The ranking of these lists are then scored against an experts ranking.  Teachers may then use the individual and team scoring for discussing the strengths (or weaknesses) they found in their respective teams.  Good teams listen to everyone’s ideas and will (nearly) always score better than an individual alone.

These role plays are always a big hit and fun lessons for students.

• Subject Areas: Any
• Materials Required: Copies of handouts in packet (or means of displaying them), paper for students.
• Time Needed: Typically an entire class period.

Students may work in groups or independently as they write an essay using deductive inferences.  Essays are then shared in a “read-around” activity.  This lesson packet contains all you need to run the simulation, with directions and step by step guidance for the read-around activity, too, plus additional resources that may be used as extensions of this lesson.

Atlantis typically takes most classes two full periods to complete in addition to a homework assignment.  It may take three to three and a half class periods if the writing is done completely in class.

Please consider adding a good introductory lesson to making deductive inferences by using our “The Flowers of Guatemala” lesson.

• Subject Area: History, Social Sciences
• Materials Required: Printed handouts, optional need for a whiteboard or display, too
• Time Needed: Two full class periods, plus homework, or three in-class work days total.

The teaching team that developed this unit had a Science partner with background in advertising.   He suggested that they do a project involving parents that would get families to talk about all of our lessons and what was being taught at school.    This murder mystery party, and the lessons associated with it, is the results of that effort.

The objectives of the unit are simple; provide students with a vehicle for learning about Roman history, modern criminology and forensics, while also improving their writing skills. As an added bonus, you get parent involvement, and hopefully some great Italian leftovers.

If you are worried that the evening won’t go as planned, just remember — it is supposed to be a mystery!   “Wow! What a mystery we have here! Isn’t this great?”  This party has been used over and over again with great success.

This culminating activity includes:

• Social Studies lessons for teaching about the Romans.  (This includes our Connecting Past to Present – The Fall of Rome lesson plan, our Caesar’s Dilemma, and also The Roman Times lesson plan!)
• Science lessons on fingerprinting and other resources.
• English/Language Arts lessons on using “show not tell” language.  Includes our Monster Drawing lesson.
• A complete guide to running a murder mystery party where parents are the suspects and characters involved in the mystery of who killed Caesar during an Italian themed potluck dinner.

There are handouts, complete instructions, scripts and invitations for the party, and more.

• Subject Areas: Social Sciences, Science, Humanities, Language Arts, Math
• Materials Required: All handouts and necessary lesson plans are included.  A shopping list of props and party items is included.
• Time Needed: This is an entire multidisciplinary unit and will require multiple class periods to complete.  The murder mystery is normally a two hour party.