Mystery of the Suffocated Seventh Grader Author:Cheryl Miller Thurston After they read this delightful play, your students will never again blindly accept rumor as fact. The play is funny and fun to read, and it includes follow-up activities that really help develop critical thinking. Mystery of the Suffocated Seventh Grader is about a simple misunderstanding that leads to a number of students jumping to a number ... more »of conclusions, each more outrageous than the last. The cast includes misguided ninth graders, a mischievous seventh grader, an amused policeman and a dead gerbil named Maynard. 14 characters, 20-30 minutes. 24 pages, 81/2" 11", reproducible« less