The Intoxicating Realm of the Mystery Novel

The following post appeared on Ms. Fitzharris’ Grade 4 blog this morning:

Over the past month, our class has been delving into the mystery genre. Each child has chosen and read at least one mystery since we began the mini-unit after Spring Break. We’ve talked about alibis, red herrings, suspects, and how a mystery’s plot tends to evolve. After mapping out an elaborate plan for them to write an essay explaining all of this, I realized (by the look on their faces) that what each and every one of them wanted to do was to write their own mystery and have their classmates solve their crimes or problems. So that’s what they’ve been working on over the last week or so. Last Friday, I brought in old fedoras, trench coats and a few other props and had each student pose for a picture. When they complete their mystery, they’ll type it up and we’ll post them outside the classroom along with the photo of them wearing their detective garb. We’ll keep you posted!