The Mystery

The Story

A boy is hurt in a bicycle accident. The ambulance driver rushes the boy to a hospital and calls the child's father, Dr. Smith. Dr. Smith meets the ambulance at the emergency room and becomes hysterical when he sees his injured son. In the operating room, where the boy is taken for surgery, Dr. Smith gazes into the child's face, then says, "I'm glad this is not my son."

5 characteristics of a good story

1. Character2. Plot3. Theme4. Spectacle5. Language

Characters

MAJOR CHARACTERS - DYNAMICProtagonistAntagonistFoil

MINOR CHARACTERS - STATIC

Plot

ExpositionForeshadowingInciting ForceConflictRising ActionCrisisClimaxFalling ActionResolution (Denouement)

Conflict

Man versus ManMan versus NatureMan versus SocietyMan versus Self

Point of View

• First Person

• Third-Person Objective

• Third-Person Limited

• Omniscient

Theme

1. Feelings of the main character2. Thoughts and conversations3. What the main character does4. Actions or events

Spectacle

• Action• Beyond the words

Language

IMAGERYFIGURATIVE LANGUAGE– Simile– Metaphor– Alliteration– Personification– Onomatopoeia– Hyperbole

Tone/Mood/Symbolism

Tone - attitudeMood - feeling

SYMBOLISM - Anything that suggests a meaning beyond the obvious.

A Day At the Zoo

• Last Saturday, Kerry and four other children arrived early at the zoo so they could be the first ones in line (each child has a different favorite type of animal that he or she was anxious to see). As they waited in line, each child received a complimentary Mylar balloon with a different design on it.

The Scenario

Two of the children - Johan and Mario - are boys, and three - Kerry, Lani, and Naomi - are girls. Can you determine the order (first, second, third, fourth, or fifth) each

child stood in line, each child's favorite type of animal (one child likes the chimpanzees), and the design (one is a rainbow) on the balloon each received?

1. The girl whose favorite animals are the tigers (who isn't Naomi) was third in line. Her balloon did not have hearts or stripes. 2. Johan (who was not last in line) was standing immediately behind a boy. Lani's favorite animals are neither the tigers nor the zebras. 3. Neither Lani's nor Naomi's balloon was either the one with hearts or the one with stripes. The balloon with stripes wasn't Mario's. 4. The one whose favorite animals are the zebras, who isn't the one who received the balloon with swirls, was fourth in line. The one who received the balloon with polka dots likes the lions the most. Johan isn't the one whose favorite animals are the giraffes.

Order Child Animal Balloon

1st Mario Giraffe heart

2nd Johan Chimp stripes

3rd Kerry Tiger swirls

4th Naomi Zebra rainbow

5th Lani Lion Polka-dots

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill To fetch a pail of water

Jack fell down and broke his crownAnd Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got, and home did trot As fast as he could caper

He went to bed and bound his headWith vinegar and brown paper.

Humpty DumptyHumpty Dumpty sat on the wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.All the king's horses

And all the king's menCouldn't put Humpty Dumpty

Together again.Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.The more the girls cried,

The harder they tried,To put Humpty Dumpty

Together again.

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king's horsesAnd all the king's men

Finally put himTogether again

Hey Diddle Diddle

Hey diddle diddle,

The cat and the fiddle,

The cow jumped over the moon,

The little dog laughed to see such sport,

And the dish ran away with the spoon.

HOMEWORK – Nursery Rhyme Mystery

• Choose one nursery rhyme and write a two-page mystery of your own (typed, double-spaced).

• Your story must have at least one major and one minor character. • Your mystery must demonstrate the 7 elements of plot and have at

least one example of conflict. • Your writing must be clear and understandable; you must at least

attempt to create a mood and indicate your tone. • There must be some evidence of spectacle in your story. • If you include “good” figurative language, you will receive extra

credit. • Avoid violence in their stories; most mysteries are simple. • WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

Peer Editing

• 1. Is your main character(s) dynamic? Why/why not.

• 2. Does your plot exhibit clear exposition, inciting action, conflict, rising action, crisis, climax, falling action, resolution? Why/why not?

• 3. What point of view do you use? Is it effective?• 4. Is there spectacle? If so, what is it? If not, why

not? Is it effective?• 5. Does the language appeal to the senses?

Why/why not?