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Teaching The Westing Game: A Puzzle Mystery

There's a little detective in all of us.

  • Activities: 16
  • Quiz Questions: 60

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This mystery has it all: murders, bombs, a huge inheritance up for grabs, and secret identities you didn't see coming. Murder mysteries can be a lot of fun, and Shmoop is here to help you solve the mystery of teaching The Westing Game.

This guide includes

  • reading quizzes to test students' mystery-solving skills along the way.
  • an activity that puts a magnifying glass on the lyrics of "America the Beautiful."
  • strategies for keeping track of such a large cast of characters.

Put on your sleuthing cap, grab this guide, and solve this teaching puzzle.

What's Inside Shmoop's Literature Teaching Guides

Shmoop is a labor of love from folks who love to teach. Our teaching guides will help you supplement in-classroom learning with fun, engaging, and relatable learning materials that bring literature to life.

Inside each guide you'll find quizzes, activity ideas, discussion questions, and more—all written by experts and designed to save you time. Here are the deets on what you get with your teaching guide:

  • 13-18 Common Core-aligned activities to complete in class with your students, including detailed instructions for you and your students.
  • Discussion and essay questions for all levels of students.
  • Reading quizzes for every chapter, act, or part of the text.
  • Resources to help make the book feel more relevant to your 21st-century students.
  • A note from Shmoop’s teachers to you, telling you what to expect from teaching the text and how you can overcome the hurdles.

Want more help teaching Teaching The Westing Game: A Puzzle Mystery?

Check out all the different parts of our corresponding learning guide.



Instructions for You

Objective: Out with it: on your first read of The Westing Game, you were absolutely sure that Crow did it. Or was it Mr. Hoo? Jake Wexler? As readers of the murder mystery genre, we're constantly going back and forth with our suspicions and pinning the murder on someone—it's the driving force of figuring this out that keeps us turning pages.

For this artistic activity, students will create a "Wanted" poster for the character they feel is guilty. Therefore, it is best to give this assignment halfway or three quarters of the way through your class's reading of the book, when suspicion is at its absolute peak.

Materials Needed: poster paper, markers

Step 1: Who (or perhaps Hoo) is the most suspicious of the sixteen Westing heirs? Pose this question—as well as the following—to your students, perhaps in small groups, in order to open dialogue. 

  • What is it about this person that draws you to conclude or suspect their guilt?
  • Describe them, both physically and in terms of character traits or interests.

Step 2: Now allow students to put these thoughts down on paper. Remind them that it's not only totally cool to refer back to the book to find things that corroborate their suspicions, but good argumentative practice. Things students should keep in mind as they write include:

  • Suspicious activity
  • Description. Remember, you want people to be able to identify the wanted person by looking at them.
  • Other character traits that are important (for example, "fast runner," "limps," or "wears black all the time")

Step 3: It's poster time. Allow one to two class periods for students to create their posters. Posters should include the following:

  • Character's name on top
  • Large drawing of the character's face
  • Suspicious activity 
  • Description of both physical traits as well as interests and character traits
  • A border that consists of some relevant objects that connect to the person. For example, for Judge Ford, they might draw a gavel, for Sandy they might feature a boxing glove, and for Turtle, they might draw a braid.

Instructions for Your Students

Objective: Out with it: when it comes to The Westing Game, you are absolutely sure that Crow did it. Or was it Mr. Hoo? Jake Wexler? As readers of the murder mystery genre, we're constantly going back and forth with our suspicions and pinning the murder on someone—it's the driving force of figuring this out that keeps us turning pages.

For this artistic activity, you will create a "Wanted" poster for the character you feel is guilty. Automatic A+ for those who guess right. Just kidding.

Step 1: Who (or perhaps Hoo) is the most suspicious of the sixteen Westing heirs? Discuss this question—as well as the following—with your peers.

  • What is it about this person that draws you to conclude or suspect their guilt?
  • Describe them, both physically and in terms of character traits or interests.

Step 2: Now take some time to put your thoughts down on paper. Remember: it's not only totally cool to refer back to the book to find things that corroborate your suspicions, but good argumentative practice. Things you should keep in mind as you write include:

  • Suspicious activity
  • Description. Remember, you want people to be able to identify the wanted person by looking at them.
  • Other character traits that are important (for example, "fast runner," "limps," or "wears black all the time")

Step 3: It's poster time, so get ready to get crafty. Your wanted poster should include the following:

  • Character's name on top
  • Large drawing of the character's face
  • Suspicious activity 
  • Description of both physical traits as well as interests and character traits
  • A border that consists of some relevant objects that connect to the person. For example, for Judge Ford, you might draw a gavel, for Sandy, you might feature a boxing glove, and for Turtle, you might draw a braid.