{"product_id":"main-idea-key-details-reading-mystery-worksheets-grades-3-5-the-midnight-gardener","title":"Main Idea \u0026 Key Details | Reading Mystery Worksheets | Grades 3–5 | The Midnight Gardener","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThere is no story about the crime in this pack — and that is the point\u003c\/strong\u003e. Students get a folder of five ordinary pieces of writing about gardening, and the only way to clear a name is to work out what each one is really about. Five genres, three questions each, fifteen suspects to eliminate. Printable, self-checking and no prep, it suits literacy centers, guided reading, early finishers, sub days and homework in \u003cstrong\u003eGrades 3–5\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eQuick Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSkill:\u003c\/strong\u003e Main idea, key details and supporting details · \u003cstrong\u003eGrades:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–5 · \u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5 unrelated passages × 3 questions, 16-suspect line-up, written response and full answer keys (printable PDF, color and black-and-white) · \u003cstrong\u003eTheme:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Midnight Gardener\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Case\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery morning for eleven mornings running, a sunflower has been tied to the school gate before anyone arrives. Now the caretaker gets in at six and the flower is already there, wet with dew. Sixteen people live on the lane behind the school, every one of them was home on all eleven of those mornings, and one of them is the midnight gardener. Here is the hard part: nobody wrote down what happened at the gate, so there is no account of it to read. What students have instead is a folder of five ordinary pieces of writing about gardening. Read them properly and they do the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThe 5 Passages\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Cracked Pot\u003c\/strong\u003e — realistic fiction. A first pot splits, and a grandfather hands over sand and a trowel instead of an explanation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNana's Notebook\u003c\/strong\u003e — journal entries. A season in the garden recorded a few lines at a time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Seeds Travel\u003c\/strong\u003e — informational article. Wind, water, animals and the tricks seeds use to move.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Two Melon Seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e — fable. Two seeds, two choices, one lesson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLetter to the Council\u003c\/strong\u003e — persuasive letter. A case argued for a piece of ground.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow the Reading Mystery Works\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStudents take on the role of Reading Detectives. The five passages are not connected to each other — each one stands alone, and each is followed by three questions plus a \u003cstrong\u003ePROVE IT\u003c\/strong\u003e prompt asking for the exact words behind the answer. Every correct answer clears one name from the sixteen-suspect list. Clear fifteen, and the name still standing is the midnight gardener.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's Included\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \"You are a detective\" case-file page that sets the scene and the mission\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFive short passages across five genres — story, journal, article, fable and letter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThree main idea and key detail questions on every passage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA PROVE IT text-evidence prompt on every passage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA sixteen-suspect line-up page for eliminating names one clue at a time\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWritten-response pages with sample answers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA themed word search and extension activities for early finishers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSelf-checking answer keys for every page\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFull color and ink-saving black-and-white versions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTeacher instructions and print-and-go PDF format\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eSkills Covered\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentifying the main idea of a passage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePicking out key and supporting details\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTelling a supporting detail from an interesting but unimportant one\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReading across genres — fiction, journal, informational text, fable and persuasive writing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eQuoting and citing text evidence\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLogical reasoning and deductive elimination as suspects are ruled out\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBest Used For\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMain idea and supporting details units\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiteracy centers and guided reading groups\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMorning work, homework and early finishers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSubstitute and relief days\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmall-group reading and intervention\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpring, gardening and plant-themed reading\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eComprehension review and test prep for Grades 3–5\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eMore From This Line\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrowse every \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/reading-mysteries\"\u003eReading Mystery\u003c\/a\u003e, or pair it with \u003ca href=\"\/products\/context-clues-reading-mystery-worksheets-grades-3-5-the-bakers-dozen\"\u003eThe Baker's Dozen\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/cause-effect-reading-mystery-worksheets-grades-3-5-the-wishing-tree\"\u003eThe Wishing Tree\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kiwiland Education","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62265375195506,"sku":"17430749","price":4.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0909\/2848\/0626\/files\/main-idea-and-supporting-key-details-reading-comprehension-passages-3rd-4th-5th-grade.jpg?v=1788154145","url":"https:\/\/kiwilandeducation.com\/products\/main-idea-key-details-reading-mystery-worksheets-grades-3-5-the-midnight-gardener","provider":"Kiwiland Education","version":"1.0","type":"link"}