Teaching with the Detective Kit
What does a Super Sleuth need to solve a mystery? Does your class know? Ask them. Then visit the Detective Kit.

• Tools of the Trade – Discuss how each of these items can help in a history investigation. Did your students name any of these items as things a Super Sleuth would need? Create kits for your students with these items. Using the kits and the Detective Notebook investigate history in your school building or on school grounds.
• Detective Notebook – Any good detective needs a notebook to organize evidence, notes, and ideas. The pages in the detective notebook can be personalized and printed out. If you do not have individual computer access for your students, you can make the notebooks for them. Print out the pages and photocopy them for your students. They can personalize them later. Include only the pages your students will need for the particular investigation you have planned. Use the notebook with the Codebreaker to investigate any history question. You many wish to use the notebook pages as transparencies while investigating as a class.
• Nameplate, Bookmarks, Labels and Business Cards – These can all be used to involve your students personally in the investigation. They are especially useful if you have limited access to computers in your classroom. You can print out accessories and have your students personalize them. They can place a nameplate on their desks when it is history investigation time!
• Booklist – Continue the adventure and expand your students’ history experience by reading the mysteries and detective stories.

[Historical Thinking Standard 4A: Historical Research Capabilities, Formulate historical questions]