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WHO DUN IT?
Exploring Literature and Creative Writing Through Classic Mystery Stories

  • Who Dun It is a high school English course centered around murder mysteries. For the literature component, students read classic mysteries by authors such as Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers, Edgar Allan Poe, and others. For the writing element, students will plan and write their own murder mystery. We will cover elements of plot, characterization, descriptive writing, and more. 

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  • Students will

    • Read classic mystery novels and short stories

    • Discuss these stories, their plots, and their literary elements and themes

    • Discuss their settings and characters

    • Develop a main character and other supporting characters

    • Choose and describe a setting

    • Plan out a short story and novel 

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  • Reading and writing speeds vary, but students can expect roughly 3½-4½ hours of homework each week. They will be reading the mystery stories and preparing for discussion as well as planning and writing their own work. 

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  • This class is for any student, grades 9-12, as well as advanced 8th grade students.

 

  • This full year course is worth 1 credit of high school English. Parents are responsible for managing the transcript for their student.  The teacher will communicate the end-of-course grade within 2 weeks of the final class date.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
 
Books students must purchase and bring:
 
  • Who Dun It Murder Mystery Literature and Writing by Meredith Curtis
    • This includes the planning worksheets, background info on the stories and authors, and several of the short stories we will be reading. It is available on Amazon.
  • The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne*

  • Six Great Sherlock Holmes Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle*

  • Favorite Father Brown Stories by G.K.Chesterton*

  • Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

  • And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 

  • Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers*

  • Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark

  • The Roman Hat by Ellery Queen 

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Books marked with a * are in the public domain and may be found free of charge online.

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CLASS TIME

Fall 2023-Spring 2024 Thursdays

10:00-11:30 AM

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   $140.00 per semester - payable at registration

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*Plus insurance and facilities fee.

See Registration page for details.

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CLASS FEE
INSTRUCTOR​
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