Simon was shipwrecked and found himself on a deserted island. He was really thirsty and only had a plastic bag and a straw. He saw a juicy cactus, a tall leafy tree, a dirty pond, and a pool of mud. But how could he get water? The cactus was no good because it could be toxic, and he didn’t have a sharp tool to get to the pulp. The dirty pond and muddy pool were filled with bacteria, and without a way to boil the water, he could get sick. The best option was the tall leafy tree. Simon could tie the bag to a branch, pierce it slightly with a stick, and the tree would give him drinkable water through a process called transpiration. Pretty clever, right?
Adam, the headwaiter at a one-story steakhouse, disappeared on the busiest night of the week. The owner called the police, and detectives talked to the last three people who saw him. A trainee server saw him park his bicycle, the chef saw him get a glass of orange juice in the kitchen, and the cook said he last saw Adam going upstairs. The police arrested the cook because the restaurant was only one story, so Adam couldn’t have gone upstairs!
Susie was studying for her university exam at a coffee shop. She ordered a white tea and sat down. After a bathroom break, she returned to find her laptop wouldn’t turn on, and her teacup was empty. Someone had spilled tea on her computer and cleaned it up. The manager helped her figure out who did it. The barista was too busy to notice anything, the supervisor apologized for the milky tea spill, and the head barista offered to make another tea. The manager knew it was the supervisor because he mentioned the tea had milk, which only the person who prepared it would know.
Stuart left his phone at a coffee shop, and when he returned, it was gone. He saw a guy running outside and chased him. Stuart asked if the man took his device by accident, and the man said he had no idea where Stuart’s phone was. Stuart called the police because the man couldn’t have known it was a phone unless he took it, since Stuart only mentioned losing his “device.”
At the Cupcakes Den, the head baker vanished, and the shop couldn’t deliver 200 promised cupcakes. The police had three suspects: the helper who went out for frosting, the waiter cleaning up a mess, and the manager meeting a new supplier for beef jerky. The detectives knew it was the manager because who needs beef jerky at a cupcake shop?
Adam was on a game show with a chance to win $50,000. He called his friend Luke for help with a question: rearrange the letters in “acipis” to find a country, city, mountain, or ocean. Luke answered correctly: it’s an ocean, the Pacific!
Martin disappeared, and his son Jake found a letter saying, “If you love me, you’ll find me.” Jake went to his dad’s office and saw a picture frame with a hand-drawn circle around his dad’s cabin. Martin must be there!
Sarah, a new cave diver, got lost in ocean caves. She found three exits: one with 45 hungry piranhas, another with a great white shark, and the last with a giant box jellyfish. The safest path was the first one because piranhas are freshwater fish and can’t survive in saltwater.
Susan saw three people in black carrying electronics from her neighbor’s home. They claimed to be movers, but Susan called the police because the van had no license plates, and movers usually carry more than just electronics.
Detective Smith investigated how three prisoners escaped without seeing or talking to each other. They communicated by writing messages on bathroom mirrors and using steam to read them, planning their escape together.
On a rainy weekend, Amra went missing from a villa where she was with friends. Luke called the police, and detectives asked everyone what they were doing at 4 AM. Luke was playing games, Michael was outside looking at stars, and Susie followed him. The detectives knew Michael and Susie were lying because it was raining, so there were no stars to see.
Alan, training to be a detective, was given a photo to test his attention to detail. The photo showed Michael’s birthday party, but something was eerie. Alan spotted it: there was a hand inside a blue balloon!
Peter, a top problem solver, was challenged by his chemistry teacher to measure exactly 2 liters of water using three jugs with capacities of 8, 5, and 3 liters. Peter filled the 5-liter jug, poured it into the 3-liter jug until full, leaving exactly 2 liters in the 5-liter jug.
An archaeologist found an ancient gold coin marked “100 BCE.” His colleagues refused to accept it because ancient people didn’t know they lived in that era, so they wouldn’t have marked it that way.
Try this experiment to understand how Simon got water from the tree. Find a leafy plant, and tie a plastic bag around a branch with leaves. Leave it for a few hours and observe the water droplets inside the bag. This demonstrates transpiration, the process by which plants release water vapor.
Become a detective like in “Where’s the Waiter?” Create a mystery scenario with your classmates, and take turns being detectives and suspects. Use clues to solve the mystery, paying attention to details and logical inconsistencies.
Recreate the game show challenge from “Get the Last Question Right.” Write scrambled words on cards, and have your classmates rearrange the letters to find the correct word. Include categories like countries, cities, or oceans for added fun.
Discuss different survival scenarios like “Thirsty on an Island.” Learn basic survival skills such as finding safe drinking water, building a shelter, and identifying edible plants. Practice these skills in a safe environment.
Create your own logic puzzle inspired by “The Villa Disappearance” or “The Cursed Photo.” Write a short story with clues and a mystery to solve. Exchange puzzles with classmates and try to solve each other’s mysteries.
Critical – Involving careful judgment or evaluation to form a conclusion or solve a problem. – It is critical to analyze all the data before making a decision about the experiment.
Thinking – The process of using one’s mind to consider or reason about something. – Thinking deeply about the scientific method can help you understand how experiments are conducted.
Science – The systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. – Science helps us understand the world around us by providing explanations based on evidence.
Water – A transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance that is essential for most forms of life. – Scientists study how water cycles through the environment to understand its impact on ecosystems.
Bacteria – Microscopic single-celled organisms that can be found in various environments and can be beneficial or harmful. – Understanding how bacteria function is crucial for developing new antibiotics.
Process – A series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end. – The process of conducting an experiment involves forming a hypothesis, collecting data, and drawing conclusions.
Communication – The exchange of information or ideas between individuals or groups. – Effective communication is essential for scientists to share their findings with the world.
Details – Individual features, facts, or items that contribute to a complete understanding of something. – Paying attention to details in an experiment can prevent errors and lead to more accurate results.
Problem – A matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome. – Identifying the problem is the first step in the scientific method, which leads to finding a solution.
Archaeology – The study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. – Archaeology provides insights into how ancient civilizations lived and interacted with their environment.
