The Westing Game Novel Study: Activities & Questions to Improve Comprehension

Support comprehension of The Westing Game (and have some fun!) A detective's journal helps kids keep track of tenants, the obituary, paired heirs, and clues. Additional activities and discussion questions foster understanding of this complex puzzle-piece mystery novel.

These resources were created to address a specific need in my classroom. Although I taught a class of high ability students, some just didn't get the outcome of this book. When, however, they analyzed specific details and discussed in literacy groups, they were able to look beyond the red herring and understand. In a nutshell, kids focused on key components of the story - and became more observant.

What’s Included:

• Detective's Journal – Kids take notes and make observations in this 24-page foldable booklet. They find roles of the selected tenants, analyze the obituary and the will, find clues for each pair of heirs, take notes on characters, and wrap up by identifying the mystery and its solution. Additional pages for notes and observations are also included. [Teacher/Parent Directions: Print the booklet back-to-back on six sheets of paper; fold.]

• Discussion Guide - Whether you study in small groups, as a class, or at home, these questions help students understand details of the text. They are designed to promote discussion and keep kids focused. [Note: Not all questions can be clearly answered due to the ambiguous nature of the game. These questions were designed for discussion only.]

• Character Sheets - To promote greater interaction and deeper understanding, display these Westing heir sheets. Students share their findings for each character with the class.

• Character Cards - This activity lets your kids create their own character trading cards! Each of the 24 cards has space for a drawing and character information.

• BONUS: Support Materials – Three pages of teaching notes will help you navigate the novel. The lyrics for “America the Beautiful” can be offered to students when they’re ready to combine all their clues. Brief rules for the game of chess will help them understand how Ellen Raskin has woven an elaborate game of chess through this book.

Enjoy teaching The Westing Game!

Brenda Kovich, NBCT