Want to solve some mysteries? Try out Mystery and Literature Class!

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What literature mysteries will you solve?

Ms. Lynne Herring, Armijo High School’s Journalism teacher and adviser, will be starting a new class in January, “Mystery and Literature.” This is the first year the class is being offered. Ms. Herring has been working on the curriculum since the summer, so she is very excited for this upcoming semester.

Mystery and Literature is a semester-long course open to seniors, following a semester of Mythology and Folklore. Classes like this are sometimes added to the main curriculum to expand the interest for students, so if this class is a success, it potentially could be available for years to come.

Mystery and Literature will give an overview to students about mysteries. Through these stories, students will be able work on their reading, writing, research and critical thinking skills. Ms. Herring aims to teach students the structure of the genre and how to build suspense within their writing. “I think sometimes we take what we ‘know’ for granted without thinking about it,” she said. “A lot of students know they like mysteries, suspense, and such, but they haven’t really analyzed what goes into that. I like to believe that, if they understand what happens behind the scenes in a mystery story – be it movie, book or some other genre – they will be able to have a deeper understanding and appreciation, along with amazing their friends by solving the mystery or finding holes in the plot.”

Mystery stories, from Nancy Drew to Dexter, are favorites of Mrs. Herring who is eager to begin teaching this class. “It’s right up my alley,” she said. She wants her students to appreciate the literature and the genre, and hopes they enjoy this class while connecting some of their skills learned in other English classes. She is also very excited to expand her students’ knowledge about more mystery writers.