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Happy New Year.
I came back to school after a week in Florida, and I have that just-thrown-back-in-the-deep-end readjustment that most middle school teachers are feeling right now. It’s like, Welcome back, and Wait, where did we leave off? It’s a perfect time to introduce murder mysteries and How to think like a detective.
I began by introducing my students to W5H: Who, What , Where, When, Why, How? We’re learning to think and read and write like detectives. We’re figuring out a murder and unpacking the crime scene. We’re determining which characters are reliable and which are suspect.
My kids just discovered that the trunk they’ve been sitting on during read-aloud time is full of costumes. (Funny, they never asked!) And we’re reading Murder on the Orient Express. The students have figured out how to rearrange the room to match the setting of the novel, and things need to be returned to normal for the next class. Anyhow, there are several resources on the LOC site that we will incorporate into our classroom stage set.
Here are a few LOC items to enhance their sense of wonder and understanding about: the 1930’s and 40’s; the geography and cartography of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Morocco, Italy, France, England from that time; detective’s tools then and now; determining facts & detecting lies; the fashion and mindset of ladies and gentlemen who traveled internationally; train travel, and The Simplon Orient Express.
Check out these amazing travel posters that evoke the romance of international travel:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/travel-posters.html
A glimpse at some NYC police and detectives in the early 1900’s...it might be interesting to compare how crimes are solved today versus in the early part of the 20th century:
https://www.loc.gov/item/2006677374/
A fascinating history of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping which is loosely referenced in Murder on the Orient Express: FBI File on the Lindbergh Kidnapping
Images of Simplon Pass:
https://www.loc.gov/item/2001703319/
If I project these images on the White Board while they’re setting up the scene, then prompt them to look at the image through their ‘detective’s lenses’, it gives them another opportunity to practice “thinking like detectives.” The LOC Graphic Organizer is a perfect tool for encouraging students to observe closely, pose questions and uncover facts.
It’s hard to take things too seriously while my students are dressed in my mother’s housecoat and my great uncle’s hats, so interjecting images from the Library of Congress brings a bit of ‘real life’ into our discovery time. If you’ve studied murder mysteries, leave a little message and share any links/books/resources you used for your unit. Have a great 2018!
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Jodi, 
Jodi Sabra
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This is such a creative and interesting post. I hope you can share photos or something about your students reading in costumes.
I took a quick look at the travel posters http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/travel-posters.html
There is a unique home in my community that was built in the 1950's in somewhat of a Frank Lloyd Wright style. The current owners have retained most of the 50's and early 60's style and decor of prior owners. One fairly large hallway/entry is "wallpapered" with travel posters from that era. The master bathroom is wallpapered with playbills because the first owners were related to an actress. I wish I had photos to share.
Primary sources are all around us.
Jodi Sabra
, do you remember the PBS series History Detectives? I know I was always drawn to it because of its basis in analyzing primary sources! PBS has a website for the series with a ton of lesson plans. It's called Crack the Case: History's Toughest Mysteries.
Love the trunk idea!
Jodi Sabra
This is a wonderful lesson. I really like how you embedded the primary sources.
As I read your post I thought about the escape rooms that have become a fun source of entertainment in many communities. A group of people are locked in a room. They have approximately 1 hour to discover the clues to breakout of the room. This fall our staff broke into groups over a period of several days and participated in the local escape room. I'm wondering if you could create an escape room in your class with clues?
I can't wait to see what you create next.
This is incredible! With the new film the activity and book are sure to encourage a lot of interest. I teach the world wars and always looking for something unique to highlight the between the war time period. I don't have time to teach a novel, but this gives me some thoughts on how to incorporate the basic idea into my time frame. We've acted out or did a 'freeze frame' of images from Dr. Seuss Goes to War, the kids enjoyed dressing up and interpreting the cartoons from the book. Any other ideas for incorporating this idea in a 7th grade history class? Terrific stuff!
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I love that there is new info on the site daily!
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I had a wonderful time working with the Library of Congress and learning about all of the resources at my fingertips!
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The TPS Teachers Network has an equal exchange of ideas. You know it's not a place where you're being judged.
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My colleagues post incredibly fine resources and ideas....the caliber of the suggestions and resources make me feel that I take a lot from it. It's a takeaway. And I hope that I can give back as much as I get.
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Going into this school year, I have a fantastic new resource for my own instruction and to share with my colleagues!
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