Mystery Genre Game - Book Character Archetypes - Genre Review Library Lesson

Middle school students LOVE this Mystery Genre Game! I use it in the library, but it's also fun for ELA classrooms. The game reviews the mystery genre and gets students talking, coloring, laughing, and learning about mystery book character archetypes and vocabulary. Low-prep and editable.

FAST FACTS ABOUT THIS MYSTERY GENRE GAME:

• Recommended for: Grades 5-8
• Formats: PPT, Google Slides, PDF
• Lesson Duration: 2 lessons of 30-45 minutes each (first lesson is shorter)
• Number of pages: 29 PPT and Google Slides + 3 printable pages

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL GET IN THIS MYSTERY GENRE GAME:

• PowerPoint / Google Slides game (29 slides, all text is editable in both PPT and Google Slides)
• Student answer cards (1 page, PDF, not editable)
• 4 bookmarks (1 page, PDF and PPT, 100% editable)
• Mystery Genre display poster (1 page, PDF, not editable)

YOU WILL NEED:

• computer projector and screen (no audio required)
• ability to open PowerPoint OR Google Slides documents + PDFs
• a printer (for bookmarks, answer cards, and the poster)
• blue, red, green, yellow, purple colored pencils and/or markers (every student will need one of each color)

HOW THE MYSTERY GENRE GAME WORKS:

Students will need one answer card (prints 6 per page) and colored pencils, markers, or crayons at the tables. The only colors needed are: red, green, yellow, purple, and blue. Students can share the coloring materials, but this will slow down the game. Each student needs their own answer card.

Pull up the Mystery Genre Game presentation slides on a TV or screen. Start with the first student slide. It will walk them through the directions and all the game questions.

For each question, students answer by coloring a dot on their answer sheet. For example, if they like the "red" answer best for themselves, they will color one dot red.

After students have answered all 12 questions, the game slides will walk them through scoring and their results. The students will need to count the number of red, blue, green, yellow, and purple dots they colored. Their "results" are whichever color they marked the most.

• Mostly red dots = "The Detective"
• Mostly green dots = "The Eyewitness"
• Mostly yellow dots = "The Mastermind"
• Mostly blue dots = "The Accomplice"
• Mostly purple dots = "The Victim"

The slideshow will then explain each mystery genre character archetype, including characteristics of that archetype and other words for that archetype. Each archetype has two slides devoted to it, plus lots of literary terms (listed below).

MYSTERY GENRE GAME TERMINOLOGY INCLUDES:

• mastermind
• accomplice
• eyewitness
• detective
• alibi
• red herring
• perpetrator
• culprit
• motive
• evidence
• sycophant
• toady
• lackey
• sidekick
• investigator
• sleuth
• gumshoe
• bystander
• passer-by

HAVE A QUESTION? You can click the PREVIEW button above to see additional details. If you still need help, please email me at leigh@readerpants.net or ask a question through the TPT Q&A.

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