Two Can Keep a Secret

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What are some long-term effects of violence? You might consider how the effects differ or are similar from an individual to a family, a peer group, a community, or a school.

Teaching Suggestion: This topic is central to the novel and the theme of The Lingering Effects of Violence. Violence can be difficult to discuss, especially for people with first-hand experience. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, a private, individual response may be most appropriate, with optional sharing and discussion. Viewing the video offers an opportunity to hear from experts in an interview format, not always a commonly studied form. This resource also explores how violence can compound and affect those indirectly involved, including front-line workers living in the neighborhood they serve, like Ryan in the novel. Starting with the CDC article and then studying the PBS video offers the opportunity to “zoom in” from nationwide statistics to statistics from one city (Chicago). Students might return to either resource during the reading of the novel to make additional connections.

• This 8-minute video interview from PBS examines some of the effects of violence, focusing on gun violence in Chicago and its effects on mental health. (Content Warning: Mentions suicide, gun violence, and murder)
• This resource from the CDC presents background and statistics about community violence as well as some ideas for prevention.

Short Activity

Develop an effective setting for a murder mystery. Include sensory imagery and figurative language in your written description.

Teaching Suggestion: The setting contributes greatly to the mood and suspense of the novel. The video here offers a brief, engaging introduction to this topic. Students might discuss their favorite mysteries and the impact of the setting in them. The class might brainstorm what comes to mind when they think of murder mysteries, then continue discussing in small groups. It could be interesting to imagine a camera zooming in on the setting, from a wide perspective like the town in the novel, to a narrow perspective like the office in the haunted park. To build engagement, students might be encouraged to use visual arts, music, drama, or other methods to develop and present their ideas. Students might work individually or in small groups on this activity. Later, the class might return to their ideas and write scenes or complete stories.

• This 3-minute video from TedED includes a song and images exploring setting’s function and importance. 
• This PBS resource presents images and brief summaries of a variety of mystery shows; these might be helpful in listing mystery plot devices and common conflicts. (Teacher-appropriate; not student-facing due to mature content)

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

What makes a mystery compelling? List and explore genre characteristics with which you are familiar. What examples of mystery have you read, and what makes the experience memorable?

Teaching Suggestion: Students might begin by writing their ideas, then discuss. If students individually or as a class write their criteria for a compelling mystery, they can return to this criteria after reading the novel and apply it in order to evaluate the book. Alternatively, the class might begin by brainstorming a list of criteria, then identify their top 3 or more titles that fit the criteria. To add another layer of critical thought, students might work in small groups to weight each criterion, with the weights adding up to 100%, then use the weighted categories to evaluate and rank the titles they noted.

• With “Why Mystery Books Are So Satisfying,” TIME presents a brief video and article with Lucy Feldman, a senior editor, discussing mystery novels.
• “How To Write A Great Mystery” by NPR includes audio and written versions of an interview with two published writers. Though long, excerpting the beginning few pages offers discussions of clues and setting.