Carl and his wife Olivia had dinner together, enjoying the same dishes: French fries, fish, and vegetable salad. But soon after, Carl felt sick and called an ambulance. By the time help arrived, he was unconscious. Fortunately, doctors saved him just in time. Everyone was shocked to learn that Carl had been poisoned. But how could this happen when Olivia ate the same food and was perfectly fine? The next day, the police arrested Olivia for trying to poison Carl. How did they figure it out? Olivia had put poison in the salt shaker, knowing Carl would use it.
Peter, a new detective, faced his first tricky case just a week into his job. A colleague investigating smuggling crimes had disappeared. Peter found a note at her last known location: 710-57735 345 508 517718. He had three suspects: Bill, a manager; Todd, a jeweler; and John, a car dealer. Peter solved the case by turning the note upside down, revealing the message: “Bill is boss he sells oil.” Bill was the criminal!
In a secret lab, a chemical leak caused plants and animals to mutate. Scientists were trapped with these monsters. To escape, they needed a substance located in another part of the lab. They had three corridors to choose from: one with fire-breathing crocodiles, another with meat-eating sunflowers, and the last with venomous bees. The safest choice was the corridor with the sunflowers because, despite their sharp teeth, they couldn’t move.
Terry and Alice were in love, but Alice’s friend Sarah was jealous. To keep their relationship secret, Alice left Terry coded messages about their meeting spots. One day, Terry received a puzzling note but soon figured out that Alice wanted to meet him at the street corner.
Patrick called the police, worried because his wife Victoria went for a walk with their dog and hadn’t returned. The dog came back alone. The police questioned suspects: Mrs. Summers, who was watching TV; the postman, who was delivering mail; and Mr. Thomas, who was working at home. The detective quickly realized the postman was lying. He had a torn sleeve, a dog bite, and black fur on his pants, indicating Victoria’s dog tried to protect her.
Mr. Brown’s store had three expensive watches stolen. He hired a private detective, Laura, who reviewed CCTV footage. She noticed the same man visited the store in April, August, and November, each time with a cast on his arm. No broken bone takes eight months to heal, revealing him as the thief.
Joe’s friend Randy never answered questions directly. When Joe invited Randy to a cafe, Randy replied, “Sorry no money job and job.” Joe knew Randy meant he was between jobs. Later, Joe asked Randy for advice after his girlfriend broke his camera. Randy’s advice was “give get give get,” meaning “forgive and forget.”
Dylan, popular at work, found his new car scratched and covered in paint. He suspected three ex-girlfriends: Andrea, Catherine, and Mila. Catherine claimed she was at her desk, but paint on her skirt matched the car, revealing her as the culprit.
In a mountain hotel, one maid was stealing from guests. The owner watched them clean and noticed the maid on the left pocketed a ring she found. She was the thief.
All the money was stolen from a beach cafe. The police had five suspects, all claiming they hadn’t been there recently. The thief was the man with a cocktail, as he must have bought it at the cafe.
Officer Cheryl Adams was bumped into by a man claiming his wallet was stolen. She found the thief at the pier, a man with green paint on his feet, matching the paint from the man’s boat.
Julia’s wallet was stolen at a restaurant. The waiter saw a short man with a neck tattoo pass by. Julia found the thief on the terrace: a young woman wearing a turtleneck to hide her tattoo, with a wig and men’s clothing in her bag.
Imagine you are a detective like Peter. Create your own mystery story involving a crime and a clever way to solve it. Share your story with the class and see if they can solve it!
Work in pairs to create secret messages using codes or ciphers, like Alice did for Terry. Exchange messages with another pair and try to decode each other’s messages. Discuss the strategies you used to crack the codes.
Design a mini escape room challenge based on “The Secret Lab Escape.” Create puzzles and clues that your classmates must solve to “escape” the lab. Use your creativity to make it fun and educational!
In groups, choose one of the stories and act it out as a short play. Assign roles such as the detective, suspects, and witnesses. Perform your play for the class and see if they can identify the culprit before the reveal.
Draw a comic strip that illustrates one of the detective stories. Use speech bubbles and illustrations to convey the plot and the detective’s clever solution. Share your comic with the class and discuss the story’s elements.
Dinner – A meal eaten in the evening – During dinner, we discussed the importance of listening to different perspectives in a debate.
Poison – A substance that can cause harm or death if ingested or absorbed – The detective warned the class about the dangers of spreading false information, comparing it to poison in a conversation.
Detective – A person who investigates and solves crimes – The detective used critical thinking skills to piece together the clues and solve the mystery.
Case – A situation or set of circumstances requiring investigation – The class was given a case to solve, which involved analyzing different viewpoints and evidence.
Secret – Something that is kept hidden or not known by others – Understanding the secret to effective communication can help build stronger relationships.
Messages – Information sent from one person to another – The teacher emphasized the importance of clear messages to avoid misunderstandings in group projects.
Suspects – People who are thought to be guilty of a crime or wrongdoing – The students acted as detectives, interviewing suspects to practice their questioning skills.
Thief – A person who steals – In the story, the thief was caught because the characters used logical reasoning to track him down.
Advice – Guidance or recommendations concerning future actions – The teacher gave advice on how to improve our essays by using critical thinking to support our arguments.
Relationship – The way in which two or more people or things are connected – Building a positive relationship with classmates can enhance communication and teamwork.
