PART 2: How to Read Mysteries with Your Students
Use this mystery story <free download> from one of our Mini Mysteries books to practice the following steps.
- Predict: Have students review the title, the synopsis on the back of the book, the cover of the book, and the pictures within the story. Ask students to write down what they predict the mystery will be about.
- Read: You may want to read the mystery to your students to test their listening ability, or students may read the stories to test their own logic skills. A combination of both may prove to be the best approach.
Tip: If you hand out copies or post the story on your whiteboard, only give students small segments at a time so they don’t read ahead.
- Investigate: Ask students to listen for interesting facts and clues.
· If you’ve given students a copy of the mystery, then ask them to highlight facts that give clues. Or have students write down the clues and the paragraph or page number they are found on. Tip: At the end of the story, have students go back to their notes and label each clue. Was it a useful clue or a red herring?
· Have students write down or underline the names of possible suspects. As they continue to read, students can make notes next to each suspect: the suspect’s alibi, motives, evidence, etc.
