The purpose of this unit is to familiarize third through fifth graders with the key elements in mystery stories and solve an unsolved mystery. I teach a self-contained fourth grade class and they are very interested in WHO DONE ITS, so I believe they would be just as interested in WHAT IS IT? The unit should take four (4) weeks to complete.
Not being greatly familiar with mysteries myself, I read a couple of children's mysteries. As a result of having to solve the mysteries myself I discovered some vital elements I needed to comprehend to accurately complete the task: the WHO, the Setting, the Plot, the Characters, Inference, Hypothesis, Cause and Effect, Fact and Opinion, and, most important, Why or Motive.
Two books I suggest teachers should read are Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker and Tango Briefing by Adam Hall. Both books have plenty of action and plots that are not too hard to follow. The main character in Robert B. Parker's book is Spencer as in "Spencer for Hire", the TV series. The main character in Adam Hall's book resembles "James Bond." These books are relatively easy reading and should keep you interested in solving the mysteries.
Initially, I will read some 5 minute mysteries to them from Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Cake! by Donald J. Sobol with Glenn Andrews. These will be in search of the answer to WHO DONE IT. During these first few stories I will establish a firm understanding of the Story Elements (characters, setting, plot, resolution), Hypothesis, Drawing Conclusions/Inference, Causality (cause and effect), and Fact and Opinion. It may be necessary to discuss Figurative Language as sometimes what is said is not clearly what it appears to mean.
A great deal of attention will be also given to cases in the book You Be The Jury by Marvin Miller. This book contains courtroom mysteries where you decide the verdict. These cases will be used to emphasize the lessons in drawing conclusion, cause and effect, and fact and opinion.
My aunt taught each of her nieces and nephews this song from the early 1950's. She loved to sing many songs with us all but she favored songs that contained an element of surprise or mystique. The following song was one we remembered more than the others because it still puzzles us to this day.
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As I was walking by the beach on one bright, sunny day
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I saw a great big, wooden box a floating in the bay.
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I picked it up and opened it up and what to my surprise
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Oh I discovered a (clap* clap* clap*) right before my eyes.
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Oh I discovered a (clap* clap* clap*) right before my eyes.
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I picked it up and ran to town as happy as a king.
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I took it to a man I knew who'd buy most anything.
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And this is what he said to me as I walked in his shop
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Oh get out of here with that (clap* clap* clap*) before I call the cops.
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Oh get out of here with that (clap* clap* clap*) before I call the cops.
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I picked it up and turned around a running for my life.
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And then I went to take it home to give it to my wife.
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But this is what she said to me as I walked in the door
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Oh get out of here with that (clap* clap* clap*) and don't come back no more.
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Oh get out of here with that (clap* clap* clap*) and don't come back no more.
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The moral of this story is if you are on a beach
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And you should see a wooden box and it's within your reach,
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Don't ever try to pick it up is my advice to you
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Cause you'll never get rid of that (clap* clap* clap*) no matter what you do.
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Oh you'll never get rid of that (clap* clap* clap*) no matter what you do.
We always wanted to know what the (clap* clap* clap*) was and have never gotten the answer.
