Case of the Missing Necklace

Mr. and Mrs. Carter were hosting a small charity dinner in their old Victorian house when Mrs. Carter discovered her precious pearl necklace was gone. She had set it on her dressing table just before the guests arrived. Panicked, she called Detective Riley.

Detective Riley arrived at 8:00 p.m. and began looking for clues. The window by the dressing table was open, and the latch was broken. Footprints with fresh mud led from the window across the rug and toward the back door. On the floor, he also found a small, torn piece of dark cloth.

Riley gathered the three staff members in the parlor:

• The butler said he had just placed candles on the dining table.
• The chef claimed he was in the kitchen preparing soup all evening.
• The gardener said he had stepped inside to fetch a tool from the greenhouse.

Riley asked each person about the muddy footprints. The butler’s shoes were spotless. The chef’s shoes had a bit of flour on them but no mud. The gardener’s boots were covered in fresh mud, and a torn piece of cloth peeking from his jacket pocket matched the scrap found near the window.

Detective Riley inferred that the gardener sneaked in through the window, snagged his jacket, and grabbed the necklace. Confronted with the clues, the gardener confessed. Riley returned the pearls to Mrs. Carter, explaining how each detail solved the case.

Detective Case Questions Worksheet

Main Idea Questions

1. What is the main idea of the mystery in Case of the Missing Necklace?
   Hint: Look at why Mrs. Carter called Detective Riley and how the case ends.
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. In one or two sentences, summarize how Detective Riley solves the mystery.
   Hint: Focus on the key clue that led to the confession.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Supporting Details Questions

3. Identify two details from the text that show how the thief entered the house.
   Hint: Look for descriptions of the window and footprints.
   
   
   

4. What evidence pointed to the gardener as the culprit? List two pieces of evidence.
   Hint: Consider the torn cloth and the condition of the gardener’s boots.
   
   
   

Inference Questions

5. Why do you think the butler and chef were ruled out as suspects? Explain your inference using evidence from the text.
   Hint: Compare the descriptions of their shoes to the muddy footprints.
   
   
   
   
   
   

6. Detective Riley explains how “each detail solved the case.” Choose one detail (other than the muddy boots) and infer why it was important.
   Hint: Think about what that detail revealed about the thief’s actions.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Detective Case Answer Key

Main Idea Questions

1. What is the main idea of the mystery in Case of the Missing Necklace?
Answer: Detective Riley uses physical clues to identify and catch the thief who stole Mrs. Carter’s pearl necklace.
Explanation/Reasoning:

• Mrs. Carter calls Detective Riley because her necklace is missing.
• Riley examines the scene (broken window, muddy footprints, torn cloth).
• He follows the clues to the gardener, obtains a confession, and returns the pearls.

2. In one or two sentences, summarize how Detective Riley solves the mystery.
Answer: Detective Riley notices a broken window latch, muddy footprints leading inside, and a scrap of cloth that matches the gardener’s jacket; he infers the gardener is the thief, confronts him, and recovers the necklace.
Explanation/Reasoning:

• Key clue: the torn cloth matched the gardener’s pocket scrap.
• Combined with the mud on his boots, Riley concludes the gardener slipped in through the window.

Supporting Details Questions

3. Identify two details from the text that show how the thief entered the house.
Answer:

• The window by the dressing table was open and its latch was broken.
• Fresh muddy footprints led from the open window across the rug toward the back door.
  Explanation/Reasoning:
• Broken latch indicates forced entry.
• Footprints establish the path the thief took.

4. What evidence pointed to the gardener as the culprit? List two pieces of evidence.
Answer:

• The gardener’s boots were covered in fresh mud matching the footprints.
• A torn piece of dark cloth in his jacket pocket matched the scrap found near the window.
  Explanation/Reasoning:
• Muddy boots link him directly to the footprints.
• The matching cloth scrap ties him to the broken window entry.

Inference Questions

5. Why do you think the butler and chef were ruled out as suspects? Explain your inference using evidence from the text.
Answer: They had no mud on their shoes, so they could not have made the muddy footprints.
Evidence:

• Butler’s shoes were completely spotless.
• Chef’s shoes had flour but no mud.
  Inference/Reasoning:
• If either had been at the window, their shoes would match the muddy prints.
• Clean shoes (or only flour) rule them out.

6. Detective Riley explains how “each detail solved the case.” Choose one detail (other than the muddy boots) and infer why it was important.
Answer (example): The torn piece of dark cloth was important because it showed the thief snagged his jacket while climbing through the broken window.
Inference/Reasoning:

• The cloth scrap ties the suspect to the exact entry point.
• Without that detail, Riley would have less proof linking the gardener to the scene.

Inference Clue Cards

Use these cards to practice making inferences.
Print on cardstock, cut along the dotted lines, and give each pair a full set. Students take turns drawing a card, reading the clue, and writing an inference supported by evidence from the text.

Card 1
Clue: “The window latch by the dressing table was broken.”
Inference: What does this tell you about how the thief entered?

Card 2
Clue: “Footprints with fresh mud led from the window across the rug and toward the back door.”
Inference: What can you infer about the thief’s path?

Card 3
Clue: “A small, torn piece of dark cloth was found on the floor near the window.”
Inference: What does this piece of cloth suggest about the thief’s actions?

Card 4
Clue: “The butler’s shoes were completely spotless.”
Inference: Why does this rule him out as the suspect?

Card 5
Clue: “The chef’s shoes had a bit of flour on them but no mud.”
Inference: What does this detail tell you about the chef’s involvement?

Card 6
Clue: “The gardener’s boots were covered in fresh mud.”
Inference: What can you deduce about his presence at the scene?

Main Idea & Supporting Details Poster

🔍 What Is the Main Idea?

The main idea is the central point or message of a text. It answers: What is this story or passage mostly about?
Remember: There is only one main idea.

How to Find It:

• Look at the title or opening sentence.
• Ask yourself: “What key event or message ties everything together?”
• Summarize the text in one sentence.

📌 What Are Supporting Details?

Supporting details are facts, examples, or descriptions that explain, prove, or enhance the main idea. They answer questions like who, what, when, where, why, and how.

How to Spot Them:

• Look for descriptive phrases, numbers, or specific examples.
• Ask: “How does this sentence help me understand the main idea?”
• Underline or highlight detail sentences that give extra information.

🕵️‍♂️ Example from “Case of the Missing Necklace”

Tip for Students:

• Circle the sentence that best captures the main idea.
• Underline two or three details that support it.
• Discuss with a partner: “Why did I choose this detail?”

📝 Quick-Check Questions

1. What is the main idea of our detective story?
   
   
   
   
2. Name two details that helped Detective Riley solve the case.
   
   
   
   

Keep this poster visible during our lesson to help guide your thinking as reading detectives!

Detective Briefing (Warm-Up)

• Project an engaging image of Detective Riley examining a broken window or a mystery scene.
• Ask students: “What clues would you look for if you were solving this mystery?”
• Give students 30 seconds to turn and talk with a partner about one clue they’d search for.
• Call on 2–3 students to share their ideas out loud.
• Conclude: “Today, we’ll be Reading Detectives—finding main ideas, supporting details, and making inferences to crack the case!”

Exit Ticket: Detective Reflection

Prompt: Write the main idea of the mystery and one inference you made with evidence from the text.

1. Main Idea of the Mystery:
   
   
   
   
2. One Inference with Evidence: