students by asking questions and providing feedback on their understanding of the main idea.

Plan
By Phase By Day Calendar
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test/Present
Empathize
Students will investigate how real readers identify and use text evidence to understand the main idea. Through a launch scavenger hunt and direct interviews with university student teachers and classmates, students will gather firsthand insights, document quotes, and create empathy maps that reveal authentic user needs related to using text evidence.
Days 1 - 3
🕵️ Text Evidence Adventure Day
Launch 45m
🎤 Reader Interviews & Evidence Logs
Deliverable 45m
🗺️ Empathy Map & User Insight Chart
Deliverable 45m
No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

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Define
Students will analyze patterns across their user interviews, cluster evidence into themes, and craft a clear, evidence-based "How Might We" problem statement that defines a specific user need related to understanding main ideas through text evidence.
Days 4 - 6
🧩 Interview Evidence Affinity Map
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🎯 Point-of-View to HMW Draft
Deliverable 45m
🔎 HMW Evidence Critique Protocol
Assessment 45m
No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

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Ideate
Students will generate a wide range of user-centered solutions to help 3rd graders understand how different types of text evidence support the main idea. They will move from divergent brainstorming to structured idea expansion, then evaluate concepts using criteria grounded in real user interview data before creating annotated concept sketches that serve as blueprints for prototyping.
Days 7 - 10
💡 20 Ideas for Evidence Tools
Deliverable 45m
🧠 Crazy 8s Evidence Sketches
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
📊 User-Need Decision Matrix
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🗺️ Evidence Tool Storyboard
Deliverable 45m
No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

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Prototype
Students will build, test, and refine low- to higher-fidelity interactive poster prototypes that help 3rd graders understand how different types of text evidence support the main idea, documenting feedback from real users and making evidence-based revisions.
Days 11 - 15
🧩 Paper Prototype Build
Project Work 45m
👥 University User Testing Round 1
Community Experience 45m
🔁 Evidence-Based Revision Plan
Deliverable 45m
🛠️ High-Fidelity Exhibit Build
Project Work 45m
✅ Prototype Milestone Check
Assessment 45m
No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

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Test/Present
Students will validate their refined interactive evidence exhibits with new users, make final evidence-based revisions, and present their full design journey at the Text Detectives Showcase to university partners, families, and peers.
Days 16 - 20
🧪 Fresh User Test Protocol
Project Work 45m
🔁 Final Evidence-Based Revisions
Deliverable 45m
🎤 Design Story Rehearsal
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
🖼️ Text Detectives Showcase
Assessment 45m
🕵️ Text Detective Reflection & Badge
Deliverable 45m
No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

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Empathize Days 1–3
Day 1
🕵️ Text Evidence Adventure Day
Launch 45m
Day 2
🎤 Reader Interviews & Evidence Logs
Deliverable 45m
Day 3
🗺️ Empathy Map & User Insight Chart
Deliverable 45m
Define Days 4–6
Day 4
🧩 Interview Evidence Affinity Map
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
Day 5
🎯 Point-of-View to HMW Draft
Deliverable 45m
Day 6
🔎 HMW Evidence Critique Protocol
Assessment 45m
Ideate Days 7–10
Day 7
💡 20 Ideas for Evidence Tools
Deliverable 45m
Day 8
🧠 Crazy 8s Evidence Sketches
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
Day 9
📊 User-Need Decision Matrix
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
Day 10
🗺️ Evidence Tool Storyboard
Deliverable 45m
Prototype Days 11–15
Day 11
🧩 Paper Prototype Build
Project Work 45m
Day 12
👥 University User Testing Round 1
Community Experience 45m
Day 13
🔁 Evidence-Based Revision Plan
Deliverable 45m
Day 14
🛠️ High-Fidelity Exhibit Build
Project Work 45m
Day 15
✅ Prototype Milestone Check
Assessment 45m
Test/Present Days 16–20
Day 16
🧪 Fresh User Test Protocol
Project Work 45m
Day 17
🔁 Final Evidence-Based Revisions
Deliverable 45m
Day 18
🎤 Design Story Rehearsal
Knowledge/Skill Building 45m
Day 19
🖼️ Text Detectives Showcase
Assessment 45m
Day 20
🕵️ Text Detective Reflection & Badge
Deliverable 45m

April 2026

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
27 Day 1
Empathize
🕵️ Text Evidence Adventure Day
28 Day 2
🎤 Reader Interviews & Evidence Logs
29 Day 3
🗺️ Empathy Map & User Insight Chart
30 Day 4
Define
🧩 Interview Evidence Affinity Map
1 Day 5
🎯 Point-of-View to HMW Draft

May 2026

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
4 Day 6
🔎 HMW Evidence Critique Protocol
5 Day 7
Ideate
💡 20 Ideas for Evidence Tools
6 Day 8
🧠 Crazy 8s Evidence Sketches
7 Day 9
📊 User-Need Decision Matrix
8 Day 10
🗺️ Evidence Tool Storyboard
11 Day 11
Prototype
🧩 Paper Prototype Build
12 Day 12
👥 University User Testing Round 1
13 Day 13
🔁 Evidence-Based Revision Plan
14 Day 14
🛠️ High-Fidelity Exhibit Build
15 Day 15
✅ Prototype Milestone Check
18 Day 16
Test/Present
🧪 Fresh User Test Protocol
19 Day 17
🔁 Final Evidence-Based Revisions
20 Day 18
🎤 Design Story Rehearsal
21 Day 19
🖼️ Text Detectives Showcase
22 Day 20
🕵️ Text Detective Reflection & Badge
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