Mystery Strategy Lesson/ELA/Grade 2

Karen Klein
Jan. 27, 2014

Estimated Time: 45 minutes

Strategy Mystery
Materials:
Book Piggins by Jane Yolen
Chart paper
Markers, glue sticks
Printed clues from the story for each group
Standards: ELACC2RL1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why,
and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
ELACC2RL3: Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges
ELACC2RL7: Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a
print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot
ELACC2W1: Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words
(e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding
statement or section
ELACC2W8: Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided
sources to answer a question.
ELACC2SL1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2
topics in small groups
a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways,
listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under
discussion).
b. Build on others talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of
others.
c. Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts
under discussion.
ELACC2SL2: Recount or describe key ideas or details from written texts read aloud or
information presented orally or through other media.
ELACC2SL3: Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify
comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue
ELACC2L2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
ELACC2L3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading,
or listening.

TAG Standards:
-Produces written and/or oral work that is complex, purposeful, and organized, includes
relevant supporting examples and manipulation of language.
-Responds to contributions of others, considering all available information.
- Supports and defends his/her own opinions while respecting the opinions of others.
- Develops and uses systematic procedures for recording and organizing information
- Allows for and accepts alternative interpretation of data
- Incorporates brainstorming and other idea-generating techniques to solve problems or
create new product
- Develops original ideas, presentations, or products through synthesis and evaluation
- Makes and evaluates decisions using criteria
- Examines an issue form more than one point of view
- Separates ones own point of view from others
- Draws conclusions based upon relevant information while discarding irrelevant
information.

Summary: The students will listen to the story Piggins (read aloud up to page 19). It is a
mystery of who stole Mrs. Reynards diamond lavaliere at a dinner party. Students will be
left to solve the mystery using given clues to the remainder of the story without its
conclusion. Using the text clues students will hypothesize a conclusion to the story.
Students will recognize that using clues from their reading helps them better understand
a story and be able to formulate a conclusion which makes sense.
Essential Question: How does answering questions such as who, what, where, when, why,
and how help you to understand a text and how major characters respond to major events
and challenges?

Objective: Students will make inferences and predictions with peers based on clues and
actions that take place in the story. Using those clues will help students formulate an an
ending to the story.
Procedure:
Hook/Engagement
To engage students, tell them that one of the characters (Inspector Bayswater) is a
detective in the story Piggins. Ask students what they think a detective does and write
their answers on the whiteboard. Guide them to understand that detectives use clues to

help find missing things or people. Tell them thatInspector Bayswater is going to help his
friend find something that is very important to her that was stolen. Ask students to
share a time that something they cared about was lost or stolen. Then have students
summarize to their carpet partner a time they lost something. Tell students that they
should only include the most important details in their verbal summary.
Explain that today they are going to be detectives (along with Inspector Baywater) to
solve the storys mystery. Students will be using clues from the story to write an ending.
Introduce Vocabulary: lavaliere, butler, scamper, chandelier, faint, inspector
Focused Instruction
Read aloud Piggins (pgs. 2-19); Remind students that to summarize means to tell the most
important parts. Have students summarize with their carpet partner the most important
parts of what they have heard so far of the story. Tell students they are going to work in
small groups of 3 to read and sort the clues of the story to solve the mystery.

Independent Practice:
Give students the following instructions breaking into groups of 4:
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Read the clues in your baggie. Group or sort the clues.

You are a team and must synergize. Listen to everyones ideas about the clues before
you sort the clues on paper. Label each category of your clues. Can any of your clues
belong in more than one sort?
Raise your hand when you are ready so you can explain your sorting of clues to Mrs.
Klein.
Glue your sort onto paper and label your sort categories.
Now they are ready to predict what the outcome of the mystery is.
On chart paper each group will write a conclusion to the story which follows the clues
in their sort. Attach the sort to the chart paper
Display their completed charts around the room and have a gallery walk when everyone
is finished.
After the gallery walk have students gather back on the carpet.
Read the ending of Piggins and discuss the similarities and differences between the
students conclusions and the real story ending.

Formative Assessment
Meet with each group and have them explain how they came up with their conclusion and
how they categorized their clues to come to that conclusion.
Based on the group input the teacher determines which students understand how to make
an opinion/prediction based on asking questions who/what/where/when/why & how. Meet
with students individually who are having difficulty for further instruction, and practice
Rubric:
Needs improvement:
Developing:
Proficient:
Exemplary:

answers 0-1 of the 5Ws & H

answers 2-3 of the 5Ws & H
answers 4-5 of the 5Ws & H
answers all 6 of the 5Ws & H

Learner Modifications: For below level readers and ESOL students, pictures from the
story will be provided with the clues. The story will also be placed on Epson projector for
students to see and hear. Fewer clues are provided. Teacher will monitor and scaffold
those students needing more support.
For advanced students, have them create new clues and a different outcome to the story.
Ask, Why did the author pick each type of animal and give them the traits that she did?
Resources and Technology:
Book: Piggens by Jane Yolen
Mystery Nets Kids Mysteries: kids.mysterynet.com
Kids Love a Mystery: www.kidsloveamystery.com

Reflection: I really enjoyed teaching the mystery strategy to my class. All my students
were engaged and active participants in their learning. There was good discussion and
cooperation in the small groups about using who/what/where/when/why and how clues to
predict outcomes. Only one of my students had to work on synergizing with her team.
Next time I do this lesson, I need to allot a little more time. We were not able to
complete the entire lesson within the 45 minute block.