hodunit? W It’s a mystery…. Your Next Independent Reading Novel

Elements of a Mystery… 1. Motive 2. Clue (Evidence) 3. Suspects 4. Alibi 5. Sleuth (Investigator) 6. Problem 7. Solution 8. Witness a. Where were you yesterday at 4:00? b. The police discovered that the answers to the exam were stolen by Mrs. Crawford (to make copies, of course)!! c. Do you have a reason to take the answers? d. A teacher across the hall saw someone entering the classroom around 3:55. e. The answers to your exam were stolen yesterday at 4PM. f. Who else do you think might have done it? g. The Police h. The police found a blue notebook in the teacher's office. Do you have a blue notebook? Someone has stolen the answers to the end of the year exam yesterday at 4:00. The police ask you the following questions. Match the question/information to what the police are asking about.

Elements of a Mystery… Smoking gun - indisputable proof or evidence Red Herring - distraction/s that lead an investigator off the path, including clues that do not add up to a solution but make the search longer. Flashback - occurs when the author tells about an event that happened before the time of the story Foreshadowin g- the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot Suspense - the reader does not know the solution while he or she is reading the mystery

Plot/Structure of a Mystery… A problem or puzzle to solve Something is missing A secret OR An event that is not explained Usually suspenseful Introduction - meet characters and learn about the problem Body - sleuth solving the mystery Conclusion - the mystery is solved In a Mystery:

Solve Your Own Mystery… Read the short mystery story with your group Fill in the Mystery Worksheet as you read Clues, Suspects, Alibis, etc. When you are finished filling out the worksheet, use your detective skills to SOLVE THE MYSTERY Once all groups are finished, we will share the results as a whole group to discover who the true sleuths are