The write start - Jennifer Hallissy 2010

Private Eye
Guidelines for the Activities

LIFE IS FULL OF MYSTERIES. Who forgot to put their coffee cup in the sink? Who tracked muddy footprints all over the house? Who took Dad’s screwdriver? Where did Mom leave her keys?

Little sleuths are more than willing to track down clues to solve even the most perplexing of puzzles. And how do they manage to remember all the evidence? By writing it down, of course. Whether it’s a whodunit or a whathappened or a wherediditgo, pint-sized private eyes can record all the clues in their pocket notepad until the case is closed.

MATERIALS

∗ flip-top memo pad

∗ pencil

∗ magnifying glass

∗ spy gear: trench coat, hat, sunglasses, newspaper (for hiding behind)

HOW-TO

Show kids how to observe inconspicuously, gather evidence, and hunt for clues. Every lead they find should be written down in their trusty memo pad.

Variations

For Scribblers: Pre-writers can practice looking at things through their magnifying glasses and scribbling in their memo pads when they see something of interest.

For Spellers: With a little direction from you, Spellers can look for some clues, scavenger-hunt style, by checking off items on a checklist.

For Storytellers: Storytellers can jot down clues in their memo pads and make notes about any suspicious behavior they observe.

For Scholars: When there’s a real mystery to solve, who ya gonna call? Scholars. When there’s an actual problem in need of solving (think: socks going missing in the dryer, a strange unidentified beeping sound, someone or something knocking over your garden gnome), encourage your Scholars to conduct interviews, collect and label evidence, and canvass the witnesses.