The Mousetrap

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

Nursery Rhyme Mystery

In this activity, students will develop a scene from their own play script using a nursery rhyme based on textual details.

Agatha Christie bases her detective fiction play on a nursery rhyme, “Three Blind Mice,” to drive the plot and help the characters make predictions about what the killer will do next. Consider other nursery rhymes Christie may have used to create her play. Then use a nursery rhyme as the basis to create a scene from your own mystery play. Consider these points when constructing your scene:

• How will you connect each of the characters to the murder in some way?
• What elements will you use to create suspense surrounding the narrative?
• How will you use foreshadowing and red herrings to engage your audience?
• How will you use the setting of your play to isolate victims?

Share the elements used in your scene with peers, drawing connections to Christie’s mystery techniques.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may find it helpful to discuss mystery elements and theatrical terms in small groups before creating the plot of their scene. Consider asking students to reference the play’s format and stage directions while developing their scene.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who require an additional challenge may wish to analyze the use of humor in the play and how it adds to the narrative. Students who struggle to find ideas may benefit from index cards labeled “The Murderer,” “The Detective,” “The Innocent Suspect,” and “The Suspicious Stranger.” On the back, they can write a line of dialogue that that character might say during a scene, then act those lines out in a group to begin forming a scenario.