Reader's Notebook

Analyze What You Read

Start by downloading the Reader’s Notebook: Analyze What You Read page.

1. Use the story What's the Mystery? Sammy on the Case (the poster on the Predicting and Inferring - Think Like a Reader page).
   
• Then, answer the first question on the Reader’s Notebook: Analyze What You Read worksheet. Remember to answer all of the questions in at least one complete sentence.


2. Next, refer back to the chart you filled in during the Reader's Notebook: It's a Mystery, Unit Opener activity.
   
• Think about all the heroes or "good guys" in the mystery stories and shows you know about. What sorts of character traits to they all seem to have? Now, think about the villains or "bad guys" in the stories or shows. What sorts of character traits do they all seem to have? List five traits of the heroes and five traits of the villains on the Reader’s Notebook: Analyze What You Read page for this lesson.


3. When groups of people (like the good guys or the bad guys in mystery stories) are always portrayed or shown to act the same, this is called stereotyping. Stereotypes can serve as clues in mystery stories. Stereotypes can also cause people to think about groups of people in a negative way. As you are reading, be aware of how people are being portrayed and remember that these portrayals are not always true.
   
• Answer the final question on the Reader’s Notebook: Analyze What You Read page.