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Predicting a Mystery's Solution
Practice making informed predictions. Have your class create a paper fortune-teller and ask questions about the future. They compare the fortune-telling process to the more informed kind of predictions they make while reading. They...
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Patterns and Pentominoes
Students solve pentomino puzzles. In this problem solving instructional activity, students discuss how pentomino puzzles play into the plot of Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett and practice solving a pentomino puzzle on their own....
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Writing Like an Artist Paints Using "Chasing Vermeer"
Young scholars use artistic words when writing about an object moving quickly past a character who is standing still. In this writing and art lesson plan, students read the passage Chasing Vermeer and base their writing off of it.
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Language Arts: Chasing Vermeer - A DaVinci Code for Children
Students read the mystery novel, Chasing Vermeer, research the artist and his works. Through observation of his works, they create their own pencil sketches of selected paintings. Finally, students simulate Vermeer's interiors with...
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Textual Analysis Lesson: Who Was Vermeer?
Apply the Textual Analysis process and answer questions about a text. Learners read Chasing Vermeer and "Who Was Vermeer?" They then use the textual analysis process to answer questions regarding what they read.
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Break the Pentomino Code!
Students read and analyze the book, Chasing Vermeer. They discuss the main story elements, analyze how pentominoes are important to the story, use a pentomino code to decipher a message, and create a secret code of their own.
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Picture the Process!
Students read "Chasing Vermeer," and then study the author's writing process. They make connections between the book and the author's real life experiences. They then write an original mystery story, following the writing process.
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Red Herrings
Young scholars follow clues and find a hidden object that is really in plain sight. In this red herrings lesson plan, students recognize that some reading clues are misleading. Young scholars read Chasing Vermeer and search for...
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What is a mystery?
What is a mystery? Learners complete an anagram worksheet to discover the mystery genre. First, they listen as the teacher reads from All About Mysteries and notes defining words on the board. Then they read a mystery and examine it for...
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Picture the Process
Students read Chasing Vermeer and relate the book to the author . In this writing process lesson plan, students view Blue's Photo Album and see how the author writes and revises her work. Students discuss the process that all good...
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Character's Motive
Why do people commit crimes? Middle schoolers investigate characters' motives for committing a crime in a character analysis lesson. First, they read the book Chasing Vermeer and identify the suspects. They then record the details about...
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Patterns and Pentominoes
Pupils participate in a class discussion about how pentominoes figure into the plot of "Chasing Vermeer." They then solve pentominoe puzzles and play interactive games. Resource links are provided for the activities and puzzles.
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Art Mystery
Students explore famous artists in order to write mystery stories incorporating their life and works. They write their own based on their research of a particular artist.