Mystery Unit Intro

What is the mystery genre? Also known as crime fiction Centered around trying to solve a strange or unknown situation Most often a theft, a disappearance, or a murder Questions what it is to be human and raises issues of personal identity Reflects cultural and social values of when it was written Often reflects society’s greatest fears Focus on logic and power of human intellect

When and how did mystery begin? Edgar Allen Poe “Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841) Focus on individual detective named C. Auguste Dupin (became series) “Armchair detective” Great intelligence & skills of observation Mistrust of police and certain aspects of society Highly analytical

The Characters The Suspect: a person thought to be guilty of a crime The Victim: someone who is harmed or suffers loss The Witness: someone who saw or who can offer a firsthand account of an event The Detective/Sleuth: person brought in to solve the mystery/crime Sidekick: Assists the detective, offers comic relief

Important Vocabulary Alibi: excuse that accused person uses to show that he/she was somewhere else than scene of crime Clue: fact or object that helps solve mysteries Deduce: to infer/come to a conclusion based on reason Evidence: an object or witness statement used as proof Intuition/Hunch: a guess or feeling not based on facts Motive: a logical reason to have committed the crime Red Herring: false clue; details meant to lead the reader in the wrong direction

Choose the word you know LEAST from the previous slide, and map it Choose the word you know LEAST from the previous slide, and map it! (5 min.)

Conventions & Tropes Reader involved in solving of the mystery SUSPENSE! The reader is kept uncertain and “in the dark” until the end Several tempting possibilities introduced before mystery solved Must go through the same thought process as the detective Solution is uncanny/unexpected (not presented as a possibility until the very end) This is part of the appeal! It feels like a riddle or game!

What do you notice? Stop & Jot! Clue Observations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDDdeHtrxfA Sherlocke Holmes Observations: http://movieclips.com/wvWh8-sherlock-holmes-movie-a- matter-of-professional-integrity/

Recipe Create the recipe for the perfect mystery story. Include the vocabulary and elements we discussed today. Ingredients gram, kilogram, ounce, pound teaspoon, tablespoon, cup milliliter, liter pinch, dash, handful, Steps add, incorporate, sprinkle, pour blend, whip, mix, stir melt, knead, roll, pound bake, roast, fry, sautee, sear,