This session at Sloat we are exploring the elements of a good mystery. The kids have been crafting mystery stories and learning all about creative writing techniques, from character and plot development to using concrete details and the five senses to tell a story. We’ve been having a great time. Here are some teasers...
From: Explore motive with the following scenario: an old man comes up to you, hands you a package, says “Don’t let anything happen to this” and then sprints down the street.
One night I got a package from an old man. He said to protect it. I didn’t get a good look at him, but I opened it anyway. Inside there was another box that was black. When I got home, I opened that box and found nothing. “Stupid old man, gave me nothing,” I muttered, but he had given me the greatest gift of all, a dragon egg.
-Declan
From: Explore motive with the following scenario: an old man comes up to you, hands you a package, says “Don’t let anything happen to this” and then sprints down the street.
Today an old guy ran into me while I was walking to school. He shoved a black box into my hands and said don’t let this out of your sight. Instinctually I dropped it and ran the rest of the way. Stranger danger, right? As soon as I got to school I kept quiet. During lunch I pulled over Grover, my best friend, to talk about the old man. He said I shouldn’t worry but I couldn’t be so sure. After school got out I ran home.
-Grace
From: Explore motive with the following scenario: an old man comes up to you, hands you a package, says “Don’t let anything happen to this” and then sprints down the street.
One day I was walking down the street and a strange man handed me a package and said “Don’t let anything happen to this” and ran away. I ran after him. Suddenly I lost him. I looked at the package. It was brown with white tape. I shook it and heard a loud shake.
-Julia
From: How to organize a mystery around Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? using the prompt “It was missing.”
This morning when I woke up I was about to walk my puppy, but it had disappeared. I was horrified. I asked my sister to help me find her but we couldn’t. Our mom told me to go to school and that after school we can find her.
-Emily
From: Describe a setting and mood with the five senses.
Hello, my name is Bradly. I’m 10 and in the fifth grade. I’m coming up to ghost town for the weekend. The town used to be called San Francisco. The date is March 7, 3519.
-Colby
From: Explore motive with the following scenario: an old man comes up to you, hands you a package, says “Don’t let anything happen to this” and then sprints down the street.
The memory was horrible. It was late at night when it happened, but then, I can only tell you the beginning. So then, it came , that evil memory came. Well, I was walking home from Nuvema town on that chilly night. My Pikachu shivered in the cold night wind. Professor Juniper was checking my status. I, Linzy, had been a professional Pokemon trainer for 8 years.
-Olivia
From: Explore motive with the following scenario: an old man comes up to you, hands you a package, says “Don’t let anything happen to this” and then sprints down the street.
I was walking down Blackberry Drive when I saw a man with black glasses and a black detective coat. He walked up to me and handed me a package. Then he said, “Whatever you do don’t let anybody touch this.” He ran down the street and left me standing there with no idea what happened. I woke with a start.
-Katie Rose
From: How to organize a mystery around Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? using the prompt “It was missing."
My teddy bear is missing. His name is Robinhood. I was taking him on a biking trip. He was sitting in the basket in the back. My name is Lilly. It was a nice sunny day in London. Robinhood was riding with me in the park. When I got to the top of the hill I checked on Robinhood but he was not there. I looked down to see if he fell out but no. So I rode home.
-Clara G.
From: Explore motive with the following scenario: an old man comes up to you, hands you a package, says “Don’t let anything happen to this” and then sprints down the street.
I was walking down Giva Drive when I ran into a strange man with a peculiar large gray beard, a rough heavy coat, and large detective glasses. He handed me a medium size package and said to me, “Whatever you do, don’t let anything happen to this.” Then he looked both ways and ran away into the distance. I quickly ran home. When I got home I put the package on my desk and wrapped it and put it in a box, like it was a fragile china porcelain bowl then put it in the way back of my closet.
-Hannah
From: Explore motive with the following scenario: an old man comes up to you, hands you a package, says “Don’t let anything happen to this” and then sprints down the street.
One night I went for a walk. There was no one outside. Then I saw an old man appear. He said “Don’t let anything happen to this” and disappeared leaving a bag in my hands. I took the bag home and opened it.
-Sam
From: Explore motive with the following scenario: an old man comes up to you, hands you a package, says “Don’t let anything happen to this” and then sprints down the street.
One day I was walking down the street when a man handed me a package and told me not to let anything happen to it...After he left I opened the package. Inside it was an old book. The book had all kinds of facts about magical creatures. All of a sudden a man started chasing me! I’m sure he wants the book. I remember he said not to let anything happen to the book so I started to run away from him.
-Michelle
From: Explore motive with the following scenario: an old man comes up to you, hands you a package, says “Don’t let anything happen to this” and then sprints down the street.
It was a lovely sunny day. Stephanie and I were walking down the street. There was an old guy who had a box that looked strange. And he said “Don’t let anything happen to this!” and he ran away from us. We were kind of scared and nervous, because we didn’t have any idea. But we kept walking down the street with the strange box.
-Clara K.
From: Describe a setting and mood with the five senses.
The planet smells like free pie and the sound when you walk is a crunch sound and it felt smooth and it tastes like pie so they plan to take over the pie planet.
-Michael
From: Explore motive with the following scenario: an old man comes up to you, hands you a package, says “Don’t let anything happen to this” and then sprints down the street.
I was walking down the street one night. A homeless man jumped out of the shadows and stuffed a package into my hands. “Don’t let any harm come to this,” he muttered. Then he bolted around the corner. I tried to follow him, but he had disappeared.
-Sophia
