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? Scroll down to 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!
Skip Prosser Literacy Program
Big Read 2024-2025
The Skip Prosser Literacy Program interns read 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, and get ready for action, friendship, and 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!
Are you ready for your next mission?
Mission 7
Clue #1 – This is the 12th most populous city in North Carolina with over 90,000 people
Clue #2 – The city is known as “BMX Pro Town USA” and hosts many BMX events throughout the year
Clue #3 – The city has a tradition of Little League Baseball and has two leagues, North State and Tar Heel
Clue #4 – Blackbeard the Pirate and the Pee Dee River inspired the local university’s mascot, leading to annual pirate festivals
Clue #5 – This city is named after a Revolutionary War general, Nathanael Greene
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. Lindsey’s class at Brunson Elementary School! The correct answer to Mission 8 was Greenville, North Carolina. Are you ready for your next mission?
Mission 8
Clue #1 – This city was where the first Family Dollar was founded.
Clue #2 – This city is located roughly 180 miles from the nearest ocean coastline and just east of the Catawba River.
Clue #3 – This city is the most populous city in North Carolina with a population of 911,311 people.
Clue #4 – This city is the epicenter of NASCAR, home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Clue #5 – This city is nicknamed the “Queen City.”
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 Weston and Emerson from Mrs. Smith’s class at Cash Elementary School for being our City Spies of the Week! The correct answer to Mission 8 was Charlotte, North Carolina. Are you ready for your next mission?
Mission
Clue #1 – In 2016, this city received the “All America City Award” for its efforts to “ensure that all our children are healthy and successful in school and life.”
Clue #2 – This city, with an area of 15.4 square miles, lies on the Piedmont Plateau, is on the eastern edge of the Uwharrie National Forest, and is located near U.S. Route 220, which connects this city to Greensboro.
Clue #3 – The city is located in the same county as Seagrove, the handmade pottery capital of the world.
Clue #4 – This city is home to popular attractions, such as the Caraway Speedway, the North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame, and the North Carolina Zoo, the nation’s largest natural-habitat zoo.
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!
The correct answer to Mission 9 was Asheboro, North Carolina. Are you ready for your next mission?
Mission
Clue #1 – This city has the highest elevation of any town of its size east of the Mississippi River.
Clue #2 – This city was involved in the Civil War and was the site of a confrontation during Stoneman’s raid.
Clue #3 – This city is home to the sixth largest university in North Carolina’s seventeen-campus system, with a student population larger than the town itself.
Clue #4 – This city, named after a famous American pioneer and explorer who once used the area as a hunting camp, now proudly features a bronze statue honoring him and his loyal hound.
Clue #5 – The Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic road popular among tourists, runs through this city.
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!
The correct answer to Mission 10 was Boone, North Carolina. Are you ready for your next and final mission?
Mission
Clue #1 – This city celebrates the National Black Theatre Festival, a major event celebrating African American theater with performances, workshops, and celebrity appearances.
Clue #2 – This city offers unique natural landmarks like Hanging Rock State Park and nearby Historic Bethabara Park.
Clue #3 – A famous building in this city is said to have served as the model for the Empire State Building.
Clue #4 – This city’s nicknames are the “Twin City,” “Camel City,” and “City of Arts and Innovation,” and was founded in 1766 by the Moravians.
Clue #5 – This city is the birthplace of Krispy Kreme and Texas Pete.
Clue #6 – This city is home to a university whose mascot is the Demon Deacon.
Since this is our final mission, the correct answer is made up of two words separated by a hyphen and contains 12 total letters. Thanks for playing Deacon Detectives!
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.