Curated OER
Language Arts: Creative Reading, Predicting and Writing
For this predictions worksheet, 4th graders guess what the book Black and White will be about based on the first line. Students answer questions related to the book's genre and story line. Students write and illustrate their own short...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Creative Reading, Predicting and Writing
In this predictions worksheet, 5th graders guess what Jumanji and will be about after reading only the first line. Students write and illustrate their own short story based on the first line of Jumanji .
Curated OER
Classic Short Stories- Locked Room Settings
Students read the short story "The Problem of Cell 13" and examine the plot devices that build suspense. In this instructional activity students create their own short story using the same locked room setting.
Curated OER
Math Maven's Mysteries
In these story problem worksheets, students read the story problem 'Mystery of the Peculiar Zoo.' Students use the information within the story to then solve the problems. Students use their multiplication and division skills to...
North Clackamas School District
Context Clues: Synonyms
What do you do when you find a word that's not familiar to you? Help readers use context clues when encountering unfamiliar words with a grammar activity. They note the parts of the sentences that show the meaning of the word, write how...
K12 Reader
Storytelling and Folklore
Stories are passed down orally in many cultures. Learn about the ways that storytelling can shape a society with a reading passage about Native American folklore and myths. After they finish reading, kids complete five reading...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Tales of the Supernatural
Scary stuff! Whether approached as the first horror story or a "serious imaginative exploration of the human condition," Frankenstein continues to engage readers. Here's a packet of activities that uses Mary Shelley's gothic novel to...
University of Pennsylvania
Using Comic Strips to Teach Multiple Perspectives
Scholars view comics from two different perspectives; one paints the Alfred Dreyfus as innocent, while the other portrays the exact opposite. They solve the mystery of what happened by analyzing the source, working in groups, and...
Night of Mystery
Pirate Words and Phrases
Avast, ye mateys! A full dictionary of pirate phrases and words is sure to get your little pirates in a mood for sailing, reading, or writing. It features a basic list of terms as well as a more extensive dictionary for your class to be...
Macmillan Education
The Tell-Tale Heart
Rather than who done it, the mystery literary detectives have to solve as they examine the evidence found in Edgar Allan Poe's famous "The Tell-Tale Heart" is why did he do it?
National Endowment for the Humanities
Practical Criticism
As an introduction to literary criticism, class members recreate I.A. Richards' close reading experiment. Individuals select a poem, paraphrase the story, focus on the imagery used, consider what the imagery adds to the tale, and...
Curated OER
Anticipation Guide
Young readers consider ten questions regarding murder mystery stories. The must choose from one of five options: strongly disagree, disagree, depends, agree, or strongly agree. A sample questions is, "A murder mystery must describe the...
Curated OER
Art Mystery
Students explore famous artists in order to write mystery stories incorporating their life and works. They write their own based on their research of a particular artist.
Curated OER
Mystery of the Maya
Students research the Mayan civilization and complete an artifact dig. In this archeology lesson, students watch an IMAX video about the Mayan civilization. Students discuss archaeology related vocabulary and then work in teams to...
Curated OER
Predicting From the First Line 2
In this Predicting From the First Line 2 worksheet, students answer 6 questions by predicting the rest of a story from the first line. Students also write a short story, using the first line given.
Curated OER
Predicting From the First Line 3
In this Predicting From the First Line A, students answer 6 questions by predicting the rest of a story given the first line. Students also write a short story, using the first line given.
Curated OER
Predicting From the First Line B
In this Predicting From the First Line B instructional activity, students answer 6 questions by predicting the rest of a story given the first line. Students also write a short story, using the first line given.
Curated OER
Mystery and Mayhem
Young scholars use literature to examine the violence and loss of innocence during the 1960s. In this U.S. history lesson, students read Robert McCammon's Boy's Life to investigate the social unrest, violence and loss of innocence in the...
Curated OER
The Mystery of History-Original Sources
Students research the events surrounding the Alamo in 1863, and explore the differences between primary and secondary sources of information. They brainstorm lists of items used to research a subject and categorize them as primary or...
Curated OER
Finding Problems In A Story
Students categorize information into a problem/solving chart and examine the value of using a diary. In this problem solving and diary activity, students read portions of Dear Mr. Henshaw, while they investigate the importance of keeping...
Curated OER
Harriet The Spy
Fourth graders investigate the style of diary writing as its own genre of literature. They read Harriet The Spy in order to have a text for this literature study. Students use the skill of prediction to preview the story, and then...
Curated OER
Solving Mysteries!
Learners solve a mystery. In this lesson on journalism, students learn how writing an article is like solving a mystery by answering the 5 "W" questions. Learners solve a mystery provided to them on an attached worksheet.
Curated OER
Sherlock Holmes: Teaching English Through Detective Fiction
Learners read examples of mysteries and detective fiction. With a focus on Sherlock Holmes, they are introduced to the techniques for reading properly. In groups, they define new vocabulary, make predictions and summarize the stories. ...
Curated OER
"All Day Nightmare"
Students read an "All Day Nightmare" by R.L. Stine. They use the interactive book to choose the plot at the end of each chapter. They also complete an open-ended story.