Classic Mystery Book Discussion (The Westing Game) that Keeps You Guessing The Whole Way!

In this class, students will read chapters of The Westing Game and then come together to gather clues, make inferences and investigate to find the murderer. We will discuss clues, character descriptions, and plot development. Each class period we will discuss the chapter shenanigans and discuss the thoughts and motivations behind character choices. 

We will discuss the strategies the author used to create suspense and mystery. Students will use deductive thinking skills to make an accusation of their own. 
We will spend time in each class period discussing the way the author infers different things in the chapters versus telling us. Trivia Games at the end of the 2nd, 4th and 6th class to review and engage learners. 


A Virtual book is provided for free. 

Parent Reviews: 
"First timer in outschool and my son enjoyed every moment in this class.  He was engaged and loved the class discussions/ games. Any child with a creative and adventurous mind would like this class"

"My son loved the class and loved working with others to resolve the mystery. The teacher did a great job keeping all students involved and explaining everything. Hopefully you offer a similar class on another mystery book."

"Wow what a fantastic book, but even more so- what a fantastic teacher! The children jumped out of their seats continuously, trying to get their thoughts in and the teacher acted mainly as facilitator and bringer of mystery. No spoilers- this class only works if the children read exactly the pages instructed by the teacher, and no more. This requires a great deal of self control. Your child will love it!"

"The course was a good mix of comprehension and discussion and just plain fun. The mystery came alive for my daughter and she looked forward to reading each part before the next class and creating and loved writing an alternate ending."

Book Reviews:

I purchased this because I owned the book as a child, and liked the story so much I wanted a copy for myself. This is about a group of people who move into a new condo building. What begins mostly as a group of strangers, they find out they might have more in common than they think when a rich, old millionaire turns up dead and they're all listed as potential heirs to his fortune.

Even though the novel is considered a young adult, I think it holds up well to read over and over again. It has a couple of slightly spooky or creepy parts to it and is also pretty witty. And the mystery keeps you guessing throughout the story. It's a good mystery for older audiences as much as is it for school-aged kids.

The Westing Game is a classic to me - I love the mysterious nature of the game and the careful development of the rich and expansive cast of characters. It's obvious that Ellen Raskin was a lover of language and a player with words. What a pleasure to experience her cleverness! The plot is great, but the characters and their personal development take center stage in a satisfying tale. Must read!

***Students must have access to turn the microphone on during class participation. All students are expected to participate. 


PARENTS BEFORE CLASS: 
You'll need to turn on some notifications to receive communication from the teacher, weekly worksheets or changes in our class schedule. 
Please go to PROFILE and SETTINGS 
Under PRIVATE SETTINGS go to Select which email you receive
Under FOR PARENTS select ON for classroom conversations, class reminders, class feedback and class notifications

*PARENTS PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE PM*

Please note that I am NOT always able to check messages from parents during class time.  I will do my best to get back to parents as soon as I'm able to.  However, I normally teach back to back classes per day and my schedule does not permit me to always be available to check the messages. Feel free to reach out to OS tech support with any problems joining the class. Your understanding is greatly appreciated. :)

REFUNDS
No shows and/or missed classes (intentionally or not) are not entitled to a refund. I will do my best to accommodate a transfer. 
*DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME  I WILL NOT BE TRANSFERRING STUDENTS IN A SOLD OUT CLASS THE DAY OF/AFTER CLASS HAS BEGUN*. 
A recording of the class will be posted in the classroom after the session is completed for your reference.

LATE STUDENTS
If your child joins a class late, please advise I will do my best to bring the late student up to speed. However, I will not re-teach missed portions of the class. Students will have access to the class recording to view the missed portion of the class.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
~ Let's have some fun learning
~ Be appropriate in the chat and out loud OR you will be removed from class with no refund. Chat discussions need to be about the book discussion.
~ I love to see you so you can get the most from your investment in class so video ON unless parents contact me before class.
~ Any disrespectful behavior will result in the student being asked to leave the class 

I keep classes close to the allotted amount of time, however, classes with few students or conversely talkative students may prevent the class from ending at the scheduled time; either a few minutes before or after.  

I always prefer parents to come to me directly with concerns and I will do my best to resolve the challenge.