Read a selection of mysteries and make a comparison chart. After completing each book, the class or individual students can start filling out a chart comparing each book's main character, suspects, clues and resolutions. Students can compare motivations, physical descriptions, interests and skills for the characters. After filling out information for three or more books, encourage students to draw conclusions about the mystery genre, such as "Most mysteries have foreshadowing."
The mystery genre introduces lots of new vocabulary to students: alibi, clue, crime, detective, evidence, sleuth, red herring, suspect and witness. Have students create dictionaries in which they illustrate or write the meaning of each new vocabulary word. Teachers can also include vocabulary words learned in the specific mysteries, such as "clenched" and "wacko" from Bruce Hale's "Chet Gecko" mysteries.
One creative teaching idea for the mystery genre is to have students make wanted posters for the villains in their books. Children can make the posters after completing the book and learning who the villain is or while they are still reading the book and suspecting one of the characters. Students can draw a picture of the villain, list his or her crimes, give a physical description and choose the reward amount.
Adults have murder mystery evenings. So why not let elementary students have mystery afternoons? In these popular party scenarios, participants are given characters to play and a setting in which to participate. One participant is the villain and receives a briefing on the crime beforehand. The victim also usually knows what is going to happen. Then the other participants try to figure out who committed the crime. Teachers can plan the characters, settings, costumes, party elements and crime. Students can also help with some of the planning, though the teacher and the secret villain will be the only ones who know the mystery's solution. Another option is to have the class plan the experience for another class or for parents.