Richard had a collection of beautiful paintings. One day, while he was away, his favorite painting got stolen. The police suspected one of Richard’s neighbors. Nicole claimed she had been out of town and returned home just an hour ago. She was so tired from the long drive that she went straight to bed. Dennis said he was getting ready to paint his house, but since it was raining, he decided to go to the movies instead. Julie mentioned she was busy taking care of her sick nephew.
It was Nicole! It had been raining all day, so if she had returned home just an hour ago, the road under her car would have been wet.
A wealthy businessman had two sons, Gary and Jeffrey. One day, Gary was rushed to the hospital because he had been poisoned. Jeffrey, although scared, was fine. When their father arrived, he asked Jeffrey what happened. Jeffrey explained that they were playing soccer and got thirsty. A man gave them bottles of water, and they drank them. But why was only Gary poisoned?
The water was fine, but the poison was on the bottlenecks. Unlike Gary, Jeffrey didn’t touch his bottle with his lips while drinking.
Kyle was trapped by a mad professor in a room with one door and no windows. He found four keys and four keyholes with numbers under them. Kyle needed to match the keys to the keyholes quickly because the professor’s car had just stopped near the house.
The numbers on the door matched the number of angles on the geometric shapes of the keys.
Three people were stopped at an airport security check, suspected of smuggling. The first man was heading to a beach resort with typical beach items. The second man had birds and hamsters with all the necessary papers. The third man, traveling for business, had a suit, documents, and a bottle of expensive shampoo.
It’s the third guy. He’s bald, so why would he need shampoo?
Robert, a young fashion designer, was preparing for his first show. He took a break but was later found unconscious in the bathroom. The police had three suspects: Maya, a model; Catherine, a guest; and Sam, Robert’s assistant.
It was Catherine. She claimed to have been wearing Robert’s clothes for years, but it was his first show.
Ethan and Ann got lost in a cave and met two people. A rough-looking man with a shovel claimed he knew the way out. A young woman warned them not to trust him, saying she had been there longer.
Ethan and Ann followed the man. The girl looked too tidy and had fresh flowers, which was suspicious if she had been there for a week.
Mickey woke up locked in a basement with three doors. Behind the first was a pit with spikes, the second led to a lake with piranhas, and the third had crocodiles. The room started filling with water.
Mickey should choose the first door. Once the pit fills with water, he can swim over the spikes.
Adam’s car broke down in a snowy forest. He needed to reach the nearest town quickly. The first path had wolves, the second had bears, and the third had a river with thin ice.
Adam should sneak through the bears’ territory because bears hibernate in winter.
Lauren cooked 10 buckets of chicken wings for a family gathering, but little Jimmy didn’t get his portion. Someone took two buckets. Was it Uncle Patrick, Lauren’s son Justin, or Jimmy himself?
Look at the dog next to Uncle Patrick. It can smell the meat he has hidden.
Two girls were in their kitchens. One recently won the lottery. Which girl was it?
It’s the girl on the left. Her flashy dress and fridge full of food suggest she just came into money.
Lisa, a millionaire’s daughter, ran away from home. She stopped at a hotel and was given room 710. But she quickly left. Why?
Room 710 should be on the seventh floor, but the hotel only had two floors.
A girl wanted to share her sandwich with a cat across a stream. There was no bridge, and the cat wasn’t wet. How did it cross?
It’s winter, and the stream was frozen.
Imagine you are a detective. Choose one of the mysteries from the article and write a short story from the perspective of the detective solving the case. Describe the clues you find and how you piece them together to solve the mystery.
Pick your favorite mystery from the article and create a comic strip that illustrates the key events and the solution. Use drawings and captions to bring the story to life. Be creative and have fun with your illustrations!
In groups, choose a mystery and assign roles (e.g., detective, suspects, witnesses). Act out the scenario and try to solve the mystery together. Discuss the clues and decide who the culprit is based on the evidence.
Create a board game based on one of the mysteries. Design the board, rules, and cards that players can use to gather clues and solve the mystery. Share your game with classmates and play together to see who can solve the mystery first.
Write your own mystery story inspired by the article. Include a setting, characters, a problem, and a solution. Share your story with the class and see if they can solve the mystery before reaching the end.
Mystery – Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain – The mystery of the missing homework puzzled the entire class.
Painting – A picture made with paint – The painting in the gallery made everyone think about the artist’s message.
Clue – A piece of evidence or information used in the detection of a crime or solving of a mystery – The detective found a clue that helped solve the mystery.
Poison – A substance that is capable of causing illness or death if taken into the body – The story involved a mystery where the villain used poison to harm others.
Escape – To break free from confinement or control – The character had to think critically to escape from the locked room.
Decision – A conclusion or resolution reached after consideration – Making a decision about which path to take required careful thought.
Thief – A person who steals another person’s property – The thief left behind a clue that led to his capture.
Winner – A person or thing that wins something – The winner of the debate was the one who used the most logical arguments.
Reason – A cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event – She gave a good reason for her choice, which convinced everyone.
Stream – A small, narrow river – The stream of ideas during the discussion helped solve the problem.
