Ask students if they have a prediction about what might happen in the story.
Ask: Do you think that Stanley will be able to solve the mystery? 

Elicit Prior Knowledge and Build Background
Discuss with students what they know about the civilization of the ancient Anasazi. Provide a map and show them where these people once lived. Explain that these people vanished from the area, leaving behind their homes and many artifacts. Today, there is speculation about why these people seemed to leave so suddenly. If any student has visited Anasazi ruins, have them describe what they saw. Bring some of the vocabulary words into the discussion in an informal way, such as Native Americans, ruins, ancestor, descendant, mesa.  

Skim and Scan
Give students their copy of the book, and have them skim through it, looking at the illustrations. Ask them what they think might be happening. Suggest that they might want to revise or add to their predictions now that they have looked at the illustrations.