The Westing Game

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. Where are the tenants trying to rent an apartment?

2. Where does Turtle go on Halloween night?

3. What does the paper reveal the morning after the Halloween party?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the rumors surrounding the Westing house? Why are people intrigued by it?

2. What is Turtle’s personality like? What evidence supports your description of her?

3. How is Sam Westing dressed when Turtle first sees him and what is distressing to Turtle about his attire?

Chapters 6-10

Reading Check

1. How are each of the 16 heirs related to Sam Westing?

2. What is the cause of Sam Westing’s death according to his will?

3. What event prevents the residents of Sunset Tower from going outdoors?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why did Sam Westing gather his heirs? What is the end goal of the teams he assembles?

2. Why are some of the characters suspicious of Sam Westing’s death?

3. How does the competition in the Westing game change the participants’ behavior?

Paired Resource

“How to Write Like the Best-Selling Author of All Time”

• This 5-minute video explores Agatha Christie’s use of character development and mystery elements to create her novels.
• Information in this resource includes connections to the themes of Appearances as a (Non)Indication of Self, Greed and Charity as Motivators and The Use of Rationality to Explain an Irrational World.
• Why does Christie intentionally leave her character development vague? How did Christie pull inspiration from her environment? How did Christie make use of simple dialogue? How does Raskin make use of some of Christie’s elements to create her own mystery novel?

Chapters 11-15

Reading Check

1. What does Theo believe caused the cans in the kitchen to explode?

2. What is Grace Wexler’s nickname for Mr. Hoo?

3. Who did Flora make a wedding gown for?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Where is Sydelle’s notebook found and why isn’t it valuable to those who accessed it?

2. How has Grace’s behavior at the beginning of the novel changed since she became involved in the Westing game?

3. What does Judge Ford discover after receiving photos from a private detective?

Paired Resource

Mystery Element: Suspense

• This article describes how to create suspense when writing a mystery novel.
• Information in this resource includes connections to the themes of Appearances as a (Non)Indication of Self and Greed and Charity as Motivators.
• What are strategies writers might use to create suspense in a novel? How does Raskin make use of mystery elements and suspense to engage the reader?

Chapters 16-20

Reading Check

1. How much money does Mr. Hoo receive from Sam Westing in his settlement?

2. Who braids Turtle’s hair in her mother and sister’s absence?

3. What does Turtle instruct Flora to do with her climbing stocks?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Otis believe about James Hoo and how does Crow respond to Otis’s claim? Why does she change her mind about Mr. Hoo?

2. What discoveries are made by Sandy and Judge Ford as they investigate the Wexler family?

Paired Resource

Mystery Element: Setting

• This article explores the use of setting in a mystery novel.
• This resource connects to the theme Appearances as a (Non)Indication of Self.
• Why is the setting of a mystery novel important? What is the importance of the different settings in The Westing Game? How do these settings evoke emotion in the reader?

Chapters 21-25

Reading Check

1. When Angela and Sydelle combine their clues, what song lyrics do they discover?

2. Who is the thief in the novel?

3. Who does Judge Ford think Crow is?

4. What is the real identity of Sandy?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Turtle confess to Judge Ford? What does Judge Ford suspect about the confession?

2. Which of the teams were able to win the Westing game? What warning was left for those who were unable to provide a correct answer?

3. What suspicions arise after Crow’s arrest? Why are the other players conflicted about Crow’s involvement?

Paired Resource

Mystery Element: Red Herrings and Clues

• This article explores the use of red herrings in mystery stories.
• This resource connects to the themes of Appearances as a (Non)Indication of Self and The Use of Rationality to Explain an Irrational World.
• What is a red herring? Why are red herrings used in mystery novels? What red herrings can you identify in The Westing Game?

Chapters 26-30

Reading Check

1. What is the name of Mr. Hoo’s invention?

2. Where does Turtle serve as legal counsel?

3. What is Angela’s occupation?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Turtle ultimately win the Westing game?

2. How does Mr. Westing’s game change the relationship between the residents at Sunset Towers?

Recommended Next Reads

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

• This novel is about a sixth grader who becomes mixed up in a crime after her adopted father is accused of murder.
• Shared themes include The Use of Rationality to Explain an Irrational World and Greed and Charity as Motivators.
• Shared topics include mystery, investigation, and suspicion.
• Three Times Lucky on SuperSummary

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

• This novel is about a 12-year-old boy who competes in a library competition to win a valuable prize.
• Shared themes include The Use of Rationality to Explain an Irrational World.
• Shared topics include puzzles, teamwork, and friendships.
• Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library on SuperSummary