Deacon Detectives
Hey, Deacon Detectives!
Are you ready to dive into a world of mystery and adventure?
Each week your class will receive a new mission to uncover the secrets of a city in North Carolina! Your task is to piece together the clues to discover which city the Deacon is exploring.
Are you ready to spy? Get started on your next mission today!
If you have identified the correct city, we invite you to complete this Deacon Detectives Response Form. Each form includes a section for you to add additional clues about this week’s city. The more clues you discover on your own, the more likely you are to be recognized as our spy of the week!
City Spies of the Week
Congratulations to Ms. Bledsoe’s 4th grade class at Meadowlark Elementary School for being our City Spies of the Week for Mission 5!
Skip Prosser Literacy Program
Big Read 2024-2025
The Skip Prosser Literacy Program interns are reading the thrilling story of City Spies by James Ponti. This book explores the world of spies uncovering secret missions around the world. We invite you to join us for this year’s Big Read. Pick up a copy of the book from your school or public library, and get ready for action, friendships, and plenty of surprises!
Missions
Mission 1
Clue #1 – This city is located in the Piedmont Triad region of central North Carolina.
Clue #2 – Famous jazz saxophonist John Coltrane grew up in this city.
Clue #3 – This city is known as the Home Furnishings Capital of the World.
Clue #4 – This city got its name from being the highest point along the North Carolina railroad constructed in the mid-1800s.
Check back next week to see if you identified the correct city and to find out if you will be among our city spies of the week!
Congratulations to our city spies of the week, Ms. Brainard’s 5th grade class from Sedge Garden Elementary! The correct answer to Mission 1 was High Point, North Carolina. Are you ready for your next mission?
Mission 2
Clue #1 – This city used to be called Morristown, named after North Carolina’s ninth governor.
Clue #2 – This city was the first Bee City USA. Bee Cities help establish sustainable habitats for bees so they can continue to pollinate the 85% of plants that depend on them.
Clue #3 – Five #1 box office films have been filmed in this city, including the movie Forrest Gump.
Clue #4 – This city is home to the Biltmore Estate, which is the largest privately-owned home in the United States.
Clue #5 – This week’s city is located in western North Carolina, which was severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. If your families would like to help, check out this list of ways to support flood victims in western NC counties.
Check back next week to see if you identified the correct city and to find out if you will be among our city spies of the week!
Congratulations to our city spies of the week, Ms. Bledsoe’s 4th grade class from Meadowlark Elementary School! The correct answer to Mission 2 was Asheville, North Carolina. Are you ready for your next mission?
Mission 3
Clue #1 – The Old Well is modeled after the Temple of Love outside the Palace of Versailles in Paris.
Clue #2 – The most iconic street in this city shares a name with a turtle from a popular children’s book series.
Clue #3 – This city’s nickname is The Southern Part of Heaven, whose motto is “Learning, Serving & Working Together To Build A Community Where People Thrive.”
Clue #4 – The Morehead Planetarium was the first planetarium in the South and a NASA training facility from 1960 to 1975.
Clue #5 – This city was founded in 1792 and was originally named after a hill that once served as home to New Hope Chapel.
Check back next week to see if you identified the correct city and to find out if you will be among our city spies of the week!
Congratulations to our city spies of the week, Ms. Smith’s 4th grade homeroom class at Cash Elementary School! The correct answer to Mission 3 was Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Are you ready for your next mission?
Mission 4
Clue #1 – National Geographic has named this city as one of the top 20 surf towns in the world.
Clue #2 – This city is said to be one of the most haunted cities in the United States.
Clue #3 – This city is between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean and is home to a USS North Carolina battleship.
Clue #4 – This city is home to NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.
Clue #5 – This city is home to a UNC system university whose mascot, Sammy C. Hawk, proudly represents the Seahawks.
Check back next week to see if you identified the correct city and to find out if you will be among our city spies of the week!
Congratulations to our city spies of the week, Ms. Bermudez’s 4th grade class at Speas Elementary School! The correct answer to Mission 4 was Wilmington, North Carolina. Are you ready for your next mission?
Mission 5
Clue #1 – Known for its rich history of old-time and bluegrass music, this city hosts its own annual Fiddlers Convention.
Clue #2 – In the late 19th and early 20th century, this city was a hub for furniture, textiles, tobacco manufacturing, and granite quarrying. In fact, the granite from here was used to construct the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Clue #3 – This city is located in Surry County, just inside the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and is close to Pilot Mountain.
Clue #4 – Home to the famous actor, Andy Griffith, this city was the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry in a 1960s television show.
Check back next week to see if you identified the correct city and to find out if you will be among our city spies of the week!
Congratulations to our city spies of the week, Ms. Bledsoe’s 4th grade class at Meadowlark Elementary School! The correct answer to Mission 5 was Ms. Bledsoe’s hometown of Mount Airy, North Carolina. Are you ready for your next mission?
Mission 6
Clue #1 – The legend behind this city tells the story of two lovers from opposing tribes, the Cherokee and Catawba Native American tribes
Clue #2 – This city is home to North Carolina’s oldest outdoor travel attraction
Clue #3 – A theme park in this city hosts the only operational narrow-gauge railroad in North Carolina
Clue #4 – This city is known for its superb views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains
Clue #5 – This city is the only place in the world where snow falls upside down, driven by vertical wind currents near a unique rock formation that inspired the city’s name
Check back next week to see if you identified the correct city and to find out if you will be among our city spies of the week!
Coming Wednesday, January 15, 2025!
Learning Standards
Deacon Detectives was created to support learning based on the following North Carolina 4th Grade Social Studies Standards.
- I.1.8 Accurately use information from sources when making claims.
- I.1.9 Make inferences from information in sources.
- 4.B.1.1 Explain how traditions, social structure, and artistic expression have contributed to the unique identity of North Carolina.
- 4.G.1.1 Compare the development of various geographic regions in North Carolina using geographic tools and representations.
- 4.H.1.6 Explain the significance of historical symbols in North Carolina from various perspectives.
This project is led by the Skip Prosser Literacy Program Interns.
For more information, please email Dr. Alan Brown.