Christmas Reading Comprehension: Rudolph the Reindeer Mystery Christmas Activity

Christmas Reading Mystery: Once Upon A Crime, Rescue Rudolph! A fun reading and comprehension activity to engage young readers this Christmas. Easy prep! Just Print & Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Docs option provided within your download.

⭐This resource is ideal for 3rd - 4th Grade⭐ (or high reading level 2nd graders)

>> For an easier Christmas Reading Mystery (1st -2nd Grade), check out the Case of Santa's Smashed Sleigh

>> For a more challenging Christmas Reading Mystery (high 4th - 6th Grade), check out the Case of the Reckless Reindeer

⭐A video hook is provided to set the stage to engage! Check out the video hook in the preview section.

⭐A bonus ENDING VIDEO clip is included to celebrate finishing the mystery.

⭐NEW: Fun Visual Suspect Character Cards Included.

>>To play this mystery in a digital graphic game mode <please click here>

Distance Learning option: I've added a Word Document within the folder that contains a Google Doc link to share this resource with your students via Google Classroom or Drive. Parts of the pages are editable, so your students can complete them without printing them. Please note, you will need to make a copy of the Google Slides to your drive before you can edit.

- The main goal of this mystery is to encourage reading.

- The work involved to solve the clues covers skills such as comprehension; spelling; vocabulary; synonyms; cause and effect.

- Students must highlight the evidence in the reading to prove their answers.

- The discovery format requires a fill-in-the-missing letter process to unlock clues. (Differentiation Option included, B-Edition Structure, which requires full answers, but teacher to check. Word Banks are provided to make the word puzzles easier.)

- Reading is required to be able to solve the missing letters in words, sentences, and statements or to answer the questions/solve the vocabulary puzzles.

- Each clue requires students to critically think and use deductive reasoning to decide which suspects they can eliminate from their suspect list. The last suspect remaining is the one who kidnapped Rudolph!

All of the reading passages are included in this original story that features your 'student detective' as the star throughout.

Preparation

This is a print and go activity (with optional Google Slides now added to the pack). Everything that you need for this activity is in the download, including the reading passages. Just print, copy for your students and set up the (optional) video hook for viewing at the start! The video hook is designed to make students think 'what's going on?' This was done on purpose to encourage them to read.

Implementation suggestion:

Depending on your students' reading abilities, the ease of this activity may vary. To keep everyone at the same pace, you could read the passages together as a class and then follow up with the activities to fill in the missing letters that will help unlock a clue. For independent work, set a timer for reading only, and then allow them time to answer the questions and re-read the text if they need. If your students find this too easy, I'd recommend the 'Private Eye CSI - Literacy Mysteries' range instead, which requires inferring and more skill to solve the mystery.

If your students are trying to attempt the activity section without reading the passages, instruct them to highlight the evidence in the reading text to show you where they found the answers.

Read more about implementing this activity in your classroom HERE.

How long will this activity take?

This varies depending on the age and reading level of your students. If you would like to keep your class at the same point, I recommend pacing the clues one by one.

The same 'self-checking feature' included in this design as in my math mystery range.

What are Once Upon a Crime Reading Mysteries?

Learn more about what to expect in this blog post.

There are FIVE clues to crack!

SKILLS TARGETED

- Reading

- Comprehension

- Spelling

- Cause and Effect

- Synonyms

- Character Traits

- Vocabulary

- Critical Thinking

- Writing (optional on the mystery declaration sheet)

OPTIONAL: After finishing the five clue sheets, an optional mystery declaration sheet can be used to state the kidnapper. On this declaration page, students report WHO they think is the culprit, plus outline the clues discovered along with their elimination reasoning for each.

Fun printable awards in an article format included too! (Shhh.... keep these a secret as they reveal the mystery answer in the newspaper article your little star detective is also featured in.)

You will also receive instructions, answer sheets and an elimination guide.

Your feedback on this resource would be appreciated.

Differentiation Options included with this Resource

• A 'B-Edition' Alternative Structure is included for differentiation purposes. This alternative copy of Rescue Rudolph removes the missing letter filling structure and requires full answers. If you choose to use the B-Edition copy, you will need to prep the clue cards into envelopes or boxes (or keep hidden) and students will need to check-in with you to gain access to each clue.
• Word Banks are included within a single file found in the alternate options. These are useful if you need to make this activity easier for some of your students.
• Check out the 'Read me' file included in the folder download first.

Thank you and enjoy!

You may also be interested in:

Other Reading Mysteries

Once upon a Crime: Stolen Time

Once upon a Crime - Humpty's Fall!

Thanksgiving - Once Upon a Crime, Turkey Trouble!

Valentine's Day - Once Upon a Crime, Poisoned Valentine

St Patrick's Day - Once Upon a Crime, Fool's Gold

Easter - Once Upon a Crime, EGGpocalypse!

Beginning of the School Year - Once Upon a Crime, Teacher Toads

Halloween - Once Upon a Crime, The Haunting Hat

Other Christmas Resources

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Zombie Elves

Christmas Math Quest Activity: Reindeer Round-Up

Add extra motivation with this Detective Rank Chart Download the Mystery Record & Rank Chart FREEBIE HERE

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Thank you!

Mrs. J.

© 2018

Merry Christmas!