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Lesson Plan
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Patterns and Pentominoes

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Young scholars solve pentomino puzzles.  In this problem solving lesson, students discuss how pentomino puzzles play into the plot of Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett and practice solving a pentomino puzzle on their own.  Young...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing Like an Artist Paints Using "Chasing Vermeer"

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students 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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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Language Arts: Chasing Vermeer - A DaVinci Code for Children

For Teachers K - 12th
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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Lesson Plan
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Identifying Clues to Help Solve a Mystery

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders find clues. In this mystery lesson students search for clues within Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett to solve the mystery in the story. Students record the details they find.
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Lesson Plan
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Break the Pentomino Code!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
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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Lesson Plan
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Predicting a Mystery's Solution

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
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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Lesson Plan
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Textual Analysis Lesson: Who Was Vermeer?

For Teachers 6th Standards
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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Lesson Plan
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Red Herrings

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students follow clues and find a hidden object that is really in plain sight.  In this red herrings lesson, students recognize that some reading clues are misleading.  Students read Chasing Vermeer and search for misleading clues in the...
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Lesson Plan
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Picture the Process

For Teachers 2nd - 7th
Young scholars read Chasing Vermeer and relate the book to the author .  In this writing process lesson, students view Blue's Photo Album and see how the author writes and revises her work. Young scholars discuss the process that all...
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Lesson Plan
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Character's Motive

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
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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Lesson Plan
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Patterns and Pentominoes

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners 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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Lesson Plan
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Picture the Process!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
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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Lesson Plan
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What is a mystery?

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
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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Lesson Plan
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Mystery Plot Problems

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students recognize that mysteries contain a problem that needs solving at the beginning of the book.  In this mystery plot activity, students become the detectives finding the problems and minor problems in a mystery story.  Students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Art Mystery

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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.

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