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DETEC

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Teacher’s Resource Guide

DetectiveDetectiveThe Case of the Bad SeedThe Case of the Cursed ChaletThe Case of the Dead DuckThe Case of the Wanted ManThe Case of the Watery Grave

Saddleback

ISBN-13: 978-156254-391-4 ISBN-10: 1-56254-391-1

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Teacher’s Notes ............................ 4

Answer Key .................................. 5

◆THE CASE OF THE BAD SEED

Pre-Reading Warm-Up ................ 8

Pre-Reading Vocabulary .............. 9

Character Study ......................... 10

Getting Meaning from Context Clues .................. 11

Synonyms and Antonyms .......... 12

Creative Writing ........................ 13

Word Workshop .......................... 14

◆THE CASE OF THE CURSED CHALET

Pre-Reading Warm-Up .............. 15

Pre-Reading Vocabulary ............ 16

Character Study ......................... 17

Synonyms and Antonyms .......... 18

Getting Meaning from Context Clues .................. 19

Idioms ......................................... 20

Sequence of Events .................... 21

Word Workshop .......................... 22

◆THE CASE OF THE DEAD DUCK

Pre-Reading Warm-Up .............. 23

Pre-Reading Vocabulary ............ 24

Character Study ......................... 25

Idioms ......................................... 26

Getting Meaning from Context Clues .................. 27

CONTENTS

Sequence of Events .................... 28

Word Workshop .......................... 29

◆THE CASE OF THE WANTED MAN

Pre-Reading Warm-Up .............. 30

Pre-Reading Vocabulary ............ 31

Getting Meaning from Context Clues .................. 32

Mystery Words ........................... 33

Recalling Details ........................ 34

Synonyms and Antonyms .......... 35

Word Workshop .......................... 36

◆THE CASE OF THE WATERY GRAVE

Pre-Reading Warm-Up .............. 37

Pre-Reading Vocabulary ............ 38

Character Study ......................... 39

Synonyms and Antonyms .......... 40

Mystery Words ........................... 41

Idioms ......................................... 42

Getting Meaning from Context Clues .................. 43

Word Workshop .......................... 44

◆GENERIC EXERCISES

Pick a Project ............................. 45

Reading and Comprehension Skills Glossary ......................... 46

Glossary of Literary Terms ........ 46

Working With the Glossary ....... 47

Book Report ................................ 48

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TEACHER’S NOTES

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Saddleback PAGETURNERS were especially designed to introduce reluctant readers to the pleasure of reading for entertainment. Each novella features a compelling plot, colorful young-adult characters, and an interesting modern setting. Short sentences and paragraphs, extensive use of realistic dialogue, and the carefully controlled 4.0 reading level combine to ensure growth in reading competence as well as an enjoyable experience.

The variety of exercises provided in this Teacher’s Resource Guide can be used to extend the learning experience for all your students. Some of the reproducible worksheets teach traditional comprehension skills such as recall, noting details, and sequencing story events. Others focus on competency areas such as vocabulary, synonyms and antonyms, figures of speech, inference, and character study. In all, these handy reproducibles both reinforce and enrich your students’ skills and provide you, the teacher, with an easy way to track each individual’s progress.

PRESENTING THE PROGRAM

Before students begin to read one of the books, present copies of the Pre-Reading Warm-Up and the Pre-Reading Vocabulary exercises for that title. You should also distribute copies of the literary glossary at the same time. If it seems appropriate for your class, by all means initiate a discussion of the book’s title, cover, and genre in this pre-reading session. As many of the exercises refer students to a dictionary for investigation or verification, make sure that dictionaries are readily available to every student.

After students read the book, present the additional worksheets for each title, ending with the Word Workshop lesson. The generic Book Report activity may be done by the group (with one student acting as scribe) or completed by individual students.

NAME ________________________________________

DATE ________________________________________

Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2010 • www.sdlback.com 8

the case of the bad seed

PRE-READING WARM-UP

The following questions introduce ideas, themes, and situations you will meet in the book you are about to read. For answers, draw on your own ideas, experiences, and opinions.

1. Can wealth sometimes cause family problems as well as solve them? How might wealth create problems between brothers and sisters?

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2. Do you think a person’s character can be judged by the kind of friends he or she spends time with? Explain why or why not.

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3. Would you like to have a job as a private investigator? What would you especially enjoy about that kind of work? What would you not like about it?

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4. Can it be difficult to tell whether someone is lying or telling the truth? What factors might make you want to believe a doubtful story?

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5. Would you try to stop a drunk person from driving a car? Explain why or why not.

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NAME ________________________________________

DATE ________________________________________

Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2010 • www.sdlback.com 9

the case of the bad seed

PRE-READING VOCABULARY

The activities on this page introduce some of the words you will come across in the story.

A. Use the clues to complete the crossword puzzle. Answers are the words in the box.

resumed seedysalvaged bilkedisolated bogus sired

ACROSS

2. away from others; alone

4. cheated or swindled

5. fathered; became the male parent of

6. shabby; untidy

DOWN

1. continued or began again

3. saved from being damaged or destroyed

4. false; not genuine

B. Use each word from the puzzle in a sentence of your own. Be sure to make the word’s meaning clear.

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________

6. ____________________________________________________________________

7. ____________________________________________________________________

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B

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NAME ________________________________________

DATE ________________________________________

Saddleback Educational Publishing © 2010 • www.sdlback.com 10

the case of the bad seed

CHARACTER STUDY

A. Unscramble the characters’ names to complete the sentences.

1. (KINKI stReeP) _______________________ was in no hurry to

find a new romantic relationship.

2. (Lah sePYMed) _______________________’s mustache made him

look like a big old walrus.

3. (tRab heLWeRe) _______________________ had no intention

of getting married.

4. (LaNdY sPeedMY) _______________________ said his brother

was an evil monster.

5. (NIcLo YedMePs) _______________________ lost his mother

when he was very young.

B. Use one of the characters’ names to answer each question.

1. Who asked Nikki if there was a “detective in her soul”? ____________________________

2. Who said, “Chicks fell in his path like tenpins at the bowling alley”? ____________________________

3. Who said, “I’ve always been on the outside looking in”? ____________________________

4. Who gave Nikki a pearl necklace? ____________________________

5. Who said, “Hey, there’s a gun in here!”? ____________________________