Lesson Level: Senior Duration: 45
Lesson Title: Detective For A Day
Grammar and Vocabulary
Asking and answering questions
Detective, Alibi, Crime, Murder, Suspect, Witness, Victim
Lesson Objectives
Students will be able to ask and answer questions and use reason to determine who is telling the truth and who is lying.
Materials Required
Cards for game. See Notes.
A cut out picture of Sherlock Holmes and a cut out picture of a robber.
Preparation
Prepare Materials
Procedure
1 Write “Detective For a Day” on the board and elicit meaning. Give page reference.for Practical Oral English S2 Autumn if using it.
2 Put Holmes cut out at top left of board and robber cut out at top right. Draw a line between them. Play several games of Hangman variant with words from vocabulary list above.
Move Holmes closer to criminal for every CORRECT letter. Arrange it so that Holmes will reach the criminal when last letter correct.
For each word check understanding.
3
Put class into groups of SIX. (If a group needs to be only five because of class numbers withhold one of the suspect cards in next instruction. If a group needs to be seven, allocate TWO detectives)
4
Write these instructions on the board.
Last night William Trent was murdered.
At 5:30 p.m. he was in the library when someone shot him.
Everyone in the house ran to the library but he was already dead.
The gun was on the floor near to the body.
There were five people in the house and one of them is the MURDERER.
Five of your group will be suspects. One will be the Detective
You have a card giving your name and some information.
DON’T show your card to ANYONE.
DETECTIVE ask questions. Take notes.
Everyone else answer the questions. You must tell the truth if it is on your card.
MURDERER - You can say anything but remember you don’t want to be caught.
You have finished when the Detective thinks he knows who the murderer is.
5. Feedback from groups.
6 Extension task.
Write SHERLOCK HOLMES on board.
Give students two minutes (or however long available) to make as many words as they can using just these letters.
Feedback results.
Notes Here are the card texts.
Name: Robin Trent
Position: William Trent’s Son/Daughter
Alibi: You were taking a shower in your bathroom when the shot was heard.
Other Information: You put on your dressing gown and ran downstairs where you met your cousin Ashley Trent in the hall. You went into the library together and found the body.
Now that William Trent is dead you will get all of his money.
Name: Terry Trent
Position: William Trent’s Nephew/Niece, Ashley Trent’s brother/sister
Alibi: You were in the garden taking a walk
Other Information: You heard a shot from the library and ran back to the house. You entered the library through the windows and met Robin Trent and Ashley Trent. You thought you saw someone run from the window but don’t know who it was.
Earlier you asked William Trent to lend you $1000 but he said no.
Name: Ashley Trent
Position: William Trent’s Nephew/Niece,Terry Trent’s brother/sister
Alibi: You were sitting in the dining room reading the newspaper.
Other Information: You heard the shot and ran out into the hall where you met your cousin Robin who was wearing a dressing gown.
Your brother/ sister Terry owes you money which he wanted to borrow from his uncle to pay you back.
Name: Gerry Black
Position: Cook
Alibi: You were in the kitchen preparing dinner. Through the window you saw Ashley Trent in the garden.
Other Information: Earlier today you heard William Trent arguing with someone and telling them they must leave but you don’t know who it was.
When you heard the shot you came quickly . Everyone else was already in the library.
William was always complaining about your food and had said he wasn’t paying you this month.
Name: Taylor Harris
Position: The Gardener
Alibi: NONE: You are the MURDERER
You killed William because he had fired you earlier in the day and told you you must leave tomorrow morning.
YOU CAN SAY ANYTHING YOU LIKE WHEN THE DETECTIVE ASKS YOU QUESTIONS.
(Really you went into the library and shot William Trent then, dropped the gun and ran out quickly through the window, You then came in through the front door to the room where everybody else had found the body.)
Detective
Here are some questions you can ask.
What is your name?
What was your relationship with the dead man?
Where were you when the murder took place?
What did you do then?
Did you see anyone else?
YOU CAN ASK ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU CAN THINK OF.
Alternate Card Set
Your name is Robin
William was your father
You were taking a shower in the bathroom when you heard a shot
You put on a dressing gown and ran downstairs. In the hall you met your cousin Alex. You went into the library together. You found your father dead. There was a gun on the floor.
Now that your father is dead you will get all of his money.
Your name is Alex
William was your uncle
You were in the dining room reading the newspaper when you heard a shot
You went out into the hall where you met your cousin Robin who was wearing a dressing gown. You went into the library together. You found your uncle dead. There was a gun on the floor.
Glen owes you money. He wanted to borrow from your uncle to pay you back.
Your name is Glen
William was your uncle
You were in the garden taking a walk when you heard a shot from the house. You saw no one in the garden but thought you saw someone run from the house. You didn’t see who it was.
You went into the library through the window and met Robin and Alex
You wanted to borrow $1000 from your uncle but he said no.
Your name is Lee
You are the cook
You were in the kitchen preparing dinner when you heard a shot. You could see Glen through the window. He was taking a walk in the garden.
You ran to the library. Everyone was already there. William was dead on the floor.
William was always complaining about your food and had said you wouldn’t be paid this month.
Your name is Sam
You are the Gardener
You are The MURDERER !!!
You can say anything when the detective asks you a question.
You killed WIlliam because he fired you. Then you dropped the gun and ran out through the window. You came back through the front door and joined the others in the library,
Your name is SHERLOCK HOLMES
You are
the DETECTIVE
