Curated OER
Critic's Choice
Third graders read three to five genres and choose one as a favorite. They write an essay persuading the class to read the genre. This lesson serves as a nice introduction to different styles of literature.
Curated OER
Fictional Narrative Writing in Mathematics
Fifth graders discuss variety of fictional writing genres and connect each to familiar story that has been read, use creative and analytical skills to develop original piece of fictional writing that incorporates math skill, and share...
Curated OER
Historical Background of Nightjohn Lesson Plan
Eighth graders use first-hand slave narratives that show conditions of slavery. They paste text into Appleworks and publish with a picture clipped from web sites. They create a group account of life during slavery to prepare for reading...
Curated OER
Authors of the Past and Present
Students research a chosen author. In this authors instructional activity, students pick one author from the list provided, do research, and write a paper.
Curated OER
Writing - Story Ideas
Students write their story in first person as a non-fiction story, or they can write the story in third person as a fictional story and use different characters. They can choose an idea from one of the story starters provided.
Reading Is Fundamental
Reading Is Fundamental: Illustrate a Story: Mystery of the Mummy's Maze [Pdf]
Print this short mystery story for your advanced English language learners to illustrate. The story gives preterit and pluperfect tense practice.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Taking the Mystery Out of Writing a Mystery
This mystery-writing lesson focuses on the structure of a short story and the elements of a mystery in particular. Learners complete the entire writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Students...
University of North Carolina
Unc: Edgar Allan Poe, 1809 1849 Tales
Download Edgar Allan Poe's "Tales," which was published in 1845, four years prior to his death. Read popular short stories such as, "The Black Hat," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and "The Purloined Letter." Also, read biographical...
Read Works
Read Works: The Disappearing Room
[Free Registration/Login Required] This literary text passage shares a short mystery. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies and establishes scaffolding for vocabulary...
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: The Golden Slipper by Anna Katharine Green
This is the full text of the book The Golden Slipper by Anna Katharine Green, a collection of mystery stories featuring Violet Strange. "A daring debutante solves the crimes of upper-crust Manhattan in this groundbreaking story...
Other
Mystery Net Kids Mysteries: Mysteries by Kids Winners
This site offers links to the winning stories from MysteryNet's mini-mystery writing contest for kids. They provide good reading practice and/or models for story writing activities.
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "The Master of Mystery" by Jack London
Text of the short story "The Master of Mystery" by Jack London. (Free site registration offers some additional features, e.g., the ability to insert annotations.)
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "A Mystery Explained" by t.s. Arthur
Text of the short story "A Mystery Explained" by American author T.S. Arthur. (Free site registration offers some additional features, e.g., the ability to insert annotations.)
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "The Mystery of Joseph Laquedem" by Arthur Quiller Couch
Text of the short story "The Mystery of Joseph Laquedem" by British author Arthur Quiller-Couch. (Free site registration offers some additional features, e.g., the ability to insert annotations.)
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "The Mystery of Sasassa Valley" by Arthur Conan Doyle
Text of the short story "The Mystery of Sasassa Valley" by Arthur Conan Doyle. (Free site registration offers some additional features, e.g., the ability to insert annotations.)
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "The Blind Spot" by H. H. Munro
This is the text of the short story "The Blind Spot" by H. H. Munro, a murder mystery.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Gothic Undercurrents: Edgar Allan Poe
This biography features Edgar Allan Poe who introduced the genre of horror and mystery to literature in the nineteenth century with stories such as "The Raven."
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
"In this unit, students explore the artistry that helped make Irving our nation's first literary master and ponder the mystery that now haunts every Halloween -- What happened to Ichabod Crane?"
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "American Horses" by Melville Davisson Post
This is the text of the short story "American Horses" by Melville Davisson Post, a mystery.
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "The Wolves of Cernogratz" by h.h Munro
H.H. Munro is well known for his stories of magic and mystery. In "The Wolves of Cernogratz" the Cernogratz family has to sell off their castle when they fall on hard times. Read the full text of the short story on this site.
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "The Wrong Sign" by Melville Davisson Post
Melville Davisson Post was known for writing mysteries. Read one of his short stories "The Wrong Sign" on this site.
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: "Will It Pay" by Mary Roberts Rinehart
Mary Roberts Rinehart was a prolific mystery writer. "Will it Pay" is a tale of greed that you can read on this site.
TES Global
Tes: Year 9, Set 5: Lamb to the Slaughter
[Free Registration/Login Required] During this lesson, students will work to collect clues to solve a murder mystery. Students will use a Power Point first and then apply the skills to a short text.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Southern Renaissance: Flannery O'connor
Flannery O'Connor is featured in this biography for her contributions to literature through many short stories, in most of which she created rural southern characters. See "Flannery O'Connor Activities" for related materials.