ShortGarden Detectives · Case 16
The Bag on the Branch
Short A · Level 4
Cumulative Short A review with blends and cause-and-effect evidence
Before reading
Open the case file
Hear the focus words
Read and investigate
The Bag on the Branch
Natural read-along narration · AmeliaPress Read with Amelia, or choose a sentence to begin.
Sam packed a snack in a tan bag. He set the bag on a mat by the path. After lunch, the bag was empty. A fast gust swept past the mat.
The mat flipped, and the bag was gone. Sam did not dash off or make a guess. He checked the grass beside the mat. A flat patch led past a black plant.
One strap had left a mark in the damp sand. Sam tracked the marks to an ash tree. The tan bag hung from a low branch. The gust had lifted the empty bag.
Its strap caught before the bag could land. Sam got the bag back and fastened it to the mat.
Check the evidence
Can you solve the case?
Choose the answer that is supported by the story.
What really happened?
A fast gust lifted the empty bag from the flipped mat. Marks from its strap led to the branch where it caught.
For adults
Use evidence, not guesses
Ask the learner to point to the sentence that proves each answer. If decoding is effortful, reread one paragraph at a time. A fluent second reading is more valuable than rushing to the next story.