Create Mystery
Companion to Nancy Drew and Women’s History Month, Hidden Pictures and the Secret of the Old Clock
1) Compare the adventures of nancy drew
2) Write a new nancy Drew novel in which the protagonist is a person of color
3) Research the effect the Nancy Drew series has had on popular culture
4) Write a Nancy Drew mystery in a new country
Ask students to read both Nancy Drew mystery novels (Hidden Pictures and The Mystery of the Old Clock) that feature basic story elements and essential characters across a span of 90 years. Students may compare and contrast the two adventures verbally in an essay or visually using side-by-side posters that pictorially highlight similarities and differences found in the two books.
Encourage gifted young writers to plot, outline, and write a brand new mystery story that features Nancy Drew as a person of color.
Nancy Drew is one of the most popular characters to ever appear in juvenile literature. Her girl pal George is passionate about computers as detective tools. The Internet is filled with websites devoted to the history and culture of the teen sleuth. Many online resources highlight Nancy Drew books and extensions such as film versions of her exploits, but additional entries examine the heroine of River Heights in scholarly articles about her role in popular culture. Inspire today’s young researchers to pursue a chosen line of inquiry about Nancy Drew using any and all contemporary 21st century resources.
Stimulate talented students to combine geography sleuthing and writing skills. Ask them to attempt being a Caroline Keene ghostwriter and pen an original Nancy Drew story set in such exotic locales as Hong Kong, Mumbai, Nairobi, or Montevideo.
