nancy drew and her biggest case ever

May 1 - 30, 2014
Enrichment Guide
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Inside the Guide
Setting the Stage
A Note to Teachers and Parents
preparing for the play
Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6–7
About the Author:
Mildred Wirt Benson . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
About the Playwrights:
Jeff Frank and John Maclay. . . . . . . . 9
Recommended Reading. . . . . . . . . 10
Pre-Show Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . 10
For Teachers
Curriculum connections
before or after the play
Connecting To Your
Curriculum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Audience Etiquette
Information
and Worksheet . . . . . . . 4–5
Nancy Drew and her Biggest Case Ever
Nancy Drew can be considered an American icon and role model not only for girls but for all
young people. A timeless symbol of the mystery genre, Nancy Drew embodies adventure, independence, poise and grace, as she dares to do the impossible with the help of her friends and
family. The spirit of Nancy Drew explodes on stage in this new world premiere mystery as she
cracks the case in her biggest adventure ever!
Enclosed in this enrichment guide is a range of materials and activities intended to help you
discover connections within the play through the curricula. It is our hope that you will use the
experience of attending the theater and seeing NANCY DREW with your students as a teaching tool. as educators and parents, you know best the needs and abilities of your students.
Use this guide to best serve your children—pick and choose, or adapt, any of these suggestions for discussions or activities. We encourage you to take advantage or the enclosed
student worksheets— please feel free to photocopy the sheets for your students, or the entire
guide for the benefit of other teachers.
Enjoy the show!
Nancy Through
the Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
History
“The Mysterious History of
Nancy Drew” by Jennifer Fisher. . . . 12
English Language Arts
Julia Magnasco
Education Director
(414) 267-2971
[email protected]
Drawing Conclusions. . . . . . . . . 13–14
Detective Book Reports. . . . . . . . . . 15
Mystery in a Bag: Creative Writing. . 16
Crack the Code: Anagrams. . . . . . . 17
Curtain Call
Post-Show Questions . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Who Said It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Who Said it? (ANSWERS) . . . . . . . . 19
First Stage Policies
• The use of recording equipment and cameras are not permitted during
the performance.
• Food, drink, candy and gum are not permitted during the performance.
• Electronic devices are not permitted in the theater space.
• Should a student become ill, suffer an injury or have another problem, please
escort him or her out of the theater space.
• In the unlikely event of a general emergency, the theater lights will go on
and the stage manager will come on stage to inform the audience of the problem.
Remain in your seats, visually locate the nearest exit and wait for the stage manager to guide your group from the theater.
Seating for people with special needs: If you have special seating needs for any
student(s) and did not indicate your need when you ordered your tickets, please call
our Assistant Patron Services Manager at (414) 267-2962. Our knowledge of your
needs will enable us to serve you better upon your arrival to the theater.
Connecting To Your Curriculum
Below is a list of the Common Core Standards, 21st Century Skills and Wisconsin Model Academic Standards addressed
in the activities throughout the CRASH Enrichment Guide.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS –
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story,
drama, or poem from details in the text, including how
characters in a story or drama respond to challenges
or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic;
summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range
of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts,
and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1c Pose questions that connect
the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’
questions and comments with relevant evidence,
observations, and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two
or more characters, settings, or events in a story or
drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how
characters interact).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3 Write narratives to develop
real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.7 Compare and contrast
the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to
listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version
of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and
“hear” when reading the text to what they perceive
when they listen or watch.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3 Write narratives to develop
real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured
event sequences.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3a Engage and orient the
reader by establishing a context and introducing a
narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence
that unfolds naturally and logically.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3d Use precise words and
phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory
language to capture the action and convey experiences
and events.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of
dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action,
reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range
of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts,
and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
Theatre—Play Reading and Analysis
A.8.1 Attend a live theatrical performance and be able to
analyze, evaluate, and create personal meaning from the
experience through small group discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.2 Interpret information presented
in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively,
orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or
issue under study.
Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
Science—Life and Environmental Science
F.8.6 Understand that an organism is regulated both
internally and externally.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.3 Delineate a speaker’s
argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that
are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that
are not.
3
Shhh…It’s Time for the Show
Audience Etiquette Information
Adapted from: http://www.louisvilleorchestra.org/wp-content/uploads/audience-etiquette-activity.pdf , http://www.musical-theater-kids.com/theater-etiquette.html
There are many people involved, both on stage and behind the stage, who are working to put on the best performance
possible for you and the rest of the people in the audience. Unlike watching television or a movie, the performers and
crew can see and hear the audience members—therefore, it is the audiences’ job to watch and listen carefully to the
action on stage. The audience helps the performers and crew concentrate on doing their job when we practice the
rules of theater etiquette:
• Visit the restroom before the performance begins.
• Don't speak during the performance...whispering is still speaking, so make sure you are
only speaking in an emergency.
• Do not eat or drink in the theater.
• Do not put your feet up on the seats or balcony and do not kick the seat in front of you.
• Don't put or throw anything on the stage.
• Do laugh when the performance is funny.
• Do applaud when it is appropriate during the performance.
• Do applaud when the performance is over...this tells the performers and crew that you
appreciate their work.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Continued Activity:
1..Hand out the included worksheet to students.
2..Together as a class, go through the different event locations listed on the worksheet and discuss each event: What can
you do there? What can’t you do there? Why?
3..Fill out the worksheet using Always, Sometimes or Never. Ask students why they think we behave differently at these
different places (different atmospheres, expectations, traditions, etc.).
4..Share the theater etiquette with students and discuss in details the behavior expectations we have at the theater.
4
Audience Etiquette Activity
Student Worksheet
Adapted from: http://www.louisvilleorchestra.org/wp-content/uploads/audience-etiquette-activity.pdf ,
Look at the different events listed across the first row in the table below. For each event, fill
in ALWAYS, SOMETIMES or NEVER with the listed behavior expectations. Note the different
behavior expectations there are for different events we attend.
Baseball
Game
Church/
Worship
Service
Live Theater
Rock
Performance Concert
Cheer
Clap
politely
Talk to
those
around
you
Eat
Stand up
and walk
around
5
Movie
Theater
Setting the Stage Synopsis
The play opens on the side of a mountain. Stumpy Dowd is
racing down the mountain on skis. He holds a ski pole in each
hand while also holding onto a briefcase. In pursuit (also on
skis) is Nancy Drew. Nancy catches up to Dowd and the two
are racing down the mountain fighting over the briefcase. Nancy
ducks under Dowd’s attack, and grabs the briefcase from him.
Nancy sees that they are approaching the edge of a cliff and
executes a sharp stop. Dowd flies over the cliff’s edge. Nancy
removes her skis and makes her way down to the cliff’s edge,
but there is nothing to be done.
Her best friends, two teenage girls named Bess and George,
have arrived and are excited that Nancy is alright and that she
has obtained the briefcase. Nancy opens the briefcase and
begins looking at the documents inside, and finds the “real” will.
George asks where Stumpy went and Nancy points over the
cliff’s edge. The three friends head home.
As a transition to the next scene we hear and see an old radio
report all about Nancy’s previous cases, and her advice to the
radio listeners on how she has solved her cases.
Six months later Nancy, George, and Bess are canoeing on
Moon Lake. Nancy and George each hold a fishing pole. They
notice the clouds in the sky and the wind picking up, and decide
to head back to shore.
Nancy and George hand their poles to Bess and pick up
paddles. As Nancy begins to paddle and the canoe changes
direction, a crack of lightning erupts in the sky above them.
Bess is knocked overboard. Nancy and George immediately
jump after her, abandoning the boat. As they get to Bess and
secure her Nancy gets hold of Bess and makes her way to shore
with George swimming ahead. As they get close to shore, a
mysterious figure, Laura, has swum out to them and takes Bess,
and all four girls exit.
that Laura knows of Nancy from her detective work, and go on
talking about one of Nancy’s cases. Laura then confesses that
she has heard of Nancy through her previous music teacher,
Hannah Gruen, who is now Nancy’s housekeeper, and not
because of her detective work. Nancy mentions that there is an
odd coincidence and it is worthy of being noted.
As the girls wait out the storm in the Ship’s Cottage, Laura talks
about her father’s inventions and secrets he had left behind in
the house. When the storm does let up Nancy and the other
girls gather up to leave. Trixie doesn’t want to go back to Mr.
Aborn, and asks Nancy to stay. Nancy promises to come visit
them the following day.
Back in the Drew home Hannah and Nancy discuss the day’s
events, including the coincidence with Laura and Hannah’s
crossing paths in the past. Hannah tells Nancy she must call
her father. She is told he has checked out of his hotel. Nancy
sees someone sneaking in the window and after attacking the
intruder realizes it was her father, who had forgotten his key.
She tells him of her day and that her curiosity has been peeked
by Laura and Trixie Pendleton’s story.
The following day Nancy visits Laura and Trixie at their home.
They tell Nancy a story about a treasure map, said to be hidden
somewhere in the house, leading to an island full of treasure left
by their grandfather. Nancy asks to look through the old papers
their father left. Laura and Trixie go to retrieve the papers while
On shore, the storm continues. Trixie, a young girl, rushes to
Laura’s side, and questions who the other three girls are. Nancy
suggests they find shelter and then make introductions. The
boathouse (known as the Ship’s Cottage) is dark and spare.
It seems smaller on the inside and hosts only crates, a few oil
lamps, and shelves on model ships, shells, and other nautical
souvenirs. Laura lights an oil lamp inside the Ship’s Cottage.
Nancy thanks her for her help. We learn that Laura is Trixie’s
older sister and that their mother has recently passed away, and
that they are under the care of their guardian Jacob Aborn. With
their father also passed away the girls are the owners of the
estate they now live on. Nancy offers Laura and Trixie any kind
of help in return for their assistance in the lake. Laura explains
that her parents left them quite a bit of investments that their
guardian is managing for them.
Trixie has her doubts about Mr. Aborn. Laura explains that Mr.
Aborn was trusted by their mother, but now that they have met
him it seems as though he doesn’t like children very much.
Laura realizes that she hasn’t asked the girls their names yet.
Nancy and the other girls introduce themselves, and Laura
realizes she has heard of Nancy. George and Bess assume
6
Setting the Stage Synopsis
Trixie back to the house while they go to explore the Ship’s
Cottage. They pick the lock on the door, but note that Trixie had
just left it, so how could it be locked. Inside the Ship’s Cottage,
the three girls discuss the case and Nancy’s solution to the clue
on the paper she still had. They need to find out if there was a
model ship called Warwick, which was the name of Laura and
Trixie’s grandfather’s ship. Trixie reenters the Ship’s Cottage
with Laura. The five girls all search through the model ships
looking for the Warwick and so not find it at first, but do find it
after discovering some of the ships had been renamed. They
open the model ship to discover the map they were looking for.
Nancy stays to look around the Ship’s Cottage, while George,
Bess, Laura, and Trixie take the map to Hannah Gruen for safe
keeping.
Nancy goes back to the Ship’s Cottage to look around. In the
Ship’s Cottage Nancy is startled by Mr. Aborn, who asks her to
leave the property. As she does, Laura and Trixie enter carrying
the papers. Mr. Aborn scolds the children for being in the
unsafe Ship’s Cottage and sends everyone home.
Back at Nancy’s house, Nancy is recalling her experience in the
Ship’s Cottage to her father, George, and Bess. Mr. Drew says
he has requested a file about the Pendletons, but in the mean
time he suggests she go to the library to research. They find
out Stumpy Dowd had tried to sue the Pendletons after he had
broken into their house and was injured by a secret sliding panel.
In the papers from Laura they find an odd letter that gives them
a clue. The girls all head back to the Pendleton Estate.
At the Pendleton Estate, Laura is being offered money from a
museum to sell all of her father’s old papers, but declines the
offer. When Nancy arrives they tell her about Mr. Bellows’ offer
and Nancy has an uneasy feeling about him.
While Nancy is looking around she hears a low moaning noise
coming from the floor. She searches the Ship’s Cottage, and
finds a secret passage in the floor leading to the basement. A
flash of lightening reveals that Mr. Aborn is standing behind
Nancy. He grabs her and she goes unconscious due to the
chloroform he put over her face. She wakes up in the basement,
tied to a chair, along with another man in a second chair. She
accuses Mr. Aborn of being Mr. Bellows, to which he removes
his false beard, and reveals he is actually Stumpy Dowd. He had
survived the fall over the cliff thanks to freshly fallen snow. We
learn Stumpy is connected to the Pendleton family and has been
searching for the treasure for a decade. Stumpy tells Nancy
unless she tells Hannah to give his messenger the map. Nancy
writes Hannah the note.
Back at the Drew’s house, Mr. Drew and Nancy discuss the case
so far, and he doubts that this case can be solved. Hannah
comes in and tells Nancy of a phone call she just received. The
caller told them to stay away from the Pendletons. This only
motivates Nancy more to solve the case.
Nancy, Bess, and George return back to the Pendleton estate to
find a burglar climbing out a window and cannot stop him. They
find Laura and Trixie gagged and tied up. The police we find out
the burglar stole the jewels in the house as well as all of Laura
and Trixie’s father’s papers. The police question why Nancy
was even there, and ask her to describe the intruder. They also
notice a car sitting down the road from the house. Nancy leaves
George and Bess with Laura and heads off to Emerson to met
Ned, who has invited her to an end of the year party.
The man in the second chair wakes up and is found to be the
“real” Jacob Aborn. Stumpy explains his escape plan, and his
previous attempts at stealing the map and valuables from the
Pendletons. Stumpy leaves the Ship’s Cottage while Nancy and
Jacob are left to wait. Nancy reveals she has already untied her
restraints and sets Jacob free, and they go after Stumpy Dowd.
She talks to her dad about the case on the phone from a gas
station. When she returns to her car she realizes she had left
her purse in the car, and now it was gone. At the party Ned and
Nancy discuss her drive to see him. She tells him of the stolen
purse, the flat tire, and that she thinks she was being followed
for a bit. They settle in for the presentation of the Dramatics
Club and while the performance is happening all the lights go
out and when they come back on, Nancy is gone. She tells the
audience that the best way to solve a mystery sometimes is to
take a break, she however was not on a break, and she has
been kidnapped.
Back at the Drew house, Nancy returns, and Hannah explains
that a messenger did come by for the map but Hannah saw
Nancy’s clue in her note and made some changes to the
treasure map’s directions before handing over a fake map to the
messenger. Mr. Drew goes to the neighbor’s house to use their
phone, as the Drew’s phone lines have been cut, and call the
police chief. Nancy and her friends head out to find Stumpy.
While at sea, Nancy, Ned, George, Laura, and Trixie are
shipwrecked when their boat explodes, just after the captain
jumps overboard. They all make it to shore, and find Stumpy
Dowd and Mr. Bellows. After some menacing talk, the
teenagers and the villains get into a battle, and the teens emerge
victorious. The teens go off in search of the treasure, and while
digging – CLANG – Laura exclaims that she found something.
In the kidnappers’ car, the two kidnappers question Nancy
about the whereabouts of papers that were stolen from the
Pendleton house. Nancy uses her wit and quick thinking to
turn the two kidnappers against each other and escapes out of
the car and runs away. She finds Ned, back at the Dramatics
Club and tells him what happened. They agree to keep the
kidnapping a secret until Nancy can talk to her father.
An old time radio report explains that Nancy Drew has done it
again and has spoiled the plot of yet another criminal.
Nancy drives back to the Pendleton Estate and finds Trixie
running and screaming with Bess and George following behind.
Trixie nearly gets hit by Nancy’s car. Trixie claims to have heard
a ghost in the Ship’s Cottage. Nancy, George, and Bess send
Back at the Drew’s house, Nancy, Hannah, George and Bess
are discussing the case when the phone rings. Another case to
solve, and the girls are off on another adventure.
7
About the Author: Mildred Wirt Benson
(writing as Carolyn Keene)
Taken directly from: http://childrensbooks.about.com/cs/authorsillustrato/a/nancydrew.htm
Benson's Early Years
Mildred A. Wirt Benson was a remarkable woman who knew from an early age
that she wanted to be a writer. Mildred
Augustine was born on July 10, 1905, in
Ladora, Iowa. Her first story was published
when she was only 14. While attending the
University of Iowa, she wrote and sold short
stories to help cover college costs. Mildred
also worked on the student newspaper and
as a reporter for the Clinton, Iowa Herald.
In 1927, she became the first woman to
receive a master's degree in journalism from
the University of Iowa. In fact, it was while
she was working for a master's degree
that Benson submitted a manuscript for
the Stratemeyer Syndicate's Ruth Fielding
series and was hired to write for the series.
She was then offered the opportunity to
work on a new series about teenage sleuth
Nancy Drew.
http://www.lib.umd.edu/RARE/SpecialCollection/nancy/images/WirtWithBooks.jpg
The Stratemeyer Syndicate
The Stratemeyer Syndicate was established by author and entrepreneur Edward Stratemeyer for the purpose of developing children's book series. Stratemeyer created the characters and developed outlines of the plots for a variety of children's
series and the Syndicate hired ghostwriters to turn them into books. The Hardy Boys, The Bobbsey Twins, Tom Swift, and
Nancy Drew were among the series created through the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Benson received a flat fee of $125 from the
Stratemeyer Syndicate for each book for which she was the writer. While Benson never hid the fact that she wrote the text
for the Nancy Drew books, the Stratemeyer Syndicate made it a practice to require that its writers remain anonymous and
listed Carolyn Keene as the author of the Nancy Drew series. Not until 1980, when she testified in a court case involving the
Stratemeyer Syndicate and its publishers, did it begin to become commonly known that Benson wrote the text of the first
Nancy Drew books, following the outlines provided by Edward Stratemeyer.
Benson's Career
Although Benson went on to write numerous other books for
youth on her own, including the Penny Parker series, the bulk of
her career was devoted to journalism. She was a reporter and
columnist in Ohio, first for The Toledo Times and then, The Toledo
Blade, for 58 years. While she retired as a reporter in January
of 2002 due to her health, Benson continued to write a monthly
column "Millie Benson's Notebook." Benson was married and widowed twice and had one daughter, Ann.
Like Nancy Drew, Benson was smart, independent, and adventurous. She traveled a good deal, particularly in Central and South
America. In her sixties, she became a licensed commercial and
private pilot. It seems fitting that Nancy Drew and Mildred Wirt
Benson had so much in common.
http://cbsnews1.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2002/05/29/cb558bc7-a642-11e2a3f0-029118418759/thumbnail/620x350/82a0c955670d50b0725a534ef06c08c4/
image510495x.jpg
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About the Playwrights:
Jeff Frank and John Maclay
Jeff Frank
Currently the Artistic Director of First Stage, the third largest professional Theater
for Young Audiences in the nation, Jeff is recognized as one of the top directors
in the field with an expertise in developing new work for the TYA field. First Stage
has developed numerous plays during his tenure including TYA versions of THE
WIZ, PETER PAN AND WENDY, and BIG, THE MUSICAL. Jeff also presided over
the development of adaptations of THE THIEF LORD, GOSSAMER, GATHERING
BLUE, HOW I BECAME A PIRATE, TOM SAWYER, SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON,
and many more. His work to bring RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER® to
the stage with the support of Character Arts won universal praise from audiences
and critics alike. Harry Cherkinian (Chicago Theater Beat/Shepherd Express)
proclaimed; “Director Jeff Frank, who also serves as First Stage’s Artistic Director,
continues to take Milwaukee’s children’s theater company to new levels with
a production that entertains, educates and showcases talent in front of—and
behind—the spotlights.” Having previously served as First Stage’s Education
and Academy Director from 1996 – 2003, Jeff has proudly served as the Artistic
Director since 2003. Jeff holds a B.F.A. in Theater, an M.F.A. in Child Drama and
has directed over 70 productions including Thornton Wilder’s CHILDHOOD which
was presented in London and again in Moscow as part of an International festival
of children’s theater.
John Maclay
John Maclay is a teacher, actor, director, voice and text coach, and fight choreographer who has spent the past 15 years working professionally in Milwaukee
and Chicago. At First Stage, he proudly serves as Associate Artistic Director and
Director of the Young Company, one of the nation's largest and most respected
theatre for young audiences. Mr. Maclay has been working with First Stage in
one form or other since 2000 and has directed or appeared in more than 25 First
Stage productions as well as having produced more than 50 productions for the
First Stage high school programs.
Mr. Maclay is also an adaptor of literature for the stage. Two new works which
he has co-authored (ANATOLE, with Lee Becker and James Valcq and NANCY
DREW AND THE BIGGEST CASE EVER with First Stage Artistic Director Jeff
Frank) will receive their professional world premieres in the 2013-14 season.
His work has also been seen at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Defiant Theatre,
Bunny Gumbo, Bialystock and Bloom, Skylight Opera Theatre and more. Mr.
Maclay is a proud member of Actor's Equity Association, the union of professional
actors and stage managers and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Theatre at
Carthage College in Kenosha, WI.
9
Recommended Reading
The Nancy Drew Sleuth Book (series)
by Carolyn Keene
Encyclopedia Brown,
Boy Detective (series)
by Donald J. Sobol
The Hardy Boys (series)
by Franklin W. Dixon
The Boxcar Children (series)
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Nate the Great (series)
Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Cam Jansen (series)
by David A. Adler and Susanna Natti
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Pre-Show Questions
1.The Nancy Drew series of books was written by multiple authors under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. A
pseudonym is a made-up or “pen name”. Can you think of a pen-name for yourself?
2.Our play is set in the 1930s. Do you know any historical events that took place during that decade?
3. Friendship is an important theme in our play. Describe what friendship means to you.
10
Nancy Through the Years
Taken directly from: http://www.series-books.com/nancydrew/nancydrew.html
Nancy Drew #1-34
“The first 34 Nancy Drew books in the original texts published from 1930 to 1956 contain 25 chapters and around 210
to 225 pages each. The early Nancy Drew is smart, adventurous, flippant, and daring. Nancy has blond hair and drives
a smart blue roadster. Helen Corning is Nancy's friend in the earliest books, but by volume 5, Bess Marvin and George
Fayne are Nancy's closest friends, and Helen only appears occasionally. Ned Nickerson meets Nancy in volume 7, and
the attraction is mutual. Burt Eddleton and Dave Evans are not present in the earliest texts and are not mentioned until
volume 20. Burt and Dave do appear in the revised versions of several of the early texts.
Nancy Drew #35-56
“Volumes 35 through 56 and the revised versions of volumes 1 through 34 are 20 chapters and around 180 pages each.
In these books, Nancy becomes more sedate and is nearly always calm, cool, and collected. Nancy is still smart and
daring, but she is no longer flippant or excitable. One cannot imagine this Nancy ever having a hair out of place. It is
this Nancy Drew that people refer to when they say that Nancy Drew is 'perfect.' The original Nancy Drew is not perfect,
but this one is perfect, or at least very close to perfect. Nancy now has reddish-blond hair and drives a blue convertible.
Nancy is often accompanied by her friends Bess, George, Ned, Burt, and Dave while she solves her mysteries.
Nancy Drew #57-175
“Some people say that Nancy Drew is dramatically different in the paperbacks and that she is not the real Nancy Drew.
However, when read in order right after the original 56, Nancy Drew is not much different at all. #57 and #59 through
about #70 are very much like the higher-numbered volumes of the original 56, and the only real difference is that they are
paperback books rather than hardcover books. Many people avoid the paperbacks simply because they are paperbacks
and would collect the paperbacks if the books had been issued in the Grosset and Dunlap hardcover editions. It was my
quest to acquire hardcover versions of the paperback titles that led me to the different library bindings.
“After the early group of paperbacks, the series does slowly change with Burt Eddleton and Dave Evans disappearing
from the series, never to reappear. Ned Nickerson does stick around but appears only sporadically. Bess Marvin and
George Fayne are in most of the books; that is, at least one of the two girls is present. They tend to take turns being
with Nancy with the other being unavailable, which actually makes a lot more sense than in the original 56 when not only
Bess and George, but Ned, Burt, and Dave are able to drop everything and join Nancy at a moment's notice anywhere
on the planet.
“These books have Nancy driving a blue Mustang convertible. Sometimes Nancy's hair is blond and sometimes it is
reddish-blond.
The Nancy Drew Files #1-124
“This spin-off series which was published from 1986 to 1997 has Nancy Drew dressing in trendy clothes and sometimes
interested in guys other than Ned. Ned Nickerson is still Nancy's boyfriend, but Nancy and Ned frequently argue. Ned
sulks about Nancy spending too much time on her cases, and Nancy feels that her cases come first and that Ned
should support her work even if he can never spend time with her. They break up several times during the course of the
series and always get back together. In this series, Nancy and Ned are a dysfunctional couple that seems to thrive upon
the abnormality of the relationship. In the middle of the melodrama, Nancy continues to solve mysteries that in these
books usually involve murders.
Nancy Drew, Girl Detective
“This new series began in early 2004 after the end of the original series at volume 175 in late 2003. Nancy Drew is
once again impulsive and flippant just as she is in the early books from the 1930s. However, this series takes a totally
different approach as it is written in the first person rather than in the third person, making Nancy much more real.
Additionally, Nancy becomes so obsessed with her mysteries that she often forgets to complete ordinary tasks. Ned
Nickerson is once again present, and he and Nancy get along well. Nancy's friends Bess and George take a more
active role in helping Nancy; Bess is now a skilled mechanic, and George is a technology wiz.”
11
“The Mysterious History of Nancy Drew” by Jennifer Fisher
Historical Classroom Information
Taken directly from: http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com/history.html. Copyright 2002-2014 by Jennifer Fisher. All Rights Reserved.
“For over 80 years, Nancy Drew has trail-blazed through generations, her enduring and forever timeless quality a huge
part of her appeal. She endured through the depression era of the 1930s and the war-torn 1940s when many other
series were discontinued and waned in popularity. There are many factors that have led to the success of Nancy.
“In the beginning she was just a name. Just a few pages of plot at the hands of creator Edward Stratemeyer and his
Stratemeyer Syndicate. She debuted at a time when girls were ready for something different--something that gave them
higher ideals. Nancy was the embodiment of independence, pluck, and intelligence and that was what many little girls
craved to be like and to emulate.
“It was Mildred A. Wirt Benson, who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original
30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. It was this characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer
Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reigns of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the
series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. Nancy was always Harriet's favorite.
Harriet's dedication to the series helped tremendously in ensuring that Nancy is still around today and likely will be for
many years to come.
“The original publishers, Grosset & Dunlap, played a huge role in the success of Nancy Drew. From their marketing
strategies to their many salesmen, they kept the series in widespread distribution so that children from all around the
country and later in foreign countries could discover Nancy's exciting world.
“It was Grosset & Dunlap who helped choose the original artist,
Russell H. Tandy, to illustrate the series. His illustrations have been a
huge factor in Nancy's success. They were sophisticated and classy.
They brought to life the character of Nancy very memorably and
no doubt helped sales as children were attracted to the glamorous
covers.
“Each succeeding generation of women and men who read the
books as children, have passed them down to siblings, to children,
to grandchildren and have kept alive the memories of reading Nancy
as a child. Nostalgia plays a large factor in the continuing success of
the series, which is still published today by Simon & Schuster, who
helped bring Nancy Drew into the modern era.”
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Drawing Conclusions
English Language Arts Classroom Activity
Taken from: First Stage’s Literacy Residency Curriculum
When you draw a conclusion, you are making assumptions based on your knowledge and
after considering what you have just read in a text. When you draw conclusions, you should:
• Look for clues in the story
• Make connections between information
• Think about what you personally know about this topic or situation
• Read in between the lines and try to uncover the subtext
Activity:
1. As a class, begin by reading the short story: The Case of the Ruined Roses, by Esther B. Wheeler.
a. This story can be found at: Mystery Net’s Kids Mysteries, The Case of the Ruined Roses Solve-It 28.
http://kids.mysterynet.com/solveit/.
2. After reading through the story, ask students the following questions, and write their responses on the board in the
form of a graph or chart:
a. What is the mystery that needs to be solved?
b. Who are the main characters in the mystery?
c. Describe each character briefly and his/her participation in the mystery.
d. What are the key clues?
e. What steps will we take to analyze this problem? (You can act it out, draw a picture, make a list, work
backwards from the end back to the beginning, make some educated guesses and see how they work,
draw a web of facts, events, and characters)
3. Place students into small groups. In these groups, students must discuss the mystery with their group members and together
come up with a solution for the mystery—who do they believe was responsible for acting out the crime, and how did they do it.
a. If students are having a very difficult time coming up with any ideas towards a solution, you may choose to
provide them with this extra clue: "Didn't you tell me that UFO's had been around as far back as 1800?"
asked Max. "Oh yes," said Nina. "This one professor said it could be even farther back. Why?" "Well, Sam
Cartland said they had only been reported since 1947. That's only 51 years ago." "Oh, oh," said Nina. "That
part about seeing them way back came at the very end of the show. Do you suppose?"
b. Students should fill out the Solve It worksheet to help them through this process.
4.Once students have come up with their solution to the mystery, they must act it out. Each group member should
play a different character, and they should create a scene showing how the guilty suspect performed the crime—this
is a scene of the crime taking place.
a. Allow groups 5-7 minutes to come up with their solution and scene. Assist groups as needed and guide
them appropriately.
b. Remind students that their job is to draw correct conclusions based on the knowledge they have and
appropriate and believable inferences they can make based on this knowledge.
5.Have each group share their scene with the class and tell the class who they believe is responsible for the
crime, and why.
Reflection
6.After going through all the different scenes and possibilities for who is responsible for the crime, ask the class who they now
believe is the prime culprit—their decision on who the guilty party is may have changed after seeing the scenes—and why.
a. Take a class vote to see who the class overall believes is the wrongdoer.
7.Finally, read the solution to the students:
a. Whom does Max suspect?: Sam Cartland. How did Max figure it out?: Sam taped the program on UFO's
and had almost finished watching it when Max and Nina showed up. He was accurate in discussing it with
Nina except for the last part which he hadn't seen yet. He admitted being so angry with Coach Thornton
that he pulled up his roses. He apologized to the coach and promised to do extra yard work for him.
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Drawing Conclusions (Continued)
English Language Arts/Social Studies Student Activity
Taken from: First Stage’s Literacy Residency Curriculum
Solve It!
Drawing Conclusions
Group Members: ____________________________________________________________________________
The suspect responsible for the crime is: ________________________________________________________
The key clues that this suspect is the guilty party are: _____________________________________________
1. _________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
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Detective Book Reports
English Language Arts Student Activity
Taken from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/ingredients-mystery
A mystery story involves secrets, crimes and puzzles that must be solved by the main character, a detective. Mystery
stories are suspenseful, and the reader gets to discover clues and help solve the case along with the main character.
Good detectives need to be good readers and good summarizers. Help the detective in a mystery solve the case by filling
out your very own Detective Notebook while your reading story.
Here are some recommended mystery stories from Scholastic:
• Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat
• Young Cam Jansen by David A. Adler
• The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Ann Warner
• Cam Jansen by David A. Adler
• Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol
................................................................................
Detective’s Notebook
Mystery Story: _______________________________________________________________________________
Who is the Detective?
Who are the Suspects?
What clues have been discovered?
Make sure to list the clues in the proper sequence of events, with the first clue listed first, and so on!
1. _________________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________________________________
Have you discovered any Red Herrings? These are false leads—something that throws the
detective off the right path of solving the mystery.
How was the case cracked (solved!)?
15
Mystery in a Bag: Creative Writing
English Language Arts Classroom Activity
Taken from: Education World; Mystery in a Bag lesson submitted by Cara Bafile, Originally published 02/14/2003. http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp299-02.shtml
Activity
1. Start by gathering a bunch of small common household or office items. Ideas include:
a. Pens, candy wrappers, receipts, chap stick, mini-hand sanitizer, coupons, sunglasses, etc.
2. Put five objects in a shoebox, and divvy up the other objects into about 10 paper bags.
3. As a large group, pass the shoebox around the classroom. Allow each student to handle the box without opening
it—they must guess what they think is in the box.
4.Once the box has reached every student, take the box back and open it to reveal its contents. Discuss each item
and together as a class come up with the story of each object:
a. Who do these objects belong to? Where did they come from? What are the characters doing with these
objects? What is the importance of each object to the character who owns them?
5. Now, place students in small groups. Distribute a bag to each student or group. Explain that this is a "bag of
evidence" from a crime scene.
a. Each small group must write a mystery story that includes the objects as "clues" to solve the mystery. The
stories must include a main character and suspects; a crime, secrets or a puzzle that must be solved; and
progressive clues that lead the detective to solving the mystery.
6.Once complete, have students create a comic strip of their story, illustrating the unfolding of their mystery.
16
Crack the Code: Anagrams
English Language Arts Student Activity
Taken from: Library Sparks. By Lynne Farrell Stover. 2007. https://librarysparks.com/pdf/librarysparks/2007/lsp_may07_nancy_drew.pdf
Nancy Drew is good at discovering clues and solving puzzles. An anagram is a word or phrase formed by
rearranging the letters of another word or phrase.
See if you can uncover these Detective names with their anagrams:
Detective Name
Anagram
Beagle
Spoon
Gumshoe
Lock Hers
Sherlock
Be A Leg
Sleuth
Some Ugh
Snoop
Hustle
17
WHO SAID IT?
1. Because fishing is a great way to send time outdoors, spend time with your chums, and relax.
Fishing is also a lovely way to get rid of stress. Plus, with a bit of luck, we may catch our
own dinner.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NANCY
2. Everyone says Nancy can smell a mystery a mile away. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BESS
3. I didn’t imagine the ghost! I saw him! Besides that isn’t what I mean.
I mean the treasure map!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRIXIE
4. I’m sure there is no reason to be afraid. If you won’t come, then I’ll go alone. I’ll prove to you that the
place is not haunted.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NANCY
5. Imagine that! He tries to rob your house and then sues you. Just like Stumpy Dowd. . . . . GEORGE
6. The Map is in a country that has a red whale as king. So we are looking for a country whose King is
a Fat Communist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BESS
7. Of course, he caused quite a bit of trouble for our family. A truly awful man.. . . . . . . . . . . . . LAURA
8. A man just called. He didn't give his name, but he had the most unpleasant voice!. . . . . . HANNAH
9. The burglar stole the jewels. All of the jewels the girls’ mother left to them. Not to worry girls, all of the
paperwork for the investments is safely at the bank.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JACOB ABORN
10.I’ll try, but I confess, I might be a bit distracted by this case. If I just had a real clue!. . . . . . . NANCY
11.Mysteries! Haven’t you had enough of them? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NED
12.Ghosts! Ghosts! I saw them! They’re in the cottage! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRIXIE
13.But that doesn’t help. The Warwick sank. It can’t be on the Warwick.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GEORGE
14.Stumpy Dowd! But you’re dead! How did you survive the fall? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NANCY
15.Keep it simple. No funny business either! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STUMPY DOWD
16.The coppers? That’s a laugh. Stumpy is nobody’s fool. I’ll cover up my trail.. . . . . STUMPY DOWD
17.Then we’ll escape! We may be able to catch that scoundrel yet!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JACOB ABORN
18.I’m glad you’re safe. Now I am going to walk to the neighbors and find a phone
to ring the police chief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CARSON
19.Nancy! The captain and his wife just jumped overboard!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GEORGE
20.Shut your word hole, Bellows.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STUMPY DOWD
Post-Show Questions
1. What words would you use describe the character Nancy Drew?
2. During the play, Nancy shares aphorisms (words of wisdom or advice) such as, “Sometimes rudeness is a sign of
guilt.” Do you know any aphorisms? What do they mean?
3. Nancy Drew is a detective and uses clues (evidence or information used in detective work) to solve mysteries. Can
you recall any of the clues Nancy Drew used?
4. A detective must be very observant, noticing people and things around you. Without looking around, try to recall
these details in your classroom: What is your teacher wearing today? How many windows and doors are in your
classroom? How many bookcases? Is there a flag? Are the desks arranged in rows or groups? Were there any
absences today? Is there a class pet (lizard, fish, turtle, bird, etc.)? Are there maps on the wall? Who are the tallest
and shortest kids in your class?
18
WHO SAID IT? ANSWERS
1. Because fishing is a great way to send time outdoors, spend time with your chums, and relax.
Fishing is also a lovely way to get rid of stress. Plus, with a bit of luck, we may catch our
own dinner.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NANCY
2. Everyone says Nancy can smell a mystery a mile away. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BESS
3. I didn’t imagine the ghost! I saw him! Besides that isn’t what I mean.
I mean the treasure map!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRIXIE
4. I’m sure there is no reason to be afraid. If you won’t come, then I’ll go alone.
I’ll prove to you that the place is not haunted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NANCY
5. Imagine that! He tries to rob your house and then sues you. Just like Stumpy Dowd. . . . . GEORGE
6. The Map is in a country that has a red whale as king. So we are looking for a country
whose King is a Fat Communist.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BESS
7. Of course, he caused quite a bit of trouble for our family. A truly awful man.. . . . . . . . . . . . . LAURA
8. A man just called. He didn't give his name, but he had the most unpleasant voice!. . . . . . HANNAH
9. The burglar stole the jewels. All of the jewels the girls’ mother left to them. Not to worry girls,
all of the paperwork for the investments is safely at the bank.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JACOB ABORN
10.I’ll try, but I confess, I might be a bit distracted by this case. If I just had a real clue!. . . . . . . NANCY
11.Mysteries! Haven’t you had enough of them? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NED
12.Ghosts! Ghosts! I saw them! They’re in the cottage! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRIXIE
13.But that doesn’t help. The Warwick sank. It can’t be on the Warwick.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GEORGE
14.Stumpy Dowd! But you’re dead! How did you survive the fall? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NANCY
15.Keep it simple. No funny business either! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STUMPY DOWD
16.The coppers? That’s a laugh. Stumpy is nobody’s fool. I’ll cover up my trail.. . . . . STUMPY DOWD
17.Then we’ll escape! We may be able to catch that scoundrel yet!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JACOB ABORN
18.I’m glad you’re safe. Now I am going to walk to the neighbors and find a phone
to ring the police chief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CARSON
19.Nancy! The captain and his wife just jumped overboard!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GEORGE
20.Shut your word hole, Bellows.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STUMPY DOWD
19