Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What are the elements of a good mystery? What tools are used by writers to create these elements?

Teaching Suggestion: The Westing Game is about a group of characters who live in Sunset Towers and have the opportunity to inherit from the eccentric Sam Westing if they are able to solve the mystery of his game. Suspicions are aroused as the characters are told Mr. Westing has been killed by one of the players. Before discussing the elements of the mystery genre as a group, students might work briefly together in pairs to brainstorm mysteries they know and examine elements they have in common. Information from these or similar resources can help students develop additional context on the topic.  

• This article explains the tools that are used by professionals to write a mystery book.
• This 5-minute video explores the important elements of a mystery story.

Short Activity

Create an original graphic organizer to use as you explore the characters, their motives, and clues in the novel.