Mr. Wilson’s company was having financial troubles. One day, he called the police, claiming someone had broken into his office and stolen his safe full of money. The police were suspicious because Mr. Wilson said the safe was too heavy for one person to carry. If that were true, it would have left dents in the carpet, but there were none. The police realized Mr. Wilson was lying.
After a bank was robbed, the police found a bag of money in a park among cacti. They arrested three suspects and quickly identified the robber. It was the man on the left because he had scratches from the cacti.
The police suspected Deborah of smuggling diamonds but had no proof. Detective Taylor followed her and noticed she entered a house without any diamonds. He realized she hid them in her boots with removable heels.
In a picture, a guy is with two women. The woman on the right is human and can’t breathe underwater, but the guy looks relaxed and has gills. This means the mermaid is his mother.
Detective Martin was in a jewelry store when a masked man robbed it and escaped on a red motorbike. At a crossroads, Martin asked witnesses about the bike. One saw a blue truck, which is where the motorbike was hidden.
A unique diamond was stolen from a museum. The thief replaced it with a fake and hid the real one in a soda bottle.
Mr. Lopez needed his assistant, who was on vacation. The assistant claimed he received a letter late, but Mr. Lopez knew he was lying because there was no mail delivery on Sundays.
A detective visited a bank robbery suspect who claimed he hadn’t left his apartment for days. The detective knew he was lying because the bread was fresh and the fridge was too full.
An art expert bought a worthless painting for its valuable frame.
Police searched a suspect’s house and found no one. Later, they realized the attic window was open, meaning the criminal had escaped through it.
Two people on opposite riverbanks managed to cross using a boat that could only hold one person at a time.
Detective Adams watched three men running around a fountain, all shouting “thief.” He realized the first man was the thief because the others could have easily caught him if they weren’t.
You can grow an apple inside a bottle by placing the bottle over an apple tree branch in spring and waiting for the apple to grow inside.
Scott, a burglar, returned home just as police arrived. His wife lied about his absence, but the police knew she was lying because the dog wasn’t excited to see Scott.
If it’s raining at midnight, it won’t be sunny in 72 hours because it will be nighttime again.
Detective Lee investigated a cafe theft. Three women were present, and the second woman was the thief because she claimed to see the first woman steal, even though she said she was looking out the window.
A bank was robbed during a fire. The security guard claimed he was hit by an emergency door, but he was arrested because emergency doors open outward.
A young lady has the same number of brothers and sisters, but each brother has half as many brothers as sisters. There are four sisters and three brothers in the family.
Imagine you are a detective. Choose one of the stories from the article and write a short report explaining how you would solve the mystery. Include clues, suspects, and your final conclusion. Share your report with the class and discuss different approaches.
Pick one of the mysteries from the article and create a comic strip that illustrates the story. Use drawings and dialogue to bring the characters and plot to life. Present your comic strip to the class and explain the mystery and its resolution.
In groups, choose a mystery from the article and act it out. Assign roles such as detective, suspect, and witness. Use props and costumes to enhance your performance. After each group presents, discuss what clues led to solving the mystery.
Select a mystery from the article and write an alternate ending. How could the story have ended differently? Share your new ending with the class and discuss how it changes the story’s outcome.
Create a puzzle based on one of the mysteries in the article. This could be a crossword, word search, or logic puzzle. Exchange puzzles with classmates and try to solve each other’s creations. Discuss how the puzzles relate to the original mysteries.
Mystery – Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain – The mystery of the missing book puzzled the entire class.
Suspect – A person thought to be guilty of a crime or wrongdoing – The detective had a suspect in mind after reviewing the security footage.
Police – The civil force of a state, responsible for maintaining public order and enforcing the law – The police arrived quickly to investigate the strange noise reported by the neighbors.
Thief – A person who steals another person’s property – The thief was caught on camera sneaking into the store late at night.
Evidence – Information or signs that help to prove something or support a conclusion – The detective gathered all the evidence needed to solve the case.
Logic – A proper or reasonable way of thinking about or understanding something – Using logic, she was able to solve the puzzle faster than anyone else.
Robbery – The crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat – The robbery at the bank was the talk of the town for weeks.
Assistant – A person who helps or aids someone, especially in a job or task – The detective’s assistant was crucial in piecing together the clues.
Escape – To break free from confinement or control – The suspect managed to escape from the locked room, leaving everyone baffled.
Diamond – A precious stone consisting of a clear and typically colorless crystalline form of pure carbon – The diamond was the most valuable item stolen during the heist.
