Eric, a police detective, was having lunch at a cafe when he left his smartphone on the table to go to the bathroom. When he returned, the phone was gone. He saw a man leaving and chased after him. Eric stopped the man just as he was about to get into a car and demanded his phone back. The man seemed confused and said he knew nothing about the phone, claiming he had just given his friends a lift to work. Eric immediately called the police. Why? Because the man lied. His car was a two-seater sports convertible, which couldn’t have fit three men.
In the middle of the night, Dennis was woken up by a loud crash. He suspected one of his kids had sneaked out, even though they weren’t allowed to leave after curfew. When he checked on them, all three—Catherine, Ruth, and Larry—seemed to be sleeping peacefully. But it was Ruth who sneaked out. There was a dirty sneaker hidden behind the curtain and several pieces of French fries under her bed.
Brenda was traveling by train on a scorching hot day. She took off her gold bracelet and placed it on the table. When the train entered a tunnel, it got pitch dark, and when they emerged, the bracelet was gone. There were three other people in the compartment: Helen, Rachel, and Gregory. Helen claimed she was sleeping, Rachel was reading on her phone, and Gregory had gone to the bathroom before the tunnel. Who took the bracelet? It was Helen. At first, her sleeves were rolled up, but now they covered her wrists, hiding the bracelet.
Daniel found a coin marked with “10 BCE” and thought it was ancient and valuable. However, an expert immediately declared it fake. How did he know? People living before the current era couldn’t have known there would be another era, so they wouldn’t mark coins with “BCE.”
James was leaving his university late when he heard someone shouting for help from behind a locked lecture hall door. He managed to open it and found his friend Mike inside. Mike said he was locked in after trying to get a book from the library, which was closed. James questioned three suspects: Matthew, Emily, and Olivia. Emily claimed she was studying at the library all day, but James knew she was lying because the library was closed.
Ashley and Mary were walking in the forest and picked different plants to feed on. Ashley made a bad choice because there was an unconscious bird next to her plant, indicating it was poisonous. Lucy and Jack were working on buildings; Jack was less clever because he was climbing down an apartment complex, which was dangerous even with a helmet. Joanna and her friend were at home; Joanna was vacuuming, which was safe, but her friend was feeding a baby chunks of chicken with a knife and fork, which wasn’t smart.
Michael was about to break into a house with a dog, but Karen was in more danger because she was putting a jacket on her daughter in the middle of the street, not seeing an approaching car. Jason was at a water park on the phone, ignoring a struggling boy in the pool, while Jake was putting out a fire on a tree to prevent it from spreading.
John’s father has three sons: Jack, Jason, and John. To figure out if a barrel is more or less than half full, tilt it so the water touches the rim. If you can see the bottom, it’s less than half full; if not, it’s more. A teacher gave a test where students had to prove a chair didn’t exist. The answer? “What chair?”
Mary was stranded on an island in a frozen lake. She crossed the ice to reach the town. A restaurant critic had to choose between three dangerous elevators during a storm. The best choice was the third elevator because when the door opened, the water and sharks would pour out, allowing escape.
Josh was trapped in a maintenance hole and had to choose between three doors. The second door was safest because the tigers inside hadn’t eaten in months and wouldn’t survive. Will ran toward a train to escape a tunnel. At a gallery, a security guard was the thief because he knew which paintings were stolen without being inside. Amy’s real sister was the one with a matching mole and tattoos. At an airport, Lisa was the thief because she knew the luggage was brown without being told.
Imagine you are a detective like Eric. Create your own mystery story where something goes missing. Include clues and a twist ending. Share your story with the class and see if they can solve it!
In groups, choose one of the scenarios from the article and act it out. Each group member should play a different character. After the performance, discuss as a class who the culprit was and why.
Pick one of the mysteries from the article and turn it into a comic strip. Use drawings and captions to tell the story. Share your comic with the class and explain the clues that lead to solving the mystery.
Design a logic puzzle based on one of the scenarios. Use clues to help your classmates figure out the solution. Exchange puzzles with a partner and try to solve each other’s mysteries.
Choose a character from the article and prepare a short speech on why they are the best detective. Present your argument to the class, and then have a debate to decide which character is the most effective at solving mysteries.
Detective – A person who investigates and solves crimes or mysteries – The detective carefully examined the clues to solve the mystery of the missing necklace.
Confused – Unable to think clearly or understand something – Sarah felt confused when the teacher explained the new math concept too quickly.
Suspect – A person thought to be guilty of a crime or wrongdoing – The police had to interview the suspect to find out if he was involved in the robbery.
Claim – To state something as true, often without providing evidence – The student made a claim that he had finished his homework, but he couldn’t show it to the teacher.
Dangerous – Involving possible harm or injury – Climbing the steep mountain without proper gear can be very dangerous.
Choice – The act of selecting among alternatives – She had to make a choice between studying for her test or going to the party.
Question – A sentence or phrase used to find out information – The teacher encouraged the students to ask a question if they didn’t understand the lesson.
Prove – To demonstrate the truth or existence of something with evidence – The scientist conducted experiments to prove her theory about plant growth.
Escape – To break free from confinement or control – The cat managed to escape from the house and ran into the garden.
Mystery – Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain – The sudden disappearance of the ancient artifact remains a mystery to historians.
