Ms. Edwards

🎨🕵️ The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day

What if one of the most famous paintings in the world just… disappeared?

In The Mona Lisa Vanishes, we follow the real-life mystery of how Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece was stolen from the Louvre and how that shocking event helped turn it into the most famous painting in the world. Along the way, you’ll explore art, history, and the clues behind one of the greatest art heists ever.

As we read together, get ready to think like a detective, ask big questions, and decide for yourself:
👉 Is the Mona Lisa famous because of the art… or because of the story?

Nicholas Day, author

An author who makes true stories feel like adventures full of mystery, twists, and “wait…what?!” moments.

Brett Helquist, illustrator

An illustrator whose artwork adds humor, detail, and life to every page.

🕵️ Mona Lisa Mystery: A Global Investigation

🧭 INTRODUCTION

🖼️ The Mona Lisa has been stolen… and the thief has NOT been caught yet.

You are the detective. Use clues from around the world and the Library Website tto figure out who did it and why.

⚠️ You have not learned the real thief yet… so your job is to make your best guess using evidence.

▶️ DIRECTIONS

1. Visit each stop in order

2. Think like a detective

3. Record your answers in your Case File

4. Use the Gale Database for evidence

5. Solve the mystery

🖼️ STOP 1: THE CRIME SCENE

🏛️ Louvre Museum: You are using these websites to EXPLORE!

🌍 Explore the Outside (Google Earth)

👉 https://earth.google.com/web/search/Louvre+Museum

🖼️ Go Inside (Virtual Tour)

👉 https://www.louvre.fr/en/online-tours

Answer on your Placemat: What made the theft possible?

🌆 STOP 2: THE SETTING

Paris, France

👉 https://earth.google.com/web/search/Paris+France

🧠 Think:

How busy is this city?

Would it be easy for someone to disappear here? Why or why not?

💡 Hint: Big cities = crowds…

Answer on your Placemat: Could someone disappear in a busy city? Why?

🇮🇹 STOP 3: WHAT WAS THE MOTIVE?

Florence, Italy

👉 https://earth.google.com/web/search/Florence+Italy

🧠 Think:

Why might someone believe the Mona Lisa belongs in Italy?

What kind of person would want to take it back?

💡 Hint: Think about pride, history, and ownership.

Answer on your Placemat: Why would someone take it?

🔎 STOP 4: FIND EVIDENCE (Gale Database)

Now use Gale to investigate the case using a trusted source.

Find:

ONE new fact about the theft

Something that supports your theory

Answer on your Placemat: Write ONE new fact you discovered about this topic.

🔐 DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP CHECK

💻 Detectives use reliable sources.

Think:

Why is Gale better than random websites?
How do you know information is trustworthy?

Answer on your Placemat: Why should you use trusted sources like Gale instead of random websites?

📢 FINAL CHALLENGE: SOLVE THE CASE

🕵️ Who stole the Mona Lisa and why?

Answer on your Placemat:

Use these sentence starters:

I think the Mona Lisa was stolen by ______ because ______.

One piece of evidence is ______.

Another piece of evidence is ______.

YOU DID IT!!! 🍭

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