Oliver was attacked in his apartment and taken to the hospital. There are four suspects, all of whom are Oliver’s neighbors. Amelia said she had been walking in the park since early morning. Henry claimed he had been painting in his studio and heard nothing. Jacob mentioned he had been repairing his car, and Sophia said she had been taking a bath for the past three hours. To find out who’s lying, look at their hands. It’s odd that Jacob, who was fixing his car, and Henry, who was painting, both have clean hands. But Sophia’s hands and fingers don’t have wrinkles, which would be expected after three hours in a bath. Sophia, you’ve been caught red, or should we say, smooth-handed!
The police discovered a new smuggler in town. Three people were under suspicion: Luna, a school bus driver; Jackson, a fire truck driver; and Daniel, an ambulance driver. All claimed to have been busy with work since morning. To find the smuggler, look at Daniel’s vehicle. On ambulances, the word “ambulance” is usually written backward so drivers can read it in their rearview mirrors. Daniel’s vehicle doesn’t have this, revealing him as the smuggler!
Jacob was supposed to be discharged from the hospital after several surgeries. His doctor assured him he would be fine, but Jacob didn’t believe it. On his way home, he accidentally bumped into an elderly lady who started shouting at him. Instead of arguing, Jacob hugged her and ran home. Why? Jacob had hearing loss and didn’t believe it could be helped. When he heard the woman shouting, he realized the doctor was right. Maybe the doctor should have shouted too!
Chloe stayed late at the office and was exhausted while driving home. She dozed off and crashed through a fence, ending up in a lake. Her arms were stuck, and she couldn’t undo her seatbelt or open the door. The car sank to the bottom of the lake. Was Chloe doomed? Rescuers arrived three hours later, and Chloe was still alive. How? The lake was shallow, and the water only reached Chloe’s throat. Lucky for her!
It was Jack’s birthday, and he got a motorbike he had always wanted. The next day, he found the mirrors broken. The security guard said only three people left the building: Owen, Sam, and Layla. Owen and Sam claimed they went to the campus cafe for lunch, but Layla said she was with her mom. Who’s lying? Owen had a paper bag with “food delivery” written on it, meaning they ordered lunch, not bought it at the cafe. They broke Jack’s mirrors and tried to blame Layla!
Detective Taylor was chasing a criminal who ran into a hospital. It was raining, and the criminal left footprints. The detective followed them to a room with three people covered in bandages. One was a fake patient. Who? The person in the middle didn’t have a medical chart next to their bed. Quick bandage job!
The CEO of a company suspected Victoria of stealing a memory card with secret information. The police went to her house, but she didn’t let them in without a warrant. When they returned, Victoria was ready to drive off. They searched her car and clothes but found nothing. Then, they realized the memory card was in her hair bun. Victoria and her sticky bun!
Michael was locked in a room with a computer that had a riddle: “It makes two people out of one. What is it?” Michael typed the answer, and the door opened. What was the answer? A mirror!
Emily and Luna went to a hair salon. The administrator found another hairdresser so they could both get their hair done. But one stylist was fake. Which one? The stylist on the left was using bug spray instead of hairspray. Big clue!
A man on a bike stole Sarah’s bag. She needed to chase him using a car. Three vehicles were nearby. Which one could she take? A man was sitting in the blue car, and CCTV would spot her in the red car. Her only option was the brown vehicle. Sarah, don’t forget to return the car!
Mary and her brother Alex were mushroom hunting. They argued, and Alex ran away. Mary asked a man by the river if he saw Alex. The man said Alex took a boat to the other side, but Mary didn’t believe him. Why? The paddles were next to the man, so Alex couldn’t have crossed the river without them.
Ella attended a riddle party at her friend’s house. She was locked in a room with a code lock. She saw a sheet of paper with four flowers drawn on it. Ella counted the petals on each flower and entered the code: 5, 7, 4, 8. The door opened, and she joined the party!
Carter visited his friend Mateo, who loved riddles. Mateo dropped a key in a bucket of cold water and challenged Carter to get it without touching the water. Carter put the bucket over a fire, boiled the water, and picked up the key. Clever!
Nora, an insurance agent, had a client who claimed her house was burglarized. The client described the thief as tall, thin, with dark hair, and wearing a V-neck t-shirt. Nora realized the client staged the burglary. How? It was dark, and the thief was running away. How could she see his t-shirt?
Imagine you are a detective. Read the story of “The Mystery of Oliver’s Attack” and identify clues that point to the real suspect. Discuss with your classmates who you think is lying and why. Use evidence from the story to support your conclusion.
Write a short mystery story similar to “The Smuggler’s Secret.” Include at least three suspects and a clever clue that reveals the culprit. Share your story with the class and see if they can solve it.
In groups, act out the scene from “The Hospital Chase.” Assign roles such as Detective Taylor, the criminal, and the fake patients. Use props to make the scene more realistic and try to catch the fake patient!
Work in pairs to solve the riddle from “Michael’s Escape.” Then, create your own riddle and challenge another pair to solve it. Make sure your riddle has a clever solution like the one in the story.
Choose one of the stories, such as “Victoria’s Secret” or “The Mushroom Hunt.” List all the clues given in the story and analyze how they lead to the solution. Present your findings to the class.
Attack – To act against someone or something aggressively – During the debate, she had to defend her ideas when they were under attack from the opposing team.
Suspects – People who are thought to be guilty of a crime or wrongdoing – The teacher suspects that someone in the class might have taken the missing book.
Hospital – A place where sick or injured people receive medical treatment – After the accident, he was taken to the hospital to make sure he was okay.
Lying – Not telling the truth – She realized that lying about her homework would only get her into more trouble.
Vehicle – A means of transporting people or goods, such as a car or bus – The school bus is the vehicle that takes us to school every morning.
Riddle – A puzzling question or problem that requires thought to solve – Solving the riddle required us to think critically about the clues given.
Chase – To follow someone or something quickly in order to catch them – The detective had to chase the suspect through the crowded streets.
Clues – Pieces of evidence or information used to solve a problem or mystery – The detective found several clues that helped solve the mystery.
Communication – The exchange of information or ideas between people – Good communication is essential for working effectively in a team.
Critical – Involving careful judgment or evaluation – It is critical to check your work for errors before submitting it.
