Chasing Vermeer
Guided Reading Level T
Two friends, Petra and Calder, must work together to find a missing masterpiece, when even the FBI is baffled.
Codes and Secret Languages: 3 secret codes to try
Pentominoes: break the code Chasing Vermeer activity; what are pentominos?; using pentominos for letters; printable pentominos
Vermeer, famous Dutch artist: Learn about Vermeer's paintings at this interactive site;
FBI: check out this page to read about the theft of a real Vermeer from the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, along with 12 other paintings.
Scholastic Page on Blue Balliett, author: play games and meet the author and illustrator.
Codes and Secret Languages: 3 secret codes to try
Pentominoes: break the code Chasing Vermeer activity; what are pentominos?; using pentominos for letters; printable pentominos
Vermeer, famous Dutch artist: Learn about Vermeer's paintings at this interactive site;
FBI: check out this page to read about the theft of a real Vermeer from the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, along with 12 other paintings.
Scholastic Page on Blue Balliett, author: play games and meet the author and illustrator.
Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars series
Guided Reading Level R
Sherlock Holmes and his assistants, the Baker Street Irregulars, try to solve crimes set in Victorian England. Below are some pictures to help understand the setting and characters of the time period.
What was happening in the United States around the 1880s?
- James Garfield (1881), Chester A. Arthur (1881), and Grover Cleveland (1885) were elected president
- Clara Barton created the Red Cross (1881)
- The Brooklyn Bridge was opened (1883) and the Washington Monument (1885) was completed
- The National Geographic Society was founded (1888)
- North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington became states (1889)
- Yosemite National Park was created (1890)
Mystery Vocabulary and Ingredients
Check out the samples and student forms below. View or print them out for your use.
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Mystery Book Club Unit 2013
I am attaching some important forms your child will use during this unit. You are welcome to view/download the forms from here. Please see the 2011 notes below to get an idea what your child will be learning in this unit. NOTE: While the genre is mystery, your child will really be focusing on...
- more character study (using character traits to help us know what the character will do next; use of more nuanced traits, such as courageous, bold, adventurous, risk-taker- instead of just 'brave'; using text to prove their ideas)
- making close predictions based on clues (using details to narrow the types of predictions made, and using the text to prove their thinking)
- predictions, solutions based on what they know about mysteries and close reading of clues (making a theory/prediction, reading on, then changing theories if needed; using the text to prove their ideas)
- accumulating the text (using the text from the beginning of the text to make predictions, grow theories about characters, etc.; changing theories as they read on; adjusting the pace of their reading- slow down, re-read, go back to read again)
Mystery Book Club Unit 2011
Students will begin a two-pronged unit for the month of January. They will learn about the genre of mystery within a student-led book club. Some concepts we will learn about are...
- what are the characteristics of the mystery genre
- using the title, blurb, chapter titles, and pictures to make predictions about the mystery and how it may be solved
- using what we know about series mysteries to help us solve our current mystery book (Cam Jansen, Nate the Great, Encyclopedia Brown, Hank the Cowdog, the Boxcar Children, etc.)
- what vocabulary words might be specific to the mystery genre
- using what we know about fiction to read mysteries- the story arc and story grammar
- growing ideas about characters- acting like detectives to gather clues about characters
- reading closely to find clues, make predictions from hunches, detect red-herrings, etc.
- looking for placed in the mystery that don't make sense, then rereading for clarity
- holding onto the entire text to make sense of the story line, suspects, and clues
- going back to the story when we are done reading, to look for clues we may have missed
- work as a whole class and in small groups to converse with each other and grow ideas- about ideas, about clues, about suspects, etc.
Mystery Book Club Unit Teaching Points
Below you will find sample mini-lessons for our month-long unit on mystery reading. Students will be learning about two concurrent topics in this unit- the genre of mystery and how to work and read within a book club.
Conversation Prompts for Book Clubs:
This part makes me think...
I used to think... but now I think...
This is important because...
On the other hand...
I agree/ disagree because...
Mystery Glossary Sample: Click here for a sample mystery word list with definitions.
Who uses clues? Police detectives aren't the only people who use clues to solve mysteries- people in everyday life use clues to solve mysteries, large and small. When you are missing your car keys or glasses, you use clues to retrace your steps to find them. Weather forecasters use clues in order to predict the weather. When you read books or watch television shows (mystery or not), you use facts and clues to predict what will happen next.
Using mysteries to teach story grammar- Mysteries are a type of fiction story. We will use our knowledge of how stories go to understand mystery stories. In the beginning the setting and characters are introduced. Shortly after, the problem is revealed, in this case a mystery. The sleuths try to follow clues and leads to solve the mystery (problem). Toward the end, the mystery is solved and the culprit is revealed. The story winds down and ends.
The specialized vocabulary of mysteries- Mysteries use specialized vocabulary, and may include: case, crime, mystery, detective, sleuth, suspect, clue, motive, alibi, hunch, witness, or red herring.
Asking ourselves, "What kind of book is this?" We use our knowledge of kinds of books, asking ourselves, "What kind of book is this?" Notice if your book is fiction (story) or nonfiction (all about or true information); notice the genre of your book (about a mystery, realistic fiction, poetry); ask yourself what you know about how this book tends to go.
Using book features (the title, blurb, pictures, chapter titles) to predict the mystery and its solution-
When first choosing a mystery, we use the book's features to make predictions. Look at the title and cover illustration, blurb on the back, chapter titles, and pictures- What do you think the mystery will be? Who will be solving the mystery? Where might it take place?
When information seems out of place, stop reading and ask questions- Mysteries are complicated- there can be many clues, suspects, settings, and false clues (or red herrings). Mystery readers need to be aware when their mind says, "Huh?" When this happens, stop and ask questions. Does this make sense? Is this a false clue? Do I need to look back or reread?
The archetypal role of the secondary character, or "sidekick"-
Growing ideas about characters is like collecting clues to solve a crime-
Stepping into the character's shoes-
Collecting and revising tentative hunches-
Paying close attention to the details in the story; why and when to revisit them-
Mystery readers notice more when reading-
Reading closely, using clues, to predict and infer-
Shifting between the past and present in mysteries-
Mystery readers draw on everything they know as readers of fiction-
Thinking of a few different ways that the mystery may be solved-
Entertain more than one possible prediction- be a flexible reader-
Attentive and constructive readers can pull back to think about accumulating the text (hunches, suspicions, predictions)-
Using inferences to make something of clues-
Extend ideas with conversational prompts in book clubs-
Notice details that are surprising or that don't fit-
Read books in series- familiar characters, plots, solutions-
Changing pace when reading mysteries-
After finishing mysteries, return to book to reread parts where you may have missed clues-
Conversation Prompts for Book Clubs:
This part makes me think...
I used to think... but now I think...
This is important because...
On the other hand...
I agree/ disagree because...
Mystery Glossary Sample: Click here for a sample mystery word list with definitions.
Who uses clues? Police detectives aren't the only people who use clues to solve mysteries- people in everyday life use clues to solve mysteries, large and small. When you are missing your car keys or glasses, you use clues to retrace your steps to find them. Weather forecasters use clues in order to predict the weather. When you read books or watch television shows (mystery or not), you use facts and clues to predict what will happen next.
Using mysteries to teach story grammar- Mysteries are a type of fiction story. We will use our knowledge of how stories go to understand mystery stories. In the beginning the setting and characters are introduced. Shortly after, the problem is revealed, in this case a mystery. The sleuths try to follow clues and leads to solve the mystery (problem). Toward the end, the mystery is solved and the culprit is revealed. The story winds down and ends.
The specialized vocabulary of mysteries- Mysteries use specialized vocabulary, and may include: case, crime, mystery, detective, sleuth, suspect, clue, motive, alibi, hunch, witness, or red herring.
Asking ourselves, "What kind of book is this?" We use our knowledge of kinds of books, asking ourselves, "What kind of book is this?" Notice if your book is fiction (story) or nonfiction (all about or true information); notice the genre of your book (about a mystery, realistic fiction, poetry); ask yourself what you know about how this book tends to go.
Using book features (the title, blurb, pictures, chapter titles) to predict the mystery and its solution-
When first choosing a mystery, we use the book's features to make predictions. Look at the title and cover illustration, blurb on the back, chapter titles, and pictures- What do you think the mystery will be? Who will be solving the mystery? Where might it take place?
When information seems out of place, stop reading and ask questions- Mysteries are complicated- there can be many clues, suspects, settings, and false clues (or red herrings). Mystery readers need to be aware when their mind says, "Huh?" When this happens, stop and ask questions. Does this make sense? Is this a false clue? Do I need to look back or reread?
The archetypal role of the secondary character, or "sidekick"-
Growing ideas about characters is like collecting clues to solve a crime-
Stepping into the character's shoes-
Collecting and revising tentative hunches-
Paying close attention to the details in the story; why and when to revisit them-
Mystery readers notice more when reading-
Reading closely, using clues, to predict and infer-
Shifting between the past and present in mysteries-
Mystery readers draw on everything they know as readers of fiction-
Thinking of a few different ways that the mystery may be solved-
Entertain more than one possible prediction- be a flexible reader-
Attentive and constructive readers can pull back to think about accumulating the text (hunches, suspicions, predictions)-
Using inferences to make something of clues-
Extend ideas with conversational prompts in book clubs-
Notice details that are surprising or that don't fit-
Read books in series- familiar characters, plots, solutions-
Changing pace when reading mysteries-
After finishing mysteries, return to book to reread parts where you may have missed clues-
Mystery Books Series List by Guided Reading Level
Click here for a printable list of mystery book series (many available at the Woodland Meadows Media Center and Saline District Library).
2011 Book Club Extra Activities
The Wright 3 Scholastic has a fabulous website about this book and its author, Blue Balliett. You can play online games and activities (including pentominoes), find out about the author and illustrator, and read about Blue Balliett's other books, including Chasing Vermeer and The Calder Game.
A to Z Mysteries Ron Roy's website allows you to read about the characters, read about books in the series, play A to Z Mystery Trivia, and color A to Z pictures.
Encyclopedia Brown Trivia Game
A to Z Mysteries Ron Roy's website allows you to read about the characters, read about books in the series, play A to Z Mystery Trivia, and color A to Z pictures.
Encyclopedia Brown Trivia Game