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ReadWriteThink has a variety of resources for out-of-school use. Visit our Parent & Afterschool Resources section to learn more.
Home › Parent & Afterschool Resources › Activities & Projects
Activity
Make a Mystery Puzzle
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| Grades | 5 – 8 |
| Activity Time | 30 to 45 minutes (plus additional time to write a mystery story) |
| Publisher |  |
Activity Description
No reading list is complete without a good mystery. Even the least enthusiastic readers can get caught up in following their favorite sleuths from caper to caper. This activity, which can be used with a book club, has children and teens explore this popular type of writing in more detail by making a puzzle. It also encourages them to invent and write their own mysteries. It’s elementary, Watson—mysteries are fun!
Why This Is Helpful
Understanding how stories work is part of becoming a strong reader and writer. Mysteries are the perfect genre to increase this understanding because they tend to be set up in the same ways. Similar parts include the crime or mystery, the detective, sleuth, or investigator, the clues, and finally, the solution. This activity asks children to identify these parts in a mystery they have read and make a puzzle. By listing the parts, they will see how mysteries are set up and can then try writing their own.
This activity was modified from the ReadWriteThink lesson plan “Everyone Loves a Mystery: A Genre Study."