by Doug Cushman
Reading Level 2.7
| Setting: | A train, a friend's house, and Aunt Eater's house. |
| Characters: | Aunt Eater, her friend Eliza, and Mr. Chumley |
| Plot: | Aunt Eater finds mystery wherever she goes. |
| Solution: | Aunt Eater always solves the mysteries by thinking and reasoning. |
| Summary: | In this chapter book, Aunt Eater the anteater travels on a train to visit her friend Eliza. There is a mystery to solve on the train, at Eliza's house, when Aunt Eater returns home, and again when she agrees to take care of her neighbor's cat. |
| Curriculum Connections: | Mystery writing, transportation unit, friendship unit |
Ask children if they have ever heard of an animal called a giant anteater. Show a picture of an anteater and ask the children if they know why this animal might be good at eating ants. Anteaters, Sloths, and Armadillos by Ann O. Squire is a possible nonfiction book to use.
Discuss the elements of a mystery, including suspense, a hook, danger and risk, foreshadowing, cliffhangers to keep us reading, and strong characters.
Read the chapter titles. Have the students try to predict what might happen in each chapter. Remind them to keep in mind that this is a mystery story.
Ask students to do the following exercise: Picture yourself riding on a train, and all of a sudden you hear loud popping sounds. How would you feel? What would you do?
Ask students: Have you ever made popcorn before? Can you explain what happens?
Ask students the following questions:
How would you find a mystery in the library, even though they are written by many different authors?
Does your library use special stickers to help you find mysteries?
Do mysteries always have to be scary to be fun to read?
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Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: Teaching Emergent Readers: Collaborative Library Lesson Plans.
Contributors: Judy Sauerteig - Author.
Publisher: Libraries Unlimited.
Place of publication: Westport, CT.
Publication year: 2005.
Page number: 5.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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