The Howard Twins Teacher Resource Guide

TEACHER RESOURCE GUIDE - Classroom Collection

Turn reading into an investigation.

The Howard Twins Classroom Collection transforms The Howard Twins and the Christmas Tree House Mystery into a complete novel study designed for students in Grades 6-8.

Instead of simply answering comprehension questions, students become Agents-in-Training, investigating the mystery alongside Paul and Jamie Howard. As the story unfolds, they collect evidence, examine suspects, analyze motives, question assumptions, make predictions, and revise their theories when new clues appear.

Designed by author and 30-year educator James Pirotta, this 125-page classroom resource combines reading comprehension with the kind of critical thinking that helps students become stronger, more engaged readers.

Inside the collection:

• 21 chapter-by-chapter Case Assignments
• Student Investigator Case File activities
• Evidence Files that challenge students to analyze clues
• Character Case Files examining motives, actions, and reliability
• Vocabulary Investigations using words in context
• Writing, research, inference, and critical-thinking activities
• Whole-book Final Exam
• Complete Teacher Answer Key
• Flexible pacing for whole-class, small-group, independent, or homeschool use

Students are challenged to do more than remember what happened. They must ask:

What does the evidence actually prove?
Who can be trusted?
Is this a clue-or a red herring?
When should a theory change?
Can you defend your conclusion with evidence from the story?

The activities are designed to be accessible to sixth graders while still providing meaningful analytical challenges for seventh- and eighth-grade students.

Whether used in a traditional classroom, reading group, enrichment program, or homeschool setting, The Howard Twins Classroom Collection has one overriding goal:

Get students reading. Get them thinking. And let them experience the excitement of solving a mystery.

The case is open. Can your students solve it?