Text Type: Nonfiction/Informational
Page Count: 16
Word Count: 932

Book Summary
From 1503 to 1506, Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci created a painting that would become one of the most famous paintings in the world. The Mona Lisa had been hanging in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France for over 200 years--but in 1911 the famous painting seemed to mysteriously vanish. Who could have stolen the painting, and what was the motive behind this mysterious crime? Photographs and illustrations support the text.

About the Lesson

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Ask and answer questions

Objectives

• Use the reading strategy of asking and answering questions to understand text
• Make inferences
• Recognize and understand the formation of past-tense verbs in the text
• Arrange words in alphabetical order

Materials

• Book -- The Mona Lisa Mystery (copy for each student)
• Chalkboard or dry erase board
• Dictionaries
• KWLS, make inferences, past-tense verbs, alphabetical order worksheets
• Discussion cards

      Indicates an opportunity for students to mark in the book. (All activities may be completed with paper and pencil if books are reused.)

Vocabulary

• Content words: antiques, border crossings, forgery, masterpiece, motive, posed, theory, vanished, varnish

Build Background

• Write the name Mona Lisa on the board. Ask students to share what they know about the name. Explain that the Mona Lisa is a very famous painting of a mysterious woman. Ask students whether they know anything about the Mona Lisa, such as who painted it and when. Why is it so mysterious? Where can it be seen today?
• Create a KWLS chart on the board and hand out the KWLS worksheet. Review or explain that the K stands for knowledge we know, the W stands for information we want to know, the L stands for the knowledge we learned, and the S stands for what we still want to know about the topic. As various topics are discussed, fill in the first column (K) on the board with information students know about the topic. Have students complete the same section of their KWLS worksheet.
• Ask students what they would like to know about the Mona Lisa. Have them fill in the second column (W) of their worksheet. Write their questions on the class chart.

Preview the Book

Introduce the Book

• Give students their copy of the book. Guide them to the front and back covers and read the title. Have students discuss what they see on the covers. Encourage them to offer ideas as to what type of book it is and what it might be about.
• Show students the title page. Discuss the information on the page (title of book, author's name, illustrator's name).

Introduce the Reading Strategy: Ask and answer questions

• Discuss how having prior knowledge about a topic, and asking and answering questions while reading, can help readers understand and remember the information in a book.
• Direct students to the front and back covers of the book again, and have them study the artwork. After previewing the covers and title, use them to model asking questions.
  Think aloud: I can use the cover title and artwork to think of questions I would like to have answered about the Mona Lisa. For example, I see a woman glancing thoughtfully to the side with a slight smile on her face. I see that the title of this book is The Mona Lisa Mystery. This makes me wonder if I'm looking at the Mona Lisa and why it is so mysterious. I'll have to read the book to find out. I'll write this question on the chart.
• Have students write any questions they have based on the covers in the W column of their KWLS worksheet.
• Have students preview the rest of the book, looking at the illustrations and photographs. Show students the glossary and point out that previewing the glossary will help them ask other questions about the Mona Lisa. Have students add any additional questions they might have to their KWLS worksheet. Invite students to share their questions aloud. Write shared questions on the class chart.
• As students read, encourage them to use other reading strategies in addition to the targeted strategy presented in this section. For tips on additional reading strategies, click here.

Introduce the Comprehension Skill: Make inferences

• Explain that not all information in a book is directly stated. Sometimes readers need to make inferences by using details in the story to understand the indirect language used. Explain that an inference is a conclusion drawn by connecting clues in text to information already known. Making inferences allows readers to understand ideas in text on a deeper level.
• Ask students to turn to the title page. Point out the title again, The Mona Lisa Mystery. Ask students to explain why this title leads the reader to think that something happened to the painting (the word mystery denotes that there are or were unknown facts).
  Think-aloud: I know that the author does not directly state that something happened to the Mona Lisa, but the word mystery in the title leads me to infer that there is something unexplained or secret about it. I used clues from the page and what I already know to make my inference. I know that good readers make inferences as they read a story or other book, so I'm going to make inferences in this book as I read.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• As students preview the book, ask them to talk about what they see in the illustrations and photographs. Reinforce the vocabulary words they will encounter in the text.
• Write the following content vocabulary words on the board: vanished, motive, and theory.
• Explain to students that most of the time, good readers use context clues to help figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word in the text. However, sometimes they will not find enough context clues to clearly define the unfamiliar word. Model how students can use the glossary or a dictionary to locate a word's meaning. Have a volunteer read the definition for vanished in the glossary. Have students follow along on page 11 as you read the sentence in which the word vanished is found to confirm the meaning of the word.
• Point to the word motive on the board. Repeat the process, reading the definition of motive in the glossary and reading the sentence in which motive is found on page 12. Have a volunteer find the word motive in the dictionary and compare the definitions.
• Point to the word theory on the board. Have students read the definition of theory in the glossary and locate the sentence in which theory is found on page 11. Have a volunteer find the word theory in the dictionary and compare the definitions.
• Have students use these three words and definitions to create additional questions about the Mona Lisa. Instruct them to record their new questions on their KWLS charts.
• For tips on teaching word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Have students think about what they already know about the Mona Lisa as they read the book to find answers to their questions, and to write what they learned in the L column of their KWLS chart.

Student Reading

• Guide the reading: Have students read to the end of page 6. Remind them to look for information about the Mona Lisa that will answer questions on their KWLS worksheet. Encourage students who finish early to go back and reread.
• When students have finished reading, have them circle any questions on their KWLS worksheet that were answered and add any new questions that were generated.
• Model answering a question and filling in the third column (L) of the KWLS chart.
  Think-aloud: I wanted to know what was so mysterious about the Mona Lisa. I found out that many art lovers find the painting itself mysterious as they study her dark, downcast eyes and the shadowy background. However, I read that the real mystery lies in the fact that the famous painting was missing from the Louvre Museum for more than two years. People came to see the Mona Lisa on August 22, 1911--but the painting wasn't where it had always hung. It had vanished. I will write this information on my chart. I wonder what the police did to find the painting. I will write this question on my chart.
• Have students write answers for circled questions in the L column of their KWLS worksheet and additional questions they raised in the W column. Invite them to share the information they learned and the questions they generated as they read the book. Record shared responses on the class KWLS chart.
• Have students turn to page 5. Ask what they can infer about the theft of the Mona Lisa. Have a volunteer read the sentence from the book that supports their inference. (It was a Tuesday, which is important because on Monday the museum is closed.) Tell students that the author is leading readers to infer that the painting must have been stolen on Monday, when the museum was closed. Invite them to share what they already know that may have helped them make their inference (when a museum is closed, fewer people are around to see a crime take place, and so on). Introduce and explain the make inferences worksheet. Have students complete the first row of the worksheet using the information from the discussion.
• Check for understanding: Have students read pages 7 through 10. Have them write answers they found while reading in the L column of their KWLS worksheet and additional questions they raised in the W column. Invite them to share the information they learned and the questions they generated as they read the book. Record shared responses on the class KWLS chart.
• Have students turn to page 7 and reread the first paragraph. Ask what can be inferred about the clues to the Mona Lisa's mysterious disappearance (the words Clue Number One lead readers to infer that there was more than one clue to the mystery). Have a volunteer read the sentence from the book that supports that inference. (Soon, they had Clue Number One.) Have another volunteer share personal knowledge that he or she used to make an inference (usually people gather many clues to solve a mystery, and so on). Have students complete the second row of the make inferences worksheet using the information from the discussion.
• Have students read the remainder of the book. Remind them to look for and write answers to their KWLS worksheet questions. Encourage them to add new questions they might have to their worksheet as they read.

      Have students make a question mark in their book beside any word they do not understand or cannot pronounce. Encourage them to use the strategies they have learned to read each word and figure out its meaning.

• Ask students what words, if any, they marked in their book. Use this opportunity to model how they can read these words using decoding strategies and context clues.

Reflect on the Reading Strategy

• Think-aloud: I wanted to know what the police did to try to find the Mona Lisa. I learned that they discovered the painting's heavy frame had been taken off and left behind, and that there was a thumbprint on the glass of the frame. I read that the police interviewed and fingerprinted people from all over Paris, but they couldn't find a match. I also learned that they closed all of the border crossings in and out of France but were still unsuccessful in finding the thief.
• Ask students to share questions they added to their KWLS worksheet while reading, and ask them what questions were answered (or not answered) in the text.
• Reinforce that asking questions before and during reading, and looking for the answers while reading, keeps readers interested in the topic. It also encourages them to keep reading to find answers to their questions and helps them understand and remember what they have read.
• Point out to students that all of their questions may not have been answered in this text. Brainstorm other sources they might use to locate additional information to answer their questions. Invite students to fill in the final column (S) with information they would still like to know about the Mona Lisa.

Reflect on the Comprehension Skill

• Discussion: Ask students to reread the first paragraph of page 9. Ask what can be inferred about the importance of the Mona Lisa (France considered it a national treasure). Have students share the story clues and personal knowledge they used to make that inference (French police closed all the border crossings to find the thief, thousands of people came to view the Mona Lisa every day, and so on). Have them record this information on their make inferences worksheet.
• Independent practice: Have students turn to page 12. Ask them what they can infer about the thief's motive. Have them complete the final section of their make inferences worksheet.
• Enduring understanding: In this book, you read about French police taking fingerprints of the citizens of Paris in 1911. Since they only took prints from peoples' right hands, and the thumbprint on Mona Lisa's glass was from the thief's left hand, police could not use the clue to solve the mystery. Now that you know this information, how does it make you feel about modern technology? Why is it such a valuable resource to have computerized banks of millions of fingerprints worldwide?

Grammar and Mechanics: Past-tense verbs (-ed)

• Direct students to the last sentence on page 11. Ask them to identify the verbs in the sentence (seemed, vanished). Explain that these are past-tense verbs that describe something that happened in the past. Write the term past tense on the board.
• Write the term present tense on the board. Explain that present-tense verbs describe something that is happening in the present, or right now. Ask students to name the present-tense forms of seemed and vanished (seem, vanish).
• Point out that the verbs are changed to past-tense verbs by adding the -ed suffix. Discuss how this is an example of a regular past tense verb. Explain that not every verb is changed to its past tense by adding -d or -ed, and that irregular past- tense verbs will be studied in a different lesson (for example: throw changes to threw).
• Explain that when adding the -ed suffix to a regular past-tense verb, sometimes it is necessary to double the consonant before adding the -ed. If the word's last two letters are a vowel followed by a consonant, the final consonant is doubled before adding the suffix. For example, the present-tense verb tug consists of a vowel and a consonant ending. So when changing the verb to the past tense, the final consonant (g) is doubled before adding the -ed to make tugged. Create present tense and past tense categories on the board, and write the verb tug and its past-tense form, tugged, in the appropriate categories.
• Explain that when adding the suffix -ed to a verb ending in -y, such as carry, the -y is first changed to -i before adding the -ed. Write the word carry and its past-tense form, carried, in the categories on the board.
• Explain that when adding the suffix -ed to a verb ending in -e, such as move, the -e remains, and a -d is added. Write the word move and its past-tense form, moved, under the appropriate headings on the board.
• Have students turn to page 9 and read the first sentence. Have a volunteer identify the past-tense verb (closed). Point out that the present tense of the verb ends in -e (close) and add the examples to the chart on the board.

      Check for understanding: Ask students to turn to page 5 and underline the regular past-tense verbs (created, disappeared, named, allowed, closed). Have them write the present tense of these verbs (create, disappear, name, allow, close) in the left-hand margin. Discuss their answers aloud, and write these examples on the board under the present tense and past tense categories. Ask which present-tense verbs end in -e (create, name, close).

• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the past-tense verbs worksheet. If time allows, discuss their answers.

Word Work: Alphabetical order

• Review or explain the process of putting a list of words in alphabetical order. Remind students that if the first letter of two words is the same, they must compare the next two letters instead.
• Write the words painting and mystery on the board. Have a volunteer explain which word would appear first in alphabetical order (mystery) and why (because m comes before p in the alphabet).
• Write the words masterpiece and motive on the board. Point out that the words begin with the same letter (m). Ask a volunteer to tell which word would appear first in alphabetical order and to explain his or her thinking (masterpiece, because the second letter, a, in masterpiece comes before the second letter, o, in motive).
• Write the words created and create on the board. Have a volunteer explain which word would appear first in alphabetical order (create) and why. Point out that all of the letters in created and create are the same until the final letter d in the word created. Point out that because there are no other letters at the end of create, it comes first in alphabetical order.
• Check for understanding: Write the words varnish and vanish on the board. Have students write the words in alphabetical order and explain their thinking on a separate piece of paper. Discuss their answers aloud, pointing out that it is necessary to examine the third letters in each word to alphabetize the words correctly.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the alphabetical order worksheet. If time allows, discuss their answers.

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their book independently. Additionally, allow partners to take turns reading parts of the book to each other.

Home Connection

• Give students their book to take home to read with parents, caregivers, siblings, or friends. Have students share their KWLS worksheet with someone at home, explaining how it works and what they learned.

Informational Writing and Art Connection
Provide print and Internet resources for students to further research Leonardo da Vinci. Citing information from their research and the book, have them write a report about the artist with at least three sections, including an introduction and conclusion. Encourage them to add illustrations or photographs to their report. Require an error-free final copy and a front and back cover. Either bind each report separately, or bind all of the reports together to make a class book with its own front and back cover.

Visit Writing A-Z for a lesson and leveled materials on informational report writing.

Social Studies Connection
Provide print and Internet resources for students to find out about all of France's border crossings. Have them read to find out what countries share a border with France and whether each border crossing was in existence in 1911. Have students find out what steps must be taken to close a border crossing and for how long they were all closed when the Mona Lisa was missing. Lead a discussion in which all of these questions are answered, and give students an opportunity to share any other interesting facts they learned. Ask students to consider what kind of inconveniences this police order created for travelers and for people importing and exporting goods.

Skill Review
Discussion cards covering comprehension skills and strategies not explicitly taught with the book are provided as an extension activity. The following is a list of some ways these cards can be used with students:

• Use as discussion starters for literature circles.
• Have students choose one or more cards and write a response, either as an essay or a journal entry.
• Distribute before reading the book and have students use one of the questions as a purpose for reading.
• Cut apart and use the cards as game cards with a board game.
• Conduct a class discussion as a review before the book quiz.