Teacher : Carrie

I'm a Santa detective. I'm trying to find out if Santa's real or not through a series of tests. I wrote a letter to Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. In the morning, I received a reply letter from him! In my letter, there were things I wanted to get for Christmas. I also made a ticket to Santa Claus and told him to bring it next year to check to see if Santa Claus is real or not. It's a little rectangle shaped ticket. It includes my address, cellphone number, e-mail and my name. If Santa Claus brings the ticket this year, Santa Claus is a real person because I know my father is forgetful.

At night, I put cookies and milk at the front of the door. In the morning, the cookies and milk are all gone. Sometimes I think Santa Claus is my dad, so I tell him to write “Santa" to see if the pattern that Santa wrote in the letter is the same. Most sixth graders think Santa Claus is not real, even my best friends. But I want to believe in Santa Claus. I know Santa's e-mail, address, and phone number. I will try to call him or e-mail him. When I'm older, I will try to visit Santa at his house. If I finally find him I will know for sure if he's real or not. Until then, I will find some more ways to discover the truth. I'm the real Santa detective, and I will work on this case every Christmas!

Discussion Questions:

Tell me about what you understood from the story!

1. Have you ever gotten a present from Santa Clause?

2. Why does Samantha think her dad may be Santa Clause?

3. What tools or ways does Samantha use (and plan to use in the future) to discover whether Santa is real?

4. Do you think Santa Clause is real? Why or why not?

Bonus Question: Are there any mysteries you would like to solve?