Classroom Happenings: The Plot Thickens!

It’s no mystery: Steward’s third graders love to read, write, and solve puzzles. This semester, their teachers (Liz Houston, Andy Routzahn, and Emma Zehfuss) tasked their young super sleuths with writing their very own mysteries!

Students began by diving into some puzzle-centric reading: the A to Z Mysteries series, written by Ron Roy. The books, each with an alliterative title (think: “The Absent Author,” “The Bald Bandit,” etc.), feature three third-grade detectives (and their loveable Bassett Hound, Pal) who team up to solve crimes and mysteries. Students read “The Panda Puzzle” as a class and then read an additional three A to Z Mysteries on their own.  

“Third graders spent more than a month planning, writing, and editing their original stories,” said Ms. Zehfuss. “Characters, settings, and plots ran the gamut – it was thrilling to watch their ideas come to life as their stories unfolded!” She added, “They sketched out their stories and illustrations on paper and wrote the final versions on their tablets. Some students even recorded their voices narrating their mysteries.” The assignment exemplifies three of Steward’s six core values: academic achievement, individuality, and inspiration.

To cap off the project, parents were invited to visit Steward on January 16 for “Sippin’ with the Sleuths” and have their third grader read their mystery to them. Parents grabbed a cup of coffee and snuggled up with their Spartans on chairs or cozy pillows. The third-grade classrooms were soon filled with the joyful sounds of proud authors reading their whodunnits. 

“Our third graders are creative thinkers and enthusiastic readers and writers,” said Ms. Zehfuss. “We always delight in encouraging them to strengthen their love of learning in exciting new ways, and having parents join us in the classroom made this assignment so meaningful.”