S
Masterminds
by Gordon Korman
Eli Frieden lives in
the most perfect town in
the world: Serenity, New
Mexico. In this idyllic
place, honesty and integrity
are valued above all else.
The thirty kids who live
there never lie—they know it’s a short leap from that
to the awful problems of other, less fortunate places.
Eli has never left Serenity...until one day, he bikes
to the edge of the city limits and something so crazy
and unexpected happens, it changes everything.
Eli convinces his friends to help him investigate
further and soon it becomes clear that nothing is
as it seems in Serenity. The clues mount to reveal
a shocking discovery connecting their ideal crimefree community to some of the greatest criminal
masterminds ever known.
ETTING THE STAGE: Before students start
to read the book, list these qualities on the board:
courage, problem-solving skills, clearheadedness,
determination, honesty, and work as a team. Ask
students to discuss the list and provide examples
from other stories they have read or from their own
lives. Explain that Masterminds features a group of
friends who need these qualities to solve a mystery.
Then label six sheets of chart paper with the character
traits (one trait per sheet) and post the sheets in your
classroom. Tell students that they will be looking for
evidence of these traits as they read about how one
boy and his friends uncover a shocking secret that
alters their lives forever. (SL.3.1; SL.4.1; SL.5.1; SL.6.1)
A
CTIVITY: Fill in the day’s reading assignment
on a copy of the graphic organizer; then make student
copies of the page. As each student reads the day’s
assignment, have him/her list on the organizer text
evidence that shows how a character displayed one
or more of the traits. At the end of each day’s class,
have students share their ideas as you list them on the
appropriate charts from “Setting the Stage.” Repeat
this activity throughout the reading of the book, giving
students additional copies of the organizer as needed.
At the end of the book, discuss with students which trait
they think the characters displayed most frequently,
encouraging them to use information from their
organizers to support their opinions. To conclude, ask
students to predict how the characters might need these
six traits as they continue their escape from Serenity.
(RL.3.1; RL.4.1; RL.4.3; RL.5.1; RL.5.2; RL.6.1; RL.6.3)
MEET THE AUTHOR
Gordon Korman has written favorites,
including The New York Times bestselling
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers Book
One: The Medusa Plot; Ungifted; Pop; and
Schooled. You can visit him at
www.gordonkorman.com.
Common Core State Standards
In this activity, students work on Common Core reading standards
related to key ideas and details about the characters and plot of this
mystery story. They also practice Common Core writing skills related to
speaking/listening and writing an opinion. Specific standards are listed
in parentheses at the end of each part of the activity.
W
RITING ABOUT THE TEXT: Challenge
each student to choose one of the five main
characters—Eli, Malik, Hector, Tori, or Amber—and
write an essay that describes three or more traits
the character displays during the story. Encourage
students to use text details from their graphic
organizers and the class charts to support their
opinion. As an extension, challenge each student to
pretend that the leaders of the Serenity project have
created “Wanted” posters to help them capture the
five escapees. Have the student design a poster that
describes a character so that those who live outside
Serenity will recognize him or her. (W. 3.1; W.4.1;
W.4.9; W.5.1; W.5.9; W.6.1; W.6.9)
©2015 HarperCollins. Text and design by The Education Center, LLC
Name(s)
Reading literature
Masterminds
by Gordon Korman
Clue In to the Characters
Eli and his friends need all their abilities to uncover the mystery of Serenity. As you read, look for
examples of times when a character demonstrates one of the listed traits. Then complete the chart.
Main characters: Eli, Malik, Tori, Hector, Amber
example:
text evidence:
character:
example:
text evidence:
character:
example:
example:
honesty
character:
text evidence:
text evidence:
character:
character:
example:
text evidence:
determination
courage
problem-solving skills
clearheadedness
character:
ability to work on a team
Chapter(s): _________ Page numbers: ________
example:
text evidence:
©2015 HarperCollins. Text and design by The Education Center, LLC