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Character's Motive
Sixth graders determine a character's motive while reading a text. In this motive lesson plan, 6th graders discuss motivation and how that can impact a character's actions. Students read passages about suspects and try to solve a crime...
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Character's Motive
Create a list of possible suspects for a crime based upon each character's motivation. Middle schoolers discuss the motives of each main character in The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. This lesson is part of a larger unit on this novel.
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Character's Motive: Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy
Sixth graders explore language arts by completing a reading comprehension worksheet. In this character study lesson, 6th graders read a crime story and investigate which character they belive committed the crime. Students complete a...
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Character's Motive
Why do people commit crimes? Middle schoolers investigate characters' motives for committing a crime in a character analysis instructional activity. First, they read the book Chasing Vermeer and identify the suspects. They then record...
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Mystery Writing Lesson Plans
Introduce your class to the genre of mystery. Included is a vocabulary list, a rubric, and a sample mystery story called "Lethal Lesson." There are very limited directions on what to do with these resources, so you will need to plan some...
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Measure for Measure: Anticipation Guide
Be bold and never fearful! Tempt your scholars with an Anticipation Guide for Measure for Measure. Before reading Shakespeare’s problem play, class members label a series of statements as either true or false in their opinion. (It’s okay...
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Themes in Literature - Langston Hughes "Thank You Ma'm"
Eighth graders study Langston Hughes, "Thank You Ma'am" to discover the elements of plot, character motives and reactions. They express the effects of trust and kindness by writing a reflective personal narrative. They illustrate the...
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Detective Fiction: Focus On Critical Thinking
Turn your 6th graders into detectives while growing their love of reading. Using critical thinking skills, they will be able to describe the five basic elements of detective fiction, read detective novels, make predictions, use the...
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Lessons from the Holocaust
In an ultimate lesson about listening to opposing points of view, your young historians read testimony from the Nuremberg Trials by Nazi SS officers regarding their actions during the Holocaust and a brief speech by Himmler to SS...
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The News Behind the Story
What a fun way to analyze plot, setting, and character. Learners review story elements, read a short fictional story, then turn the events of that story into a headlining news paper article. Not only does this lesson engage critical...
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Write It, Read It, Solve It
Writers create an original mystery and have a chance to put it into movie format. The classic elements of a mystery must be present: the crime, the suspects, the motive, the solution and clues. Use iPhoto and Quicktime Movie to integrate...
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Macbeth: What's Up with the Crime Scene?
Students are introduced to Macbeth by having them act out the scene where Duncan's murder is discovered. This activity enable students to use dialogue only to discover the structure and format of a scene and explain plot.
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Mock Investigation
Young scholars explore detective investigations. In this introduction to mysteries instructional activity, students role play eye witnesses and investigators related to a "crime" committed in their classroom. Young scholars collect...
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Writing a Mystery Story
Students examine the elements of mystery stories and read Rage in Harlem. In reciprocal teaching groups, they discuss the author's development of the story, and complete dialectical journals.
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?
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Richard III by William Shakespeare
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 15 multiple choice questions about Shakespeare's Richard III. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
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Identifying Bullies
Students investigate human behavior by defining bullies. In this psychology lesson, students read the book Just One Flick of a Finger, and discuss why bullies act out in front of other children. Students investigate actions...
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Sherlock Holmes: Teaching English Through Detective Fiction
Students 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. ...
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Web Quest on "How to Write a Mystery."
Learners complete a Web Quest on How to Write a Mystery. They listen to or read a short mystery story and discuss its elements. They write an outline of a mystery story using all of the elements.
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Chickenfeed by Minette Walters
Pupils read, analyze and discuss the novel, "Chickenfeed," by Minette Walters. They assess the theories of tell me a story, take a letter and is truth stranger than fiction? Each student reviews the synopsis and explore how dialogue can...
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"The Five Orange Pips" Lesson
Seventh graders read sections of a Sherlock Holmes novel. They identify references to hate groups that are the criminals in the story. They discuss the symbols found in the story.