 A Document Activity

 It’s just as well. He was a loathsome man in a disreputable profession – the capture and return of runaway slaves.  Mr. Chase was found dumped in a river near Cincinnati, OH, on June 18 th, He appears to have been killed by a severe head wound, possibly a blunt object of some sort.  These are difficult times for nation, and controversies regarding slavery and abolition, ideals and economics, threaten to tear the U.S. in two. Some have even talked of war.  In such a climate, it is not difficult to suspect the death of Mr. Chase might be related to his profession - but of course people are killed for so many reasons these days…

 (You Really Feel Like You Simply Must Know) Enter Professor Hugh Everlearn! (That’s You)

 Sheriff ‘Iron’ Marshall doesn’t care much for civilians getting in the way, and he doesn’t care much for you – the lowly local history teacher at Threadbare Academy for Young Hooligans.  While you can’t openly investigate, you do have an advantage he doesn’t – dozens of students who love to bring you interesting things they find around town for the class to examine and ask good questions about. (It’s a thing you do.)  You’ve learned not to ask where they come up with the scraps they bring in. They often don’t remember or won’t tell if they do. (And honestly, you’re usually better off not knowing.)  Besides, if anyone thought you were investigating the Chase murder, politics would enter the picture, tempers would flare… and you need this job. So, you’re keeping this on the sly. For now.

 Sheriff ‘Iron’ Marshall doesn’t care much for civilians getting in the way, and he doesn’t care much for you – the lowly local history teacher at Threadbare Academy for Young Hooligans.  While you can’t openly investigate, you do have an advantage he doesn’t – dozens of students who love to bring you interesting things they find around town for the class to examine and ask good questions about. (It’s a thing you do.)  You’ve learned not to ask where they come up with the scraps they bring in. They often don’t remember or won’t tell if they do. (And honestly, you’re usually better off not knowing.)  Besides, if anyone thought you were investigating the Chase murder, politics would enter the picture, tempers would flare… and you need this job. So, you’re keeping this on the sly. For now. Because you are not ACTUALLY a local citizen alive in 1858, it may be helpful to appoint ONE person in your group to be your ‘Researcher’. They may use technology to look up unfamiliar vocabulary, facts about the times, places, or any ‘real’ people who may come up in the course of this activity.

 Monday Morning! Several of your favorite mini-scholars bring you their weekend findings to see what you might choose to use to start ‘thinking practice’ today. As you peruse the disheveled pile, you notice several pages deserving of further interest…  Remove 7 (SEVEN) random documents from your envelope and set the rest aside. With your group, begin analyzing these 7 and discussing what - if anything – they might reveal that could help you solve the mystery surrounding the death of Avery Chase. Monday

 Tuesday Morning! You’re supposed to start a new chapter today, so it’s no real surprise when some of your favorite hooligans insist they need more practice asking good questions and examining documents. They’ve put forth more effort than usual in gathering items from, well… from here and there.  Remove 7 (SEVEN) more random documents from your envelope and set the rest aside. Examine these together with those you already have, and continue pondering what - if anything – they might reveal that could help you solve the apparent murder of Avery Chase. Tuesday

 (Share One / Ask One) Each group will be asked to share either some general inferences they’ve been able to draw about the time and place in which these events occurred OR one theory or partial theory regarding the death of Avery Chase. You should be prepared to support your comments with the documents. If I like your responses, you will be allowed to either ask one Y/N question – which I may answer, if I know the answer… …or you may choose to remove one additional document from the envelope. Your call. If you choose the Y/N Question, it may NOT be “Did ______ kill Avery Chase?” or any rather similar variation thereof.

 Wonderful Wednesday Morning! You’ve taken the rare step of asking your darlings to bring anything else they can find that might be related, with the understanding that you’ll ask no questions of them as to the sources.  Remove 7 (SEVEN) final random documents from your envelope and set the rest aside. Examine these together with those you already have, and begin constructing what you think happened that led to the death of Avery Chase. (4-5 sentence synopsis) Wednesday

 5 – 7 Sentences / Be Prepared to Support with Documents