Language Arts Unit Plan
Subject: Language Arts
Grade: 6
Theme: Mysteries
Enduring Question: “What tools and skills are needed in order to solve a mystery?”
Duration: Approximately 22 classes of 70-minutes per class
Specific Outcomes:
1. Understand forms and genres: Identify key characteristics of a variety of forms or genres of oral,
print and other media texts
 After reading mystery novels, students create a class web that describes the characteristics of
this genre.
2. Combine ideas: Use talk, notes, personal writing and representing, together with texts and the ideas
of others, to clarify and shape understanding.
3. Expand knowledge of language: Show the relationships among key words associated with topics of
study, using a variety of strategies such as thought webs, outlines and lists.
4. Express ideas and develop understanding: Engage in exploratory communication to share personal
responses and develop own interpretations.
5. Set goals: Assess personal language use, and revise personal goals to enhance language learning and
use
 Students ask questions about mystery stories they have written to set new writing goals; e.g.:
o Does my mystery story have suspense, believable clues and a twist to the ending?
o Is my story written in a logical order?
o Did I organize my paragraphs and dialogue effectively?
6. Use comprehension strategies: Use definitions provided in context to identify the meanings of
unfamiliar words
 Identify, and explain in own words, the interrelationship of the main ideas and supporting
details.
7. Use textual cues: Use text features, such as charts, graphs and dictionaries, to enhance understanding
of ideas and information
8. Use references: Choose the most appropriate reference to confirm the spellings or locate the
meanings of unfamiliar words in oral, print and other media texts
9. Focus attention: Use note-taking or representing to assist with understanding ideas and information,
and focusing topics for investigation
10. Cooperate with others: Identify and participate in situations and projects in which group work
enhances learning and results.
Initiating Activity:






As a class, students will write a short mystery story.
Following the guidance of the teacher, the class will write a mystery story, while learning
all of the mystery story elements.
Use the Smart Board to compose the story.
Teacher guides students to be detailed in their descriptions of characters, setting, motive,
plot, etc. Use guiding questions: (e.g.: What kind of day was it? How can we describe a
“rainy day” in more detail?)
Have students act out the scenes as they are written, to allow students to keep track of
their emotions during the experience. How did they feel when the victim was found?
Were they scared/nervous/anxious?
Students use this dramatic technique to take mental notes about their own emotions,
thoughts and predictions. Students will record these observations in their detective
notebooks, to remember when writing their own mystery story.
Grade 6
Tasha Tally
Corynn Sande Lori Zitaruk
Language Arts Unit Plan
Six Language Arts Elements:
Read:




Stories and scripts through peer editing
Mystery element definitions on Smart Board
Reading comprehension tasks (e.g. The Case of the Missing Person)
Web Quest
Write:




Mystery Element Jigsaw Web
Mystery Stories (Written and typed)
Mystery Scripts (Written and typed)
Investigation Booklet
Listen:



Class Short-Story composition
Listening comprehension (e.g. Dr. Quicksolve and Death Comes to Dinner)
Class discussions
View:




Play/movie performances
Definitions on Smart Board
Class short-story composition
Listening comprehension (the picture to follow along with)
Represent:



Class Short-story composition (dramatic representation)
Play/Movie performance
Script composition (getting into the mind of the characters [lesson 10])
Speak:



Class discussions
Play/movie performance
Class Short-Story composition
Grade 6
Tasha Tally
Corynn Sande Lori Zitaruk
Language Arts Unit Plan
Lesson
1: Mystery
Story
Composition
(1 class)
2: Mysterious
Elements
(1 class)



4: You’re My
Hero!
(1 class)
5: Web
Quest!
(1 class)
6: My Own
Creation
(2 classes)
Grade 6
6 LA
Elements
*Lessons may take more than one class in duration. Classes are 70 minutes in length.*
Unit Objectives
Listen
 Initiating Activity: As a class, compose a
Smart
Board
View
short mystery story.
Represent

3: Where in
the World?
(1 class)
Resources
Overview
o See Lesson Plan for details
Provide an overview of the Mysteries unit:
o Objectives
o Readings
o Activities and assignments
Definitions of Mystery Elements
o Mystery Element Jigsaw Spider
Web
Reading Comprehension:
o “The Case of the Missing Person”
o See handout
o See Lesson Plan for details
Exit Card: MYSTERY ELEMENTS
 Review Definitions
 Discuss answers to “Missing Person”
 Get into the Setting: Students create a
drawing of any place in the universe they
want to go and explain why.
 Share drawings
 Class Discussion: What makes a good
Mystery story?
 Class Brainstorm: Famous Detectives from
mystery stories… why do we love them?
 Reading Comprehension:
o The Case of the Snack Shack
 Introduce assignment: Mystery Stories
o See Lesson Plan for Details
 Begin working on rough draft of mystery
story: make sure they are thinking about all
mystery elements.
 Students experience an interactive web
quest about mysteries.
 Class Discussion: What was learned from
this web quest to help you write your
stories?
 Continue writing first draft of mystery story
 Peer editing: With a partner, edit stories
 Review: Mystery Elements… are students
including these?
Tasha Tally
Poster paper
Markers
The Case of the
Missing Person
handout
Dr. Quicksolve:
Holey Donuts
mini mystery
handout
Exit Card
Smart Board
Smart Board
The Case of the
Missing Person
White Paper
11’’x14’’
Pencil Crayons
Listen
Speak
Read
Write
Smart Board
The Case of the
Snack Shack
handout
Listen
Speak
Read
Write
Computers
Mystery Island
web quest
Listen
Write
View
Jigsaw Web
The Case of the
Rigged Ransom
Handout
Listen
Speak
Read
Write
Listen
Speak
View
Corynn Sande Lori Zitaruk
Language Arts Unit Plan
7: Mystery
Definition
Quiz
(1 class)
8: Magical
Mystery Tour
(1 class)
9: I am a
Play-Write!
(1 class)
10: Scooby
Doo – Why
do we love
you?
(1 class)
11: Script
Writing
(2 classes)
12: Peer Edit
(2 classes)
Grade 6
 Review: Jigsaw Web
 Reading Comprehension: “The Case of the
Rigged Ransom”
o See handout
 QUIZ: Mystery Definitions
 Begin revised draft of mystery story
o Share with a partner
o Check to see if all the steps are
completed
 Finish revised draft of mystery story
 Class Discussion: What kinds of mystery
stories are common today? (TV shows,
movies, plays, etc.).
 Mystery Story Script: Students turn their
mystery stories into a script and then a 3minute, 2-person live play or movie is
performed.
 Discussion: THINK ABOUT – mystery
elements and how to best portray them in a
movie or play.
 Exit Card: MYSTERIES EXIT CARD
 How to write a script: Show script examples
on Smart Board to create a visual of what a
script looks like.
o See Lesson Plan for details
 Using Smart Board, create a mini script with
the class, using appropriate script writing
elements.
 Exit Card: SCRIPT
 Show YouTube Scooby Doo clip.
 Class Discussion: why are we engaged
when watching Scooby Doo (suspense,
unique characters)?
 Take character quirks into consideration
when writing scripts: students write
descriptions of their characters… what they
look like, how they talk, their demeanour,
etc.
 First draft of scripts.
 Reading Comprehension: Death Comes to
Dinner (teacher reads aloud to class,
students look at picture provided for help).
o See handout
 Students complete first draft of scripts.
 Peer editing: spelling, grammar, ease of
Tasha Tally
Mystery
Definitions Quiz
Rough Drafts
Computers
Read
Write
View
Computers
Listen
Speak
Script Example
Smart Board
Exit Card
Listen
Speak
View
Scooby Doo
YouTube Clip
Listen
Speak
Read
Write
View
Represent
Death Comes to
Dinner picture
handout
Listen
Speak
Write
First Draft of
scripts
Mystery
Listen
Speak
Read
Corynn Sande Lori Zitaruk
Language Arts Unit Plan
flow, content, and mystery elements.
13: Perfection
is an Art!
(1 class)
14: Rehearsal
(1 class)
15: Encore!
(1 class)
16: Solve the
Crime!
(2 classes)
17:
Whodunit?
(2 classes)
 Revised version of script completion.
 Reading comprehension: Dr. Quicksolve:
Skating Rink Robbery.
o See handout
 Performance Practice: Students rehearse
with a partner to prepare for play/movie.
 Students who choose movie must have
theirs recorded by the end of this lesson.
 Popcorn, snacks, juice, etc. supplied for
movie/play day.
 Students perform their plays/movies
 Subject integration with science.
 Classroom set up as a crime scene, crime
scenario included.
o See handout
 Students must solve the crime (murderer,
motive, weapons used, etc).
o See handout
Summative Assessment:
 Students complete an investigation booklet,
including questions to answer about the
crime.
o See handout.
Culminating Activity:
Students will write a “whodunit” story for their
peers to solve.
 Students will begin by creating a story web
being sure to incorporate all of the elements
of a mystery story. Students will then write
a short whodunit, peer edit, and revise their
stories before handing them, and the
original unrevised copy, in for assessment
and before sharing their stories with
classmates to take turns solving.
Elements Jigsaw
web notes
Dr. Quicksolve:
Skating Rink
Robbery mini
mystery handout
Computers
Scripts
Video Camera
Smart Board
Videos
uploaded onto
computer
Crime Scene
Set-up (bin with
supplies)
Written crime
Scenario and
solution
Summative
Assessment:
Investigation
booklets
Write
Write
Read
Listen
Listen
Speak
Read
View
Represent
Listen
Speak
View
Represent
Speak
View
Read
Write
Represent
Write
Represent
Read
Culminating Activity:



As previously described and to show what they have learned through this unit, students
will write a “whodunit” story for their peers to solve.
This assignment will demonstrate: student understanding of the elements of mystery
stories, student ability to express ideas within this genre of suspense and using believable
clues, and student ability to write effectively and to organize in a logical order.
Students will be assessed using a mystery rubric with categories for idea, organization,
and voice.
Grade 6
Tasha Tally
Corynn Sande Lori Zitaruk