a. Read aloud the description of a setting on the Planning a Mystery Worksheet (PDF).

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1 Subject: Reading Cmprehensin, Writing Duratin: 10 Days The Making f a Mystery In this lessn, students will use a Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF) t map ut and eventually cmpse an exciting mystery that cntains all f the ingredients f a mystery that they have been expsed t thrughut the previus lessns in this unit. They will end the lessn by publishing their wn mystery. By Beth Newingham Objectives: Students will: 1. Demnstrate knwledge f the stry elements in a mystery 2. Fllw the mystery frmat t write a mystery Materials: 1. Lined paper and pencils 2. Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF) 3. Ingredients f a Mystery Checklist (PDF) 4. Materials fr publishing a final bk (brdered paper, blank bks, etc) Set Up and Prepare: 1. Ask fr parents willing t type the final cpies f the students' mysteries t cut dwn n the publishing time in class. 2. Cpy a class set f the Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF) fr Part Cpy a class set f the Ingredients f a Mystery Checklist (PDF) fr Part 3. Reprducibles: Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF) Ingredients f a Mystery Checklist (PDF) Directins: Part 1: The Mystery Planning Sheet By this time students have listened t and read many mysteries, s they shuld be very familiar with the cmmn stry elements that appear in the majrity f stries that can be categrised as a mystery. Over the next few days, yu will be taking students thrugh each step f a mystery planning sheet s that students can map-ut their wn mystery ne step at a time. Step 1: Chse a Setting a. Read alud the descriptin f a setting n the Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF). b. Make a list f settings frm mysteries that students have read during this mystery unit r prir t the mystery genre study in class. c. Have students chse a setting frm the list r ne that they have cme up with n their wn. (Encurage students t persnalise their setting by giving it a name if it is a schl a twn, a stre, etc.) - 1 -

2 d. Have students recrd their setting n their Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF) and describe the setting in detail. e. Ask fr vlunteers t share their setting with the class. (It is ften helpful fr students wh are having hard time cming up with a setting n their wn t hear ideas frm their peers.) Step 2: Determine the Prblem in the Mystery a. Read alud the sectin f the Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF) that describes the prblem cmpnent f a mystery. b. Make a list f prblems students have cme acrss in mysteries they have read in class r independently. c. Have students chse a categry fr the type f prblem they will be including in their wn stry. Categries include: An event that cannt be explained A secret Smething that is lst r missing A crime r prank that has been cmmitted d. Ask students t describe their prblem in detail n their Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF). e. Allw vlunteers t share their prblem with the class. This ften sparks ideas fr students wh are struggling t determine a prblem n their wn. Step 3: Create Yur Suspects a. Read alud the sectin f the Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF) that explains the rules fr creating suspects. b. Refer back t a shrt mystery yu read alud in class during lessn ne t remind students hw authrs include multiple suspicius characters in a mystery s that the mystery is nt easily slved. c. Have students revisit the prblem they will be develping in their stry and think abut what type f characters culd be created that wuld have smething t d with the prblem. (Fr instance, if a student authr decides t write a stry abut stlen mney at a schl fair, suspects might include the president f the student cuncil wh helped plan the fair, the janitr wh lcked up the mney after the fair was ver, r the student wh kept talking abut hw he didn't have enugh mney t buy a present fr his teacher fr Christmas). d. Divide students int grups f three r fur. Have each student share the prblem they plan t include in their stry with the member s their grup. Ask grup members help each ther brainstrm pssible suspects fr each student's' prblem. (I am very careful when creating these grups. I make sure that students wh I think might struggle t cme up with ideas are gruped with my students wh are able t think mre deeply abut a stry and give helpful advice t the struggling writers.) e. After students have meet with ther students in the class, have them cmplete the Wh are Yur Suspects sectin f the Planning a Mystery Wrkheet (PDF). Remind students that they must include bth the name f the suspect and why he r she is suspicius. (What wuld be his r her mtive fr cmmitting the crime?) Step 4: Decide Wh Will Be the Detective a. Read alud the sectin f the Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF) that explains the rules fr creating a detective fr the mystery

3 b. Make a list f detectives frm mysteries that students have read during this mystery unit r prir t the mystery genre study in class. c. Have students decide the fllwing things: Will my detective be an adult r a kid? Hw ld is my detective? Will my detective be a by r a girl? Will me detective have a sidekick r a grup f friends wh help slve the case? What name will I give my detective? What will my detective lk like? What type f persnality will my detective have? Where will my detective live? d. Once students think abut the infrmatin listed abve, have them fill ut the Wh Is Yur Detective sectin f the Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF). e. Ask fr vlunteers t share their descriptins f the detective/s they plan t create in their stry. f. After students have met with ther students in the class, have them cmplete the What Are the Clues in Yur Stry sectin f the Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF). Remind students sme f the clues can lead the reader ff track (red herrings), but the authr must prvide sme clues that d help the reader actually slve the crime. Step 5: Plan a Sequence f Events a. Using a shrt mystery that yu read alud t the class in Lessn 1 f this unit, wrk as a class t put the main events in the rder they ccurred in the stry in the Sequence f Events sectin f a blank cpy f the Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF). b. Nw ask students t brainstrm the main events that will happen in their wn mystery by cmpleting the Sequence f Events sectin n their wn Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF). (Remind them that they are nt writing the entire stry n the planning sheet, they are just giving a brief verview f the main events.) Part 2: Drafting the Mystery Once students have cmpleted the plan fr their mystery, they will begin writing it in the frm f a stry. In Lessn 1, students learned abut the Recipe fr a Mystery includes a clear beginning middle, and end. Take students thrugh the fllwing steps t turn their plan int a cmplete stry. Step 1: The Beginning: In this sectin, the characters are intrduced, and the reader learns the mystery. Encurage students t be very descriptive when describing the main characters. (A lessn abut describing a character's appearance can be a separate mini-lessn.) Step 2: The Middle: In this sectin, detectives wrk t slve the mystery by interviewing suspects and gathering clues. Have students refer back t their planning sheets t review the sequence f events, the main suspects, and the clues they decided t include in their stry. Step 3: The End: In this sectin, the mystery is slved. Remind students that they shuld include sme evidence in this sectin t prve wh cmmitted the crime. Part 3: Writing Teams Step 1: Assign students a writing team with whm they will share their stry and frm whm they will receive feedback. Remind students that being part f a team means that yu supprt yur teammates and prvide them with help when necessary. Step 2: When in writing teams, each authr shuld get a chance t read alud his r her stry while the thers listen

4 Step 3: After the stry is read, the team shuld use the Ingredients f a Mystery Checklist (PDF) that was intrduced in Lessn 1 t make sure the authr included all necessary stry elements in his r her mystery. Step 4: I als ask members f the team t give ne cmpliment and ne suggestin fr the authr after they finish the checklist. Step 5: After all authrs have shared their mysteries, they will make any crrectins and imprvements t their stry that they feel are necessary based n the meeting with their writing team. Step 6: Students shuld als edit the stry fr spelling, grammar, and punctuatin with the help f the teacher, parent editrs, r peer editrs. Part 4: Publishing the Mysteries Once students have written their final draft f their stry, decide hw it will be published. (Yu may even want t arrange t have parents type the final cpies t cut dwn n the publishing time in class if yu want the stries t be wrd prcessed.) Chse frm the publishing ptins belw r use ne f yur wn. Have students paste their typed stry n the pages inside r write their stry by hand n the pages. Encurage students t illustrate the cver and the pages. Use ld newspapers t cver the frnt and back cvers f a thin ntebk. Have students paste their typed stry n the pages inside r write their stry by hand n the pages. Encurage students t illustrate the pages. Purchase thematic statinery frm an ffice supply stre r scrapbk shp and print blank lines n the paper. Students can add the stry t a writing prtfli r display the stries n a bulletin bard fr thers t read. Cmbine all f the stries int a class bk. Send the bk hme with a different student each night s that parents can read all f the mysteries written by the students in yur class. When the bk has been sent hme with all students, put it in yur class library t be enjyed by all students this year and in years t cme. ** Hwever yu plan t publish yur stry, cnsider adding an Abut the Authr sectin t the published stry where yu include a picture f the authr dressed as a detective with a magnifying glass and/r ther detective prps. Supprting All Learners: Writing a mystery will prbably nt be easy fr students. It requires a great deal f careful planning and higher level thinking when trying t transfrm a stry plan int an actual mystery. I have established a writing wrkshp in my classrm. This frmat allws fr independent writing time every day. It is during this time that I cnference with my writers bth individually and in small grups. As I discver the strengths and weaknesses f my writers, I plan fcus grups t address cmmn bstacles students are facing in their writing. Students can sign up fr a cnference, but I make sure that I cnduct individual cnferences with my students wh need additinal supprt n a regular basis. Lessn Extensin: Optinal Culminating Activity: Invite parents t cme t schl fr a special Meet the Detectives event. Students dress up as their favurite detective (r a generic detective) and read the mystery they have written t their parents r ther parents wh visit. Arrange desks in a circle, and have students sit behind their desks and autgraph detective pictures fr the visitrs. (Take pictures f each student with a detective hat, trench cach, and magnifying glass. Print a set f wallet-size cpies fr students t autgraph fr their fans. This activity can als be dne withut parents in attendance

5 Assess Students: The main piece that I use fr assessment is the student's published mystery. I create a rubric that I share with the students befre they begin their stry t let them knw what I expect. Our district als has a 6-pint scring rubric that I use t assess the 6 Traits f Writing. Hwever, yu may chse t create a rubric mre specific t the mystery genre. Hme Cnnectin: As I explained in the ptinal lessn extensin, parents are invited int the classrm after all mysteries have been published t listen t the stries and meet the detectives. If yu d nt invite parents int the classrm, students can still take their published pieces hme t share with their parents. Evaluate the Lessn: D I need t prvide additinal mdelling fr my students when walking them thrugh the Planning a Mystery Wrksheet (PDF)? D I need t prvide additinal supprt fr specific students? Is this lessn t challenging fr my class? If s, shuld we wrk tgether t write a class mystery instead? Text by Beth Newingham Schlastic Inc