Name: _________________________________________________

Period: ___________

Date: _____________________________

Unit Guide: Mystery

Essential Questions:
How are mysteries solved?
How does an authors word choice affect the overall story?
When a word doesnt make sense, what can I do?
What do good readers do?
Read the following statements and rate your understanding of each using the following
system:
E = Expert (I can explain and teach someone else)
NP = Need Practice (I am familiar with it, but am not an expert)
HL = Havent Learned (The material is new or almost new to me)
***If you marked E for the first 3 statements, please define and explain the concepts.***

I Can Statements
I can define mystery.

I can identify and explain the

elements of a mystery.

I can identify and analyze

textual inferences.

I can determine the meaning of

words within a text by using
context clues. (connotation)
I can summarize the plot of the
mystery.

Before Unit

After Unit

Name: _________________________________________________

Period: ___________

Date: _____________________________

What Do You Know About a Mystery?

1. What is motive? Why is it important in a mystery?

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2. Who is the person in a mystery that investigates a crime in order to solve it? Please choose one
answer.
a. a lawyer
b. a detective
c. a soothsayer
d. a social climber
3. What are a protagonist and an antagonist?
a. Protagonist:________________________________________________________________________________________
b. Antagonist:________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Conflict usually drives plot development within a story. In a mystery, what is that conflict or
problem?
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5. In a mystery, some examples of conflict might be a crime, a puzzle, or a secret. How might these
conflicts be classified? Choose all that apply.
a. external conflict
b. internal conflict
c. person vs. person
d. person vs. self
6. How is suspense created in a mystery?
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7. In your own words, define suspense.
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Name: _________________________________________________

Period: ___________

Date: _____________________________

8. How is mood created in a mystery?

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9. What is the purpose of mystery? Choose one answer.
a. to entertain
b. to persuade
c. to inform
d. all of the above
10. What makes something a mystery?
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