READING
FULL-YEAR ELA PROGRAM
THE
mysteries
Improve student reading comprehension, inference skills, and close reading with total student engagement!
Beth (Gr 7-9)
This was so much fun to do with my students! With my lower classes we worked in groups to dig in together and work on finding key details.
This really incorporates vocabulary, finding key details, looking at multiple sources, and writing up their findings. We really dove into the investigating by having evidence folders, playing crime investigation music, and having a "debriefing" meeting to present the case. This is a low prep activity and a very high quality resource that I would recommend to any teacher wanting students to apply the skills they have been teaching.
You want to challenge your students to read more closely, find evidence, and infer information.
You want total participation in reading, particularly with your more reluctant or unengaged students.
You are a middle or early high school teacher looking to improve students' reading skills.
who this program is for.
If this sounds like you, then you are in the right place.
BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THE DETAILS, LET'S TALK ABOUT
The Reading Mysteries Program is a full-year middle and early high school program with 40 ready-to-use reading mysteries that are designed to improve close reading, inference, and critical thinking skills.
All of your students will be totally engaged as they work together to solve high-interest mysteries, using reading comprehension skills, critical thinking, and text evidence strategies to support their findings.
WHAT IS THE READING MYSTERIES PROGRAM?
SO, HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK?
1. INTRODUCING THE MYSTERY
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Students will be put into small groups and given one of the 40 mystery narratives that they must read. The mystery stories set the scene for students by introducing the story and the suspects. Each of the plot lines is high-interest and will engage even your most reluctant readers.
2. USING THE SLIDESHOW LESSOn
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Each of the mysteries comes with a teacher slideshow that will guide every element of the lesson, from introducing the story and evidence to sharing a detailed answer key that shows the text evidence that supports each suspect’s innocence or guilt.
3. SHARING THE EVIDENCE
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Students will work together to examine the various pieces of evidence to catch the culprit. They may examine text messages, emails, posters, invitations, websites, forms, social media, newspapers, and much more!
Each of the mysteries has unique evidence specifically tailored to the story, so each one will be new and exciting for students!
4. FINDING TEXT EVIDENCE
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Students keep track of each of the suspects on the included tracking page. They will find evidence that supports or refutes each of the suspects' innocence or guilt and jot those down in the space provided.
Using their inference, comprehension, and close reading skills, they will make their final predictions to share with the class.
5. SOLVING THE MYSTERY
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Now that students have made their predictions, it's time to review all the evidence together to determine how the mystery was solved! Use the included teacher answer key or the teacher slideshow to review each of the culprits to determine why they are innocent or guilty.
I found my students highly engaged and excited to learn. This activity was just amazing. My students worked collaboratively, even those who normally struggle, and their conversations using the clues the activity gave them were terrific. I heard students using academic vocabulary with their peers and using evidence to support their claims to solve the task. I would recommend this to every 6-8 ELA teacher.
Cortney (Gr 6-8)
Who doesn't like a good deal, right? I've reached out to some of my favorite education-related companies to offer exclusive discounts on items you may need for the classroom. There are discounts on teacher bags, library book stamps, custom pencils, lanyards, teacher t-shirts and much more!
Who doesn't like a good deal, right? I've reached out to some of my favorite education-related companies to offer exclusive discounts on items you may need for the classroom. There are discounts on teacher bags, library book stamps, custom pencils, lanyards, teacher t-shirts and much more!
MEET YOUR ELA READING STANDARDS WHILE HAVING FUN!
Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it;
cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
My 6th and 7th graders really enjoyed this. Prep was easy and I was able to use it with all of my classes. My students felt like they were playing a game when they were actually learning. It was a great way to practice inference.
Liz (Gr 6-7)
START USING THE READING MYSTERIES PROGRAM TODAY!
99
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If you are ready to take your reading instruction to the next level, choose the bundle option that works best for you below.
PRINT PROGRAM
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DIGITAL PROGRAM
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Google Slides
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The print version of The Reading Mysteries Program includes the teacher presentations in PowerPoint format and the mystery pages in printable, PDF format. Simply print the resources, and you are ready to engage your students in high-interest reading!
Which version is best for your STUDENTS?
DIGITAL VERSION
The digital version of The Reading Mysteries Program includes the teacher and student documents in Google Slides format. Simply share the link or file with students and have them complete it on their devices. This works well for a 1:1 classroom or remote teaching.
PRINT VERSION
Want to get a closer look? Try one for free!
fREE SAMPLE
Help Mrs. Henry find her beloved garden gnome, Gerome, with this free sample of The Reading Mysteries Program!
From the silly costumes and puns to the engaging storyline, this mystery stole the attention of my high-level and low-level readers and kept them busy for a whole class period. Even my reluctant students willingly participated in this activity! Making inferences and citing textual evidence, the reading skills that this resource helps students practice, are so important for middle schoolers to learn. Any teacher who wants their students to be actively engaged in a high-quality resource that promotes ELA skills and critical thinking should try out Presto Plan's mysteries!
Sarah (Gr 7-8)
are saying
TEACHERS
READ THE NEXT REVIEW
WHAT
ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
This mystery was met with an excited, “Oooooohh!” Having projected the main poster, there was instant engagement. We had utilized another mystery earlier in the year and the growth in making connections, using small details, and applying reason to build up inferencing was remarkable. These mysteries provide a fun, interactive way to develop all of those reading strategies we practice. As well, speaking skills are utilized in discussions to help model for one another in a low-pressure environment. What great resources to use for practice, informal, or even a more formalized assessment of citing evidence and other essential reading and writing standards. I could see using different examples over time to build excitement and progress check! Prep is remarkably simple! It’s a dream scenario for teachers—and students. Thank you!
Carrie (Gr 7)
are saying
TEACHERS
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WHAT
ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
My rowdy bunch was engaged in reading! They had great discussions about motive, means, and opportunity as they tried to establish alibis for the various characters. Some even mimicked their favorite TV detectives creating timelines and mapping where each character was placed at the time of the crime. They were forced to look deeply into the text for their clues. It became natural for them to re-read and to read to each other. There is a wonderful variety of pieces of evidence that are current and timely, everything from texts, to evites, message boards and bills. The added element of competition really heightened their level of engagement.
A perfect no-prep activity to boost student reading and discussion skills.
Valerie (Gr 9)
are saying
TEACHERS
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WHAT
ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
My students absolutely loved this activity! We did it the day after our state test. I was expecting my students to just go through the motions, but they got really into it! My students used their inferencing and close reading skills the entire class period! This is an amazing resource to review those skills in a fun way!
Caryn (Gr 8)
are saying
TEACHERS
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WHAT
ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
Students enjoyed solving the mystery using different types of evidence. They read the main story independently, then used their collaboration and inferencing skills to determine reasons why each party was innocent or guilty. The groups enjoyed sharing their findings with the class and arguing for or against another group’s reasoning. I would definitely use this or other reading mysteries with my classes.
Denise (Gr 7)
are saying
TEACHERS
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WHAT
ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
My students were actively engaged from the word GO. They thoroughly enjoyed the story line of alien abduction and immediately began to dissect the evidence. The assignment was a great review for citing evidence and making inferences. I would definitely use an activity like this again!
Toni (Gr 7 Gifted)
are saying
TEACHERS
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WHAT
ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
My students absolutely loved this activity. It was an awesome way to get students to really think and work collaboratively. It also helped to work on close-reading and inferencing skills, as a lot of the “evidence” is within the text, but is beyond the text. Would definitely recommend this resource!
Janae (Gr 7)
are saying
TEACHERS
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WHAT
ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
I used this resource with 6th-8th grade students, and each student was very excited and engaged! I had students work in groups of 3-4 and each group tried different strategies to solve the mystery! This activity was a fun, end of the year review of close reading and inference skills while examining different types of evidence and my students showed great teamwork and perseverance! Such a great resource!
Kelsey (Gr 5-8)
are saying
TEACHERS
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WHAT
ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
Students worked with a partner or in groups of 3-4 to solve the mystery. They were highly engaged in trying to solve it. This activity allowed for conversations which revolved around higher-level discussion through the use of critical thinking skills. I have several students in one class that turn everything into a contest and tried to solve the mystery before the others which was fun to see happen. This is a high-quality resource that was very easy to prep for and could easily be used with a substitute teacher.
I definitely recommend this activity to those who would like a fun reading activity that allows students to collaborate in working toward a common goal.
Jenny (Gr 8)
are saying
TEACHERS
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ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
This is a great activity to use for close reading. When I gave this activity to my students I hid clues around the room and had them do a gallery walk in clusters to visit the different clues. Even my most inactive students were motivated to participate and excited to see just who was the culprit. I can’t wait to use these in my English classes next year.
Jasmin (Gr 7)
are saying
TEACHERS
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WHAT
ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
This mystery had my students excited and really digging deep for evidence! The plot engaged many students who aren't usually excited to go to the effort of searching for text evidence, and the vocabulary level was challenging for the whole class. I liked that this activity reinforced many of the text evidence strategies we use but with a twist - my students far preferred this to a regular test prep activity.
Kate (Gr 8)
are saying
TEACHERS
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WHAT
ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
This activity really opened them up to discussion, debate, problem-solving and fun! One group even made themselves badges for the Flavorville Police Department! I would definitely recommend this activity as a fun way to engage students and practice their close reading skills. It definitely helped everyone work with one another (even some who normally had heads down). Everyone was engaged.
Cory (Gr 8)
are saying
TEACHERS
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ABOUT THE MYSTERIES
My students loved this activity. It kept their attention all period, and they were excited to finish the following day. It was a fun activity that is different from "death by worksheet". My students were active and engaged, and this activity fostered some great discussions about reading, teamwork, and the culture of Ireland.
Lisette (Gr 8-9)
are saying
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STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? WE ARE HERE TO HELP!
The Reading Mysteries Program is appropriate for middle and early high school English language arts teachers, ideally for grades 6-9, but it could also work for lower-level students in the more upper high school grades.
The Reading Mysteries Program meets many of the Common Core reading standards (see the list of standards it addresses above on this page in the section with the header "Meet your ELA Reading Standards While Having Fun"). If you do not use the Common Core curriculum, don't worry! The program addresses many common skills addressed in any ELA curriculum like reading comprehension, close reading, supporting conclusions, finding text evidence, examining word choice, inferring the meaning of new words in context, the connotative or figurative meanings of words, evaluative and critical thinking, analyzing text structure and content, and much more!
The print bundle was created for use within a traditional classroom setting without technology. The presentations are all in PowerPoint format, and the mystery content is meant to be printed and distributed to students. The digital bundle, on the other hand, is 100% paperless and is meant to be used in a remote teaching or 1:1 classroom setting. Students will complete the work using Google Apps (Slides).
If you purchased all of the digital and print mysteries separately, the cost would be $399. By purchasing the discounted bundles, you receive a significant discount.
After you purchase, you will receive an email with a link to download The Reading Mysteries Program. It's a large file, so it may take some time to download, but if you have any issues, you can reach out to our customer support via email at prestoplans@gmail.com with your receipt.
Your purchase of the program entitles you to a single-use license which means that you are not legally permitted to share it, and it can only be used within your own classroom.
If you are teaching remotely or in a 1:1 classroom, you are permitted to share the slides with your students on a closed, password-protected site (like Google Classroom), so they can complete the challenge online.
You are not legally permitted to share any of the materials in The Reading Mysteries Program on an open website that can be accessed by the general public.
Thank you for reaching out.
we will be in touch shortly.
START USING THE READING MYSTERIES PROGRAM TODAY!
99
.
If you are ready to take your reading instruction to the next level, choose the bundle option that works best for you below.
PRINT PROGRAM
99
BUY NOW
PDF and PowerPoint
Save $80 compared to buying print mysteries individually.
99
.
DIGITAL PROGRAM
99
BUY NOW
Google Slides
Save $80 compared to buying digital mysteries individually.
99
.
DIGITAL & PRINT BUNDLE
129
PDF/PowerPoint &
BEST VALUE
MOST POPULAR
Google Slides Version