Handout - WHO DUNNIT - Last Version

“Whodunnit?
”
Murder Mystery Activity Teacher’s Pack
This pack contains everything you should need in order to be able to run a special ‘end-of-term’ event at your language school:
a series of 5-10 themed lessons, each building different language skills, that culminate in a chance for the students to play
‘detective’ and solve a crime. It has been designed to work with online classes (using the Zoom platform in this case) but could
easily be adapted to suit other platforms; or indeed, to run in a physical space (if the school in question has a minimum of 9
separate rooms and a corridor). The thought behind it has been to give the students a fun end-of-term activity to look forward to;
and the teaching staff a chance to wind down too, with a set of pre-packaged lesson ideas and less time spent planning!
The level of language skills required in order to be able to take part in, enjoy, and benefit from the game should be available to
all students from Intermediate and up, with appropriate levels of ‘scaffolding’ by the teacher. In addition to consolidating and
practicing those skills in a practical setting, the idiomatic and specific lexis used will also provide an opportunity for new
learning; while the need for deductive reasoning should allow students of all levels to feel challenged and engaged. The pack
contains suggested material to teach 5-10 x 1-1½ hour sessions from a standard 5 session week - allowing sufficient time for
such housekeeping, student questions, reiteration and recap, etc. as the teacher feels they need for their particular class,
working at their pace. Teachers of lower level classes could begin the pre-teach earlier, with a two-week lead up to the event;
using each unit section to fill an entire lesson, so as to allow their students more time to absorb the new learning at a suitable
pace. Teachers of more advanced students will find links to supplementary reading material and further lesson ideas.
The pack is essentially broken down into units (1-5). Units 1-3 have two main activities spread over consecutive pages, one
per page (1A, 1B, etc.). Each unit, or half unit, can be the core element of a lesson – depending on class level and chosen
pace. Part 4 contains daily homework activities, to be checked and drilled in class; while part 5 includes the reference material
and resources the teacher will need to run the game itself; either as a single-class activity, or as part of a school-wide event:-
1A. PRE-TEACH AND PREPARATION.

[FAMILIARISATION; READING COMPREHENSION; VOCABULARY] page 1
1B. PRE-TEACH AND PREPARATION.

[FAMILIARISATION; AUTONOMOUS STUDY (SUPPORTED); VOCABULARY] page 2

[FAMILIARISATION; ROOM, FURNITURE AND DECORATION VOCABULARY] page 3

[FAMILIARISATION; DIRECTIONS AND SPATIAL POSITIONING VOCABULARY] page 4

[FAMILIARISATION, PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND DESCRIPTIVE VOCABULARY] page 5

[FAMILIARISATION, ASKING QUESTIONS, ROLEPLAY] page 6
4. AUTONOMOUS STUDY/HOMEWORK
PRE-TEACH AND PREP. [FAMILIARISATION, NEW LEXIS (INC. IDIOMS), AUTONOMOUS STUDY] Pages 7-11
5. CONSOLIDATION - THE MURDER MYSTERY GAME ITSELF

[AUTONOMOUS LANGUAGE USE, SPEAKING AND LISTENING, ASKING QUESTIONS, NOTE
WRITING, SHARING INFORMATION, DISCUSSING OPINIONS, DEDUCTIVE REASONING] pages 12-27
MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 1A

PRE-TEACH AND PREP. [FAMILIARISATION, READING COMPREHENSION AND VOCABULARY]
🍏 In plenary session, start an open conversation about crime fiction (in various media).
Elicit what the students already know about it, their tastes, recommendations, etc.
©Have
CRAIG CAMERON-FISHER
them look at the text below on their-own
TIME4LONDON
handouts, read it out- to
SEPTEMBER 2020
them, and discuss the
“Whodunnit?” Activity - 🍏 Teacher’s copy
Burgundy = Teaching Guide Green = Student Activity Black = Both Blue = Internet Link
🕮 reading 🖎 writing 👂listening 🗣 speaking 🗪 conversation 👀 notice 🖳 online activity

meanings of any new lexis (especially those in bold). Have them re-read the text and answer the
questions in pairs. Finally, give answers in plenary, aiding pronunciation of new lexis as required.
A “whodunit” or “whodunnit” (a colloquial elision of "Who [has] done it?") is a complex,
plot-driven type of detective story in which the main focus is the investigation into who
committed a crime. The reader or viewer is introduced to all of the suspects and provided
with all the clues from which the identity of the criminal can be deduced, before the story
itself provides the solution at its climax or ‘denouement’ /deɪˈnuːmɒ̃/. The investigation is
usually conducted by an eccentric, amateur, or semi-professional detective – such as
Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, or Sam Spade.
The “whodunnit” flourished during the so-called ‘Golden Age’ of detective stories - during the
first-half of the 20th century, but especially between the First and Second World Wars - when
it was the predominant style of crime fiction. Many of the best-known writers of “whodunnits”
in this period were British (most notably Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, whose
works have been translated into many languages. If you ever want to read them, you could
perhaps try reading them in your own language first, then a second time in English).
🖎 WRITING ACTIVITY: Answer the following comprehension questions:-
1. What does “whodunnit” actually mean? How would it be said in proper English?
Answer: “Who has done it?” / “Who did it?”
2. What type of writing is a “whodunnit”?
Answer: A “whodunnit” is a detective story / a type of crime fiction.
3. What is the main focus of the story?
Answer: The main focus is the investigation into who committed the crime.
4. What is the reader or viewer provided with to help them deduce the identity of the criminal?
Answer: The reader or viewer is provided with all of the suspects and clues.
5. What sort of person usually conducts the investigation?
Answer: The investigation is usually conducted by an eccentric, amateur, or semi-
professional detective – such as Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, or Sam Spade.
6. When did this kind of story flourish? When was it the predominant style of crime fiction?
Answer: The “whodunnit” flourished during the ‘Golden Age’ of detective stories - during the
first-half of the 20th century, but especially between the First and Second World Wars.
7. Name two noted British writers of “whodunnits”.
Answer: Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie.
1
© CRAIG CAMERON-FISHER - TIME4LONDON - SEPTEMBER 2020

MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 1B
PRE-TEACH AND PREP. [FAMILIARISATION, AUTONOMOUS STUDY (SUPPORTED), VOCABULARY]
🍏 Later, the students will be given an Autonomous Learning Activity as filler and/or nightly homework; from
which they will then be asked to revise when they are sent to their respective Zoom Breakout Rooms
during the game itself (to keep them occupied while the Activity Leader pops into each room to give the
student in there the relevant information). The following activity will help warm up those autonomous
research skills, while students are still in the presence of their teacher and supported. At the same time,
it will help to consolidate the learning of any vocabulary first encountered on the previous page.
(Faster or more advanced students could also use this opportunity to examine examples of the genre:
Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie, Strand Magazine 'whodunnit' short-stories)
🖳 Click on the links to find out more about the words elision, detective, and detective story. Then use
your own favourite dictionary or translator to look up the other words in bold, that are all to do with
“whodunnits”, from the text on the pervious page. If there are any other words which are new to you,
look them up too, and add them to your own vocabulary bank.
WORD/PHRASE TRANSLATION (L1) DEFINITION
Amateur Adj. - a non-professional, working for ‘love’ (Latin amare) rather than money.
Best-known Adj. - Most famous.
Clue Noun - something found or heard that helps solve a mystery.
Colloquial As spoken by the native population; vulgar.
Conduct Verb – to lead; noun – behaviour. (Discuss pronunciation differences)
Climax The penultimate part of a story where the action reaches its peak.
Commit a crime Verb – to do something illegal / against criminal law.
Crime Noun - something illegal / against criminal law.
Crime fiction Noun – genre of writing focusing on crime, but created rather than real.
Crime scene Noun – the location of a crime.
Criminal Noun - the person who commits a crime; the perpetrator.
Deduce Verb – to use your brain’s deductive powers and solve a mystery.
Denouement Noun (French) – the part of a “whodunnit” where the detective explains the mystery.
Detective (Story) Noun – sub-genre of crime fiction, focusing on the actions of a detective.
Eccentric Adj. – someone ‘outside of the centre’ of normal behaviour; an outsider; an oddity.
Evidence Noun – physical proof to support a theory (e.g. fingerprints)
Elision Grammar - the omission of a sound or syllable and the joining together of
words when speaking (E.g. I'm, let's, gotta, kinda, sorta, wanna, whodunnit ).
Flourish Verb – to bloom like a flower; to be at its best.
Focus Noun – the main concern; verb – to concentrate attention upon.
‘Golden Age’ Noun – best time; pinnacle of its history..
Identity Noun – the name of a person, provable using ID.
Investigation Noun – the job of investigating, of looking for clues and deducing the truth.
Murder Noun – the criminal act of killing another person, if premeditated.
Murderer Noun – a person who commits the crime of murder.
Murder mystery Noun – sub-genre of crime fiction, focusing on murder as the crime.
Plot-driven Adj. – describing a piece of writing where the story is the main driving force.
Predominant Adj. – the most important.
Semi-professional Adj. – a non-professional that is nevertheless paid (Holmes, Poirot, Spade)
So-called Adj. - used to express that the commonly used name is perhaps inappropriate.
Solution Noun – the truth of the mystery; the completion of the puzzle.
Suspect (noun/verb) Noun – a person who may have committed the crime; verb – to have doubts or
suspicions about someone or something. (Discuss pronunciation differences)
“Whodunnit” Noun - colloquial elision of "Who [has] done it?"; synonym for detective fiction.
🕮 Now that you know what these words mean, take another look at the text on page 1.
Is it easier to understand now? Are the comprehension questions easier to answer now?
Why do you think it’s easier? How will you apply what you’ve just learned to your future studies?
2

PRE-TEACH AND PREP [FAMILIARISATION; ROOM, FURNITURE AND DECORATION VOCABULARY]
🍏 In plenary, direct the students to read the introduction along with you as you read it to them
(either from their own handouts or by sharing the students’ version on your screen).
Ensure instructions have been understood by having a student repeat them back to you.
Help the students with any new vocabulary, and share the image of a country manor house
HERE and the various rooms (links below), discussing the things they can see.
🕮 Read this text along with your teacher, then complete the activity below.
Later, we’re going to investigate our own “whodunnit”. Here’s the backstory:-
It is 19301, and you have all been called to the country manor house of Dr. Black - a famous Historian who
teaches at the nearby university. He had just finished writing a book and was throwing a party to celebrate. He
and his guests had been playing cards, drinking cocktails, and having fun in the Lounge, while they awaited a
sumptuous celebratory dinner. At 7.30pm, they finished playing cards, left the Lounge, and went upstairs to
their different bedrooms on the floor above, to freshen up and dress for dinner. At 8.00pm they came back
down, but found that dinner wasn’t ready yet. So, each of them went to a different room on the ground floor to
occupy themselves while they waited. At precisely 8.30pm, the Butler, Grey [your Activity Leader], went to
fetch some wine from the cellar. He found the body of Dr. Black lying on the cellar stairs, MURDERED!
Grey immediately telephoned the police – you!
You and your classmates are going to be the detectives. You are going to search rooms to find
clues, question suspects, share your findings and theories, and work together to deduce the
identity of the criminal! Your job, as detectives, is to find out “whodunnit” and bring them to justice!
You’ll need to deduce the identity of the murderer (who?), the scene of the crime (where?),
the time of the crime (when?), the M.O. or modus operandi (how?) and the motive (why?)
- and find evidence to support your theories.
The Rooms
Including the stairwell and corridors, there are 10 rooms on the ground floor of the house:-
1. The Conservatory 🖳🖎
2. The Ballroom 🖳🖎
3. The Billiard Room 🖳🖎
4. The Library 🖳🖎
5. The Study 🖳🖎
6. The Kitchen 🖳🖎
7. The Entrance Hall 🖳🖎
8. The Lounge 🖳🖎
9. The Dining Room 🖳🖎
10. The Stairwell 🖳🖎
🖳 Click on the links above and look at the pictures of these rooms. What are the names for the
furnishings and decorations you see in each room? You can use the internet to look up any of
these names if they are unfamiliar to you, and add them to your vocabulary bank. There is also
room next to each room for you to write notes that will help you to remember what they are like.
🗪 Talk with your classmates about what you can see in each picture.
1
More advanced students can be tasked with researching the recent history of the 1920s, to better understand the setting.
3

PRE-TEACH AND PREPARATION [FAMILIARISATION; DIRECTIONS AND SPATIAL POSITIONING VOCABULARY]
🍏 In plenary, direct the students to look at the map. This could be used for spatial vocabulary and/or
giving and following directions exercises: “Which rooms are next to the Hall?” “Which room is to the
right of the Ballroom?”, “Which is the largest/smallest room?”, “Which room is in the top left corner?”;
“If I turn left coming out of the Hall and walk forward for 3 meters, then turn right and walk forward
for 9 meters, where will I be? Which room would be in front of me?”, “Where is the toilet?” etc.
Here’s a map of the ground floor rooms, which should help you:-
During the investigation, each of you will be sent to a different room to look for clues. When you
have finished examining that room, you will be able to leave it and return to the Stairwell to share
your findings with each other. You will then get a chance to visit another room, where you might
find something that your classmate missed, returning again to the Stairwell to share your findings.
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PRE-TEACH AND PREPARATION [FAMILIARISATION, PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND DESCRIPTIVE VOCABULARY]
🍏 In plenary, direct the students to look at the character portraits below. As well as familiarising
themselves with the suspects, this could be used for any number of physical appearance and
descriptive adjectives exercises (for example, the teacher could elicit answers to questions like
“Who has a moustache/glasses?”, “How old do you think X is?”, “How many suspects are
men/women?”, “How many suspects have black/white hair?” “How would you describe Y?”, etc.);
followed by a game of ‘Guess Who?’, with students in pairs.
(In the Whodunnit event itself, suspects encountered will be described rather than openly named, so our
student detectives will get the chance to use these skills and work out who they are for themselves.)
The Suspects – Who’s who?

There are six suspects in the house:-
You will find out more about each suspect, if you ask them the right questions. They will be found
in six of the nine rooms, but which ones? You might get to meet one of them in your room if
you’re lucky. You might also find other clues, including things which may have been used as the
murder weapon, so look out for those too. You’ll find out about other rooms, suspects, and clues
when you return to the stairwell and hear what your classmates have discovered.
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PRE-TEACH AND PREP [FAMILIARISATION; ASKING QUESTIONS]
🍏 In plenary, ask the students to think about the sorts of questions they might ask the suspects. Remind them
that they will need to deduce the identity of the murderer (who?), the scene of the crime (where?), the time
of the crime (when?), the modus operandi (how?) and the motive (why?).
(For faster or more advanced students, this could also be used to prompt a discussion on the merits of open
versus closed questions, and a recap on WH Question Words and Question Forms2.)
Then direct the students to look at the Questioning section below. Read it with them; modelling and drilling
the example questions with them. Get them to amend their own questions in light of these examples. With
lower levels, you could even roleplay as one or two of the suspects, using the answer guides included on
pages 18-23. (If the Murder Mystery Event is run for a single class, the teacher will play all of the suspects;
while as a cross-class event, a different teacher will be playing each suspect. It therefore wouldn’t hurt for you
to pick your favourite character and rehearse a little! Advanced students could be given roles, too.)
If you do roleplay, be prepared to have to explain some idiomatic or technical lexis at this pre-teaching stage.
The character dialogue isn’t overly complicated, but neither is it written in ‘dumbed-down English’; it is written
to provide opportunities to introduce colloquial idioms and detective terminology. Completion of the
Autonomous Learning homework assignments should help familiarise students with the lexis used.
Questioning
The suspects won’t want to get themselves into trouble, and are therefore unlikely to give you
information freely. You will have to ask the right questions if you want the right answers.
Think back to what you’ve learned about questions. What questions could you ask each suspect to
find out all you need to know? Here are some suggestions, but you might be able to think of some
good questions for yourself, too.
WHAT “What were you doing at the time of the murder – between 7.30 and 8.30 pm?”
“What did you see? What did you hear?”
WHERE “Where were you at the time of the murder – between 7.30 and 8.30 pm?”
“Where did you last see Dr Black? Where was he coming from? Where was he going to?”
WHO “Who do you think killed Dr Black?”

“Who told you that Dr Black was dead?”
“Who had a reason to want him dead? Who would benefit from his death?”
WHY “Why do you think Dr Black was murdered? Why would anyone want to kill him?”
“Why didn’t he dress for dinner when everyone else did?”
“Why was he carrying a syringe in his pocket?”
“Why do you suspect [ ]?”
“Why are you wearing gloves? / Why is there blood on your hand?”
HOW “How long have you known Dr Black? How did you meet him?”
“How did you know Dr Black was dead?”
“How would you kill someone, if you were going to?”
WHEN “When did you first meet Dr Black?”

“When did you hear about his murder?”
“When will you get out of prison?”
MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 4 - HOMEWORK

PRE-TEACH AND PREP. [FAMILIARISATION, NEW LEXIS (INCLUDING IDIOMS), AUTONOMOUS STUDY]
2
NB. If a recap on Questions and Question Forms is required, teachers can of course use their own preferred materials, but may be pleased to
know that the author has prepared a set of handouts on this topic as well, with both student and teacher versions, which are similarly available on
the shared drive.
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🍏 The following 4 pages contain a complete list of the (likely new) lexis the students will encounter during the Murder Mystery game itself.
Having introduced the necessary research skills in class, the activity should be handled as autonomous learning. It will encourage them to
look up new words in the future, and introduce them to several useful websites with which to do so. It is suggested that the students are
given it at the beginning of the week, and asked to complete a page or half-page for each night’s homework (that way, students with busy
lives can at least choose to do multiple pages in advance, should they need to); however, the material can also so be used as filler, should
any of the other activities be completed ahead of schedule. During the murder mystery game itself, when the students are sent to their
respective Zoom Breakout Rooms, they should be directed to revise these pages to re-familiarise themselves with the lexis. It will not only
keep them occupied while the Activity Leader gives each student the information they will need for the game; but also better prepare them
to process the information they will receive. Ideally, in-class plenary time should be dedicated to monitoring its successful completion,
rewarding effort, confirming answers, and modelling pronunciation. Lower levels can do half-a-page at a time, over two weeks.
🖳 Monday Homework: Research the meanings of these words and phrases, and add them to your vocabulary bank.
WORD/PHRASE TRANSLATION DEFINITION

academic Adj. - not of practical relevance; of only theoretical interest.
“all quiet on Western Front”. A military expression common at the time, based on the English title of the 1929
novel by Erich Maria Remarque, a German veteran of World War I).
amethyst Noun - a precious stone consisting of a violet or purple variety of quartz.
analysis Noun - detailed examination of the elements or structure of something.
antique restoration Returning an antique - an object highly valued due to of its age - to a like-new condition.
apparent Adj. - clearly visible or understood; seeming real or true, but not necessarily so.
Art Deco Noun - the predominant decorative art style of the 1920s and 1930s.
“as hot as hell” Rude slang - extremely and uncomfortably hot in temperature.
at regular intervals / times At times that are equally separated, with the same amount of time between them.
azure-blue Adj. - a light shade of blue used on Egyptian tombs, that evokes calmness, and richness.
backspin Noun - spin given to a moving ball to make it stop quickly or rebound at a steeper angle.
backstory Noun - information about the setting and characters, to help realize a fictional world.
bald patch Noun - an area of a person's head that has no hair.
ballgown Noun - an elaborate full-length dress for wearing to balls and parties.
banister Noun - the uprights and handrail at the side of a staircase.
bay window Noun - a window built to project outwards from an outside wall.
“be an angel” Do something very kind; do a big favour.
bell-pull Noun - a handle or knob attached to a cord by which one rings a bell.
“bend my ear” A colloquialism for asking questions or getting advice.
besieged Adj. - surrounded by armed forces, aiming to capture and force a surrender.
bird's nest soup Noun - a Chinese delicacy made from the dried spit coating of the nests of swifts.
blaggards Plural noun (slang, dated) - scoundrels; untrustworthy people. Usually, males.
blessed Expletive (mild) - used in mild expressions of annoyance or exasperation.
“blood on their hands” Idiom – responsible for someone’s death.
“blood, sweat, and tears” Idiom – hard work; great effort.
blood sugar levels Biology - the concentration of glucose present in the blood.
book launch Noun – a social event created to promote the release (publication) of a book.
bootlace A malapropism - Mrs White confuses ‘bootlace’ for ‘Brutus’.
bootprint Noun - (plural bootprints) - the impression left by a boot while walking.
bottle-green A dark shade of green, almost black.
bounder A colloquialism for an untrustworthy person. (Compare to blaggard)
braided rope Noun – superior rope created by braiding 8-10 fibres into a tube-like braid.
bridge A card game for four players.
briefly Adverb - for a short time; fleetingly.
broke up Verb (past) - To have come apart or split into smaller pieces; to end a gathering.
bulged out Verb (past) - to have jutted out, swollen, or protruded.
bunch Noun - a number of things, typically of the same kind, grouped together.
burgundy-coloured Adj. - a deep reddish-brown shade like the wine from the Burgundy region of France.
“burst the bubble” Idiom - to disillusion someone of a false notion that has grown comfortable.
bushy Adj. - growing thickly; like a bush.
butler Noun - the chief manservant of a house.
buttonhole Noun - a slit made to receive a button; a flower worn on the lapel of a tuxedo or suit jacket.
called off Verb phrase (past) – cancelled.
carpeted Adj. – covered with carpet.
‘cast the first stone’ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cast_the_first_stone
“caught red-handed” Idiom - caught in the act of doing something wrong, as if with blood-stained hands.
ceiling Noun - the upper interior surface of a room or other similar compartment.
🖳 Tuesday Homework: Research the meanings of these words and phrases, and add them to your vocabulary bank.

celebratory Adj. - used to publicly acknowledge a significant or happy day or event.
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central heating Noun - heating water or air in one place, to circulate through pipes and radiators or vents.
chandelier Noun - a large, decorative hanging light with branches for several light bulbs or candles.
chap UK English colloquialism for ‘fellow’; a man.
Chesterfield sofas/armchairs Noun - a seat with padded arms and back of the same height, curved out at the top.
chubby Colloquial term for overweight; friendlier than ‘fat’.
chums Colloquial term for friends.
cocktails Plural noun - alcoholic drinks made of spirit(s) mixed with fruit juice or cream.
“confined to barracks” Military expression for being ill, sick in bed; or else suffering a punishment.
cops US English colloquialism for police officers.
crocuses Flowers from which we get the valuable saffron, which was worth a fortune even
in 1930 (inflation).
crush on (having a) Being romantically attracted to
custard A desert topping noted for its yellow colour, associated with cowardice.
cutlery Collective noun - knives, forks, and spoons used for eating or serving food.
cutting out Verb - removing a piece of something by cutting it with a blade or scissors.
damp Adj. slightly wet.
dagger Noun - a short knife with a pointed and edged blade, used as a weapon.
decanters Plural noun - stoppered glass containers into which wine or spirit is decanted.
diabetes Biology - a condition that occurs when the body can't use glucose normally.
“didn’t hear nothing” Mrs White isn’t very well educated, and uses a double-negative.
“diet-beetles” Mrs White makes mistakes, and thinks this is how ‘diabetes’ is said.
dining out on the story Idiom – using a story about oneself to get invited to dinner, or gain public praise.
disguised as… Adj. - having a changed appearance in order to conceal the true identity.
dollop Noun – (informal) – a large, shapeless mass of something, especially soft food.
dragging Verb – pulling something along forcefully, roughly, or with difficulty.
“dress for dinner” Verbal phrase – to change your clothing to something suitable for a formal evening meal.
“eh?” Sound made as a question tag, asking for agreement.
‘em Colloquial abbreviation for ‘them’.
emerging Verb – coming out or up; being seen, after being unseen.
endure Verb – to survive, suffer, or weather; to remain in existence; to last.
ennui Noun - a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or thrill.
“erm…” Sound made while hesitating or pausing for thought.
evidence Noun - the body of facts indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
examine Verb - inspect thoroughly in order to determine the nature or condition of a thing.
faculty Noun - a group of university departments concerned with a set division of study.
“far too good for the likes of” An expression describing one person as being far superior to another.
feathers Plural noun - flat appendages growing from a bird's skin and forming its plumage.
“fella” US English colloquialism for ‘fellow’; a chap; a man. (Compare to chap)
fetch Verb - go for and then bring back (someone or something) for someone else.
fingerprints Plural noun - an impression or mark made on a surface by a person's fingertips.
first-hand knowledge Noun - knowledge gained through personal perception and experience.
“fixing my hair” US English colloquialism for making one’s hair look nice.
fleeting Adj. - lasting for a very short time. (Compare to briefly)
flight of stairs Noun – a stairway connecting one floor or landing with the next above or below.
flower beds Plural noun - a plot of land in which flowers are grown.
flower stem Noun - the part on a flower that holds up the petals and from which the leaves grow.
footprints Plural noun - impressions left by a foot or shoe on the ground or a surface.
“freshen up” Colloquialism for washing oneself, re-applying make-up, etc.
“funny looks” Looking at someone in a strange way, with an unusual expression.
garden twine Noun - strong thread, used to tie up plants in a garden, often green in colour.
get on UK English colloquialism - have a harmonious or friendly relationship.
“get stuffed” Said as an expression of contempt, or to mean ‘go away’.
“gold-digging hussy” A pejorative term for a woman who seduces men to get money or gifts.
“good innings” A term used to mean ‘had a long life’, alluding to a game of cricket.
gossip Noun - casual conversation or reports about other people, typically not confirmed as true.
gotta Colloquial elision for ‘got to’ or ‘got a’.
gramophone Noun - old-fashioned term for a record player.
“had visual contact” Military talk for ‘saw’.
handprints Plural noun - the marks left by the impression of hands.
harlot Noun (dated, derogatory) - a woman who has many casual sexual encounters.
‘having an affair’ Involved in a secret romantic or sexual relationship.
‘head-over-heals’ Idiom - as if in a somersault; very much, deeply (head over heels in love).
head up/down Verb phase – to move in the direction indicated, either literally changing level or
else moving in the direction as would be seen on a map.
🖳 Wednesday Homework: Research the meanings of these words and phrases, and add them to your vocabulary bank.

'Hell hath no fury like a woman Proverb - a woman who’s been rejected can be furiously angry and vindictive,
scorned' worse than any of the mythical Furies from Hell.
8

hemlock, the fated sip of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Socrates
Socrates noun - a poisonous plant, with a purple stem, green leaves, and white flowers.
hidden Adj. - kept out of sight; concealed.
“his eyes bulged out of his head” A colloquial expression exaggerating the physical reaction to extreme surprise.
historian Noun - an expert in or student of history.
Hollywood starlet Noun - a young movie actress being coached and publicized for starring roles.
holster Noun - a holder for a handgun or other firearm, made of leather and worn on a belt.
honey / sweetheart Terms of endearment.
Horse Guards Proper noun – The HQ of the British Army, situated between Whitehall and the Palace.
Hovis A popular bread brand (Mrs White probably confused this with Ovid or Homer).
huh? Sound made as a question tag, asking for agreement.
hullabaloo Noun (informal) - a commotion; a fuss.
hypocrite Noun - a person who claims to have higher standards than is the case.
hypodermic syringe Noun (hypo – under, dermic –skin) – used with a hollow needle to inject
substances into the body or extract fluids from it.
hypothetically Adverb - by imagining a possibility rather than reality; as a hypothesis.
"If looks could kill..." Idiomatic expression used to emphasise that a person looks angry.
“If that isn’t [ ], I don’t know Idiomatic expression used to emphasise that the thing being discussed IS how it
what is.” is described; that it exemplifies it so well, you can’t think of a better example.
immediately Adj. ‘right here, right now’; without any intervening time or space.
infernal Adj. - relating to or characteristic of hell or the underworld.
ink-blotter Noun – a device used for soaking up or ‘blotting’ excess ink.
in love with Collocational noun phrase - in a state of strong emotional and sexual attraction.
inside-out Adj. - having the inner surface turned outwards.
insulin Noun (biochemistry) - hormone produced in the pancreas which regulates the
amount of glucose in the blood; synthetically produced to treat diabetes.
in tatters Adj. – torn in many places, in shreds; destroyed, ruined.
intel / intelligence Noun (military terminology) - information that provides a strategic advantage.
(The term is sometimes shortened to “intel.”)
“in the grand scheme of An idiom meaning that when you put things in perspective, taking everything into
things” account, what has previously been considered important actually isn't.
in vain Adverbial phrase - without success or a result; without hope of the same.
IOU A promissory note; “I owe you”.
irrelevant Adj. - not connected with or relevant to something; meaningless.
irony Noun - a state of affairs that seems deliberately crafted to be wryly amusing.
irrigated Verb (past tense) – supplied with water (land or crops) to help plant growth.
jogged Verb (past tense) – nudged or knocked slightly.
“keep your eyes peeled” Idiom – Keep your eyes open; pay attention.
kinda Colloquial elision for ‘kind of’.
larger Comparative adjective - relatively greater in size, extent, or capacity.
Last Will and Testament Noun – legal document of posthumous inheritance.
“laughed in her face” Mocked [her] openly (with an element of public humiliation).
leaking Adj. - accidentally losing contents, especially liquid or gas, through a hole or crack.
leftovers Plural noun - something, especially food, remaining after the rest has been used.
life's work / magnum opus Noun - a work regarded as the most important an artist/composer/writer produced.
“lost her bloom” Lost her youthful looks and grew old; like a flower, fading.
low-cut evening dress Noun – an elegant gown cut to emphasise the figure of the wearer.
made-up face A ‘play on words’ relating to both her use of cosmetics and her telling bare-faced lies.
“man of the cloth” An invested priest, vicar, or similar member of the clergy.
mark of respect Noun – an action done to show respect (such as removing a hat or saluting).
mascara Noun – a cosmetic for darkening and thickening the eyelashes.
massive Adj. - large and heavy or solid; having great mass or weight.
mess dress uniform Noun phrase – Formal ‘dress’ uniform worn in the officers’ dining room or ‘mess hall’.
modern Adj. - relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past.
Modus operandi / MO Noun - someone's method of working, particularly in the context of criminal
investigations.
mop (noun/verb) Noun – a bundle of thick loose strings or a sponge attached to a handle, used for
wiping floors or other surfaces. Verb – to clean or soak up liquid by wiping.
morale Noun - the confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline of a person or group at a said time.
motive Noun - a reason for doing something, answering the question ‘why?’.
“my goodness!” Polite expression of surprise.
“my money would be on” “I would place a bet on…”; “in my opinion, I would choose…”
nethers Colloquial euphemism for ‘bottom parts’.
‘no show’ A theatrical term for something or someone noticeably absent.
“not one’s cup-of-tea” Idiom – not to one’s personal tastes.
objet d’art Plural noun - objects, usually small, considered to have some worth or value as art.
🖳 Thursday Homework: Research the meanings of these words and phrases, and add them to your vocabulary bank.

obscured Verb (past tense): kept from being seen; concealed; hidden. (Compare to hidden).
9

occupy themselves Verb phrase - to keep themselves busy or distracted (by doing something).
odd Adj. - different to what is usual or expected; strange.
off Adj. - (of food) no longer fresh, bad, not right; away from the path of ‘normality’.
‘on closer inspection’ Phrase - when examined more closely.
Ottoman Proper noun – Members of the Ottoman Empire, that controlled much of South-eastern
Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa between the 14th and early 20th centuries.
overdose Noun - an excessive and dangerous dose of a drug.
palm Noun - an unbranched tree of tropical and warm regions; the inner centre of the hand.
panelled walls (oak/ mahogany) Plural noun - a wall covering constructed from interlocking panels of wood.
pantry Noun - a small room or cupboard in which food, crockery, and cutlery are kept.
parallel Adj. - side by side and having the same distance continuously between them.
parasol Noun - a light umbrella used to give shade from the sun. (Latin origin)
partial Adj. - existing only in part; incomplete.
partially-burnt Adj. – not entirely destroyed by heat or fire.
past glories Plural noun – honour and praise earned in the past, remembered fondly.
peers Plural noun - people at your own level.
permanently Adverb - in a way that lasts or remains unchanged indefinitely; for all time.
‘pick it (back) up’ Verbal phrase – replace something which had fallen down.
‘pinko’ Someone sympathetic to communism, without being a ‘full red’ Communist
Party member; a Liberal or Socialist.
plebeian masses Plural noun – the ‘commoners’ in ancient Rome, those neither patricians nor slaves.
plummy Adj. (British, disapproving) – having a very upper-class accent, possible affected;
having a plum colour.
plump for Verbal phrase – choose.
popped in Verbal phrase (past tense) – came in for a short time (often without notice).
potted palm Noun – a palm tree (see above) planted in a container (pot).
“potting a few” Playing or practising billiards, pool, or snooker.
precious Adj. - of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.
precisely Adverb - in exact terms; without vagueness.
preoccupied Adj. - engrossed in thought; distracted.
prescribed Verb (past tense) - advised and authorized by a doctor, especially in writing.
prima ballerina Noun - the chief female dancer in a ballet or ballet company.
print Noun - the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication.
Prisoner Of War / POW Noun - any person captured or interned by a belligerent power during war.
protruding Adj. - sticking out; projecting.
published Adj. - (of a book, journal, etc.) prepared and issued for public sale or readership.
purse US English for a lady’s handbag or clutch.
“put the pieces of the puzzle together” Solve a mystery; eluding to the completion of a jigsaw puzzle.
“put two and two together” Idiom - drew an obvious conclusion from what was known or evident.
radiator Noun - a hollow metal device connected to a central heating system, used to heat a room.
rags Plural noun - pieces of old cloth, torn from a larger piece, used typically for cleaning.
receipt Noun - written proof that something of value has been transferred from one party to another.
record scratched A vinyl recording was damaged by the gramophone needle.
regularly Adverb - with a constant or definite pattern, with the same space between.
reminiscing Gerund - indulging in enjoyable recollection of past events.
reportedly Adverb - according to what some say.
respective Adj. - belonging or relating separately to each of two or more people or things.
retire Verb - withdraw to or from a particular place.
return [her] affections Verbal phrase – reciprocate; feel the same way for said person as they do for you.
Rolls (a) Proper noun - Abbreviated term for a Rolls Royce luxury motor car.
rusty Adj. - (of a metal object) affected by rust.
“saw through her” Saw the truth, past the mask of lies she put up in front.
Say US colloquialism for ‘tell me’.
scabbard Noun - a sheath for the blade of a sword or dagger, typically made of leather.
schemes Plural noun – plots, plans.
scrapbook Noun - a book of blank pages for sticking cuttings, drawings, or pictures in.
scrubbed clean Verb phrase (past tense) - rubbed using a stiff brush, soap, and water.
seating arrangement Noun phrase - a plan that shows where people should sit for a formal meal.
seduce Verb - entice (someone) into sexual activity.
Separate (adjective) Adj. - set or kept apart; detached. (Discuss pronunciation differences with verb.)
Seizure salad Another malapropism - Mrs White confuses ‘Seizure’ for ‘Caesar’.
service revolver Noun – a handgun (of the revolver type) issued to an officer in police or military
service for use in the course of their official duties.
serving trolley Noun - a wheeled vehicle for serving food, that can be pushed by a person.
🖳 Further Research: find the translations of these words and phrases and add them to your vocabulary bank, while you are waiting.

shooting Killing someone by firing a gun.
showed up Arrived; or caused embarrassment and humiliation; was clearly visible.
sideboard A piece of furniture kept at the side of a dining room, where things are stored.
10

silk / velvet Expensive, elegant materials.
situated Placed in a specific position.
skid marks Marks left by rubber tyres after a skid, when the wheels slide instead of rolling.
skull and crossed bones The universal symbol for ‘poison’, taken from the flag of a pirate ship.
slap-up supper A big feast; a special evening meal, with large portions.
slug pellets Small pieces of poison used to kill slugs that would otherwise spoil plants.
smitten ‘Hit’ with love for someone.
so-called Commonly known by the name or term specified; often used to express one's
view that such a name or term is inappropriate.
sold out (verb) Exchanged integrity for financial gain.
sooner or later Phrase of soon; at some future time; eventually.
sorting things out Putting things in order; arranging things; managing things; fixing problems.
spanner A tool used to adjust ‘nuts’ (called a ‘wrench’ in US English).
speak ill of… Say something bad about…
spotless Pure white; without a single mark or stain.
sprung a leak Allowed water to escape, like a natural spring.
stabbing Killing someone by making a wound with a sharp object or a blade.
staff People who work for you; servants.
stain An unwelcome mark made by liquid; a blemish.
steak knife A stronger, sharper piece of cutlery, used for cutting steak or tougher meats.
stocky Largely-built; big, but more from having muscles than fat (like a rugby player).
stove An oven; an item of furniture used for cooking and heating the house.
streaks Long marks.
stressed Anxious or panicked; the body responding to cortisol and adrenaline.
“stuck his nose in” Put just his face in the room; try to get involved in someone else’s business.
stumbled Walked badly, falling.
sumptuous Splendid and expensive-looking.
suspect (verb) Feel doubt about; have thoughts of their guilt.
suspicions Doubts.
swell 1930s slang for ‘very good’.
table setting Everything placed in front of a diner in preparation for the meal.
tassel Tuft of loosely hanging threads knotted at one end and attached to soft furnishings or clothing.
tending to Caring for, looking after, nurturing.
‘the game’s a foot’ A quote originally from Shakespeare, famously used by Sherlock Holmes.
the ‘evil eye’ "to give someone the evil eye" is to glare at the person in anger or disgust.
‘throwing a party’ Hosting a social gathering.
thumbprint Mark left by a thumb, used to identify a criminal.
tissues Thin sheets of paper used to wipe moisture away.
"toffs" Upper-class people.
tomato catch up (ketchup) Another of Mrs White’s malapropisms, confusing ketchup with catch up.
“took out her frustration on” Got rid of her negative feelings by attacking someone.
traces of… Small residual amounts of…
trivia Unimportant subjects.
trodden on Pressed into the ground by a foot.
turned [her] down Rejected [her] offer or proposal.
tyre tracks Marks left by tyres.
underestimated Thought less of than is, in fact, the case.
“up to my eyebrows in…” Buried under a large amount of whatever is described.
weak Opposite of strong; feeble; frail.
Wellington boots (‘wellies’) Waterproof rubber boots, named after the Duke of Wellington.
wheelchair A special chair with wheels either side, used by invalids to move about.
wine cellar An area beneath a house, used for storing wine.
within Inside; not further than.
workloads Amounts of work.
wounds In pathology, a sharp injury which damages the epidermis of the skin.
veil A thin often lacey piece of material worn by ladies, often by brides or widows.
vicarage The home of a vicar, attached to his church or close to it.
victim The person upon whom a crime has been committed.
vitally important Necessary for the existence, continuance, or well-being of something.
“ya” US English colloquialism for ‘you’.
zipper US English for a ‘zip’; a form of fastening used on clothes and bags.
zip up (verb) To fasten with a zip; sometimes said to stop someone talking.
11
“Whodunnit?”
Murder Mystery Activity Teacher’s
Pack
CONSOLIDATION - THE MURDER MYSTERY GAME ITSELF
[AUTONOMOUS LANGUAGE USE, SPEAKING AND LISTENING, ASKING QUESTIONS,
NOTE WRITING, SHARING INFORMATION, DISCUSSING OPINIONS, DEDUCTIVE REASONING]
With at least four sessions of pre-teach and familiarisation now under their belts, the students should be thoroughly prepared for the
game itself, and thoroughly invested in solving their own whodunnit. Before you begin, you might want to draw their attention to the
page on their handouts for their Notes (page 14). There is no wasted space, so students should be encouraged to be concise with
their notetaking. (This is, however, a learned skill, often neglected, and perhaps a little reminder to stick to the key facts wouldn’t go
amiss; indeed, it could form the basis of an additional lesson, if it is deemed necessary).
In plenary, start by setting the scene and having them re-read the Introduction and Backstory, while you read it aloud to them (page 13).
The investigation itself will also begin in plenary, with the entire class examining the area of the Stairwell. Using Zoom Chat, the pre-
written Stairwell Clues (page 15) will be copied and pasted as private messages to individual students. If necessary, prompt each of
them to read their clue out for their classmates. Remind them all to speak clearly, and take notes about what they learn from each other.
The students will then be sent to individual Zoom Breakout Rooms corresponding with rooms 1-9 of the ground floor of the manor
house, where they will be given the Autonomous Learning Activity to complete/revise (pages 7-11). This will keep them occupied
while the Activity Leader feeds the student in each room with the relevant information (see below), while also (re-)familiarising
them with the lexis they will encounter during the activity.
Room-by-room, the Activity Leader sends the students a private message describing what they can see in their room (pages 16-17);
including any suspects present (in 6 of the 9 rooms) and any apparent clues. The student can then either take a few minutes to
prepare the questions they’d like to ask their suspect, or, if the room is unoccupied, return to the Autonomous Learning Activity.
In the case of a single-class event, the Activity Leader, having sent those messages, visits 6 of the 9 rooms in the character of
that room’s occupant, and answers the student’s questions; in the (perhaps better) option of a school-wide cross-class event, one
of six individual teachers will be pre-installed in the room in question, and will take on that role. The answering questions as
-pages (18-23) contain scripted answers that will aid you in this.
Once a room has been examined, and any occupant therein questioned, the students can return to the Stairwell (the Zoom main
meeting) to share their findings with their classmates, and discuss their theories.
The individual students will then be sent to a different room, where they can gather their thoughts or continue with the Autonomous
Learning Activity until the Activity Leader feeds them further information about that room – a Hidden Clue revealed upon closer
examination, overlooked by their classmate detective on the first visit (page 24). The student can then exit the room, share their fresh
findings with their classmates, and discuss their theories. The teacher can prompt and nudge the students in the right direction if they
struggle or go off on a widely wrong tangent, but free thought is encouraged.
Once the rooms have been examined twice, and any occupant therein questioned, the students should have returned to the Stairwell
to share their findings and theories with their classmates. The Activity Leader can now start drip-feeding all students additional
information, in the form of telegrams about Forensic Reports (page 25) sent to all via Zoom Chat, to prompt further discussion.
Finally, they are given the opportunity to summon the suspects to join them for the denouement (page 26), where they can ask any
final questions (possibly limited to one each) to confirm their theories, and make their final accusations.
Finally, the solution is revealed (page 27).
12

INTRODUCTION AND
BACKSTORY
We’re going to investigate our own “whodunnit”. You and your classmates are going to be
the detectives, find clues, question suspects, share your findings and theories, and work
together to deduce the identity of the criminal!
It is spring 1930 (almost a hundred years ago) and you have all arrived at the country manor
house of Dr. Darcy Black - a famous Historian who teaches at the nearby university. He had
just finished writing a book about ‘The Wars of The British Empire’, and was throwing a party
to celebrate. He and his guests had been playing cards and drinking cocktails in the lounge,
while they awaited a sumptuous celebratory dinner. At 7.30pm, they finished playing cards and
went upstairs to their respective bedrooms on the floor above, to freshen up and dress for
dinner.
At 8.00pm they came back down, but found that dinner wasn’t ready yet. So, each of them
went to a different room on the ground floor to occupy themselves while they waited. At
precisely 8.30pm, the Butler, Grey (your Activity Leader), went to fetch some wine from the
cellar.
He instead found the body of Dr. Black lying on the cellar stairs, DEAD! Grey immediately
telephoned the police, and – luckily enough – you were already close (studying to become
detectives at the nearby university) and came over straight away to investigate the crime.
You have arrived at 8.35pm (now); the suspected murder took place within the last hour, and
the suspects are all still in their separate rooms. The Butler lets you in and leads you to the
stairwell. There are three flights of stairs: two at the sides, richly carpeted, leading up to the
bedrooms on the next level; one in the centre, made of bare stone, leading down to the
house’s wine cellar. The still-warm body of Dr Black lies face-down on these cold, stone
stairs.
Your job, as detectives, is to find out “whodunnit” and bring them to justice. You’ll need to deduce
the identity of the murderer (who?), the scene of the crime (where?), the time of the crime
(when?), the modus operandi (how?) and the motive (why?) - and find evidence to support
your theories. Good luck!
Your first task is to examine the area where the body was discovered (the stairwell), and the body
itself. Each of you will see something different, a different clue (sent to your Zoom Chat Feed).
It is up to you to read your clue out loud to your fellow detectives, clearly and slowly, and to listen
carefully to what they have to say, their clue, so that you all gain as much information as you can.
This is also a good opportunity for you to discuss your initial thoughts as they occur to you.
After this, you will each be sent to a different room, where you can look for clues. (The Activity
Leader will tell you what you can see, but you can re-read your homework notes while you wait
for them to do so). You might even meet one of the suspects in your room, in which case you
can ask them questions. When you have finished this, you can return to this stairwell to share
your findings with your classmates.
13

You’ll also need to ‘keep your eyes peeled’ for telegrams from the Forensics Laboratory, with
more information about the clues you’ve found and sent to them for analysis.
If you put all the pieces of the puzzle together, you’ll be able to solve it.
The game’s afoot! Let’s begin!
14

YOUR NOTES
You can use this page to help you keep a record of what you find in each room:-
ROOMS SUSPECT POSSIBLE OTHER CLUES
FOUND IN MURDER
THAT ROOM WEAPONS
Conservatory Green Broken water pipe, spanner. Crocuses. Wet floor. Blood on Green’s hands, water
pipe, and spanner. Green suspects Peacock.
Ball Room Peacock Candlestick. Blood on candlestick, and on Peacock’s hands and feet.
Peacock suspects Scarlett.
Billiard Room Mustard Revolver, billiard cue. Wearing gloves. Skull and crossed bones bottle
(poison?). Mustard suspects White. Red stain on cue.
Library Scarlett Bell-pull. Wearing gloves. Cut bell-pull. Scarlett suspects Green.
Study Plum Letter opener Red ink all over Plum’s hands, clothes, desktop, papers,
and the letter opener. Black’s book. Plum suspects Mustard.
Kitchen White Rolling pin, various knives. Blood everywhere: on White’s clothes, hands, rolling pin,
knives, and kitchen table. White suspects Plum.
Entrance Hall Missing dagger, sticks. Wellingtons? Murderer? Did someone go outside?
Lounge Steak knife (found) Black jacket, case in pocket, syringe and bottle.
Dining Room Steak knife (missing) Seating arrangement? Serving trolley – skid marks?
Stairwell Victim Fall from upper floors. palm print, flower, skid marks, no blood under body
SUSPECT STATEMENT POSSIBLE MOTIVE

Green, V. In Con since 13:00, tending to crocuses, fixing Angry at DB for treatment of his ‘friends’.
leaking pipe. Lives at the house, Black’s secret Angry at DB for ignoring him and flirting with RS.
Male, 50-60, chubby
lover. Saw DB in Con @ approx. 19.30. DB not Jealous of DB & RS.
Anglican priest/vicar,
always nice to people. HP loved him. HP married Angry at DB for leaving house and Con to another (initial
balding/grey hair,
to former lover of DB. Affair btwn DB & RS? Lied M) in his will.
bottle-green suit,
about AM telling re death & being ‘cousin’ of DB. Angry at DB for taking precious crocus for buttonhole.
green wellies.
Claims blood on hand, pipe, spanner from cut.
Didn’t answer re preferred MO.
Peacock, H. In Ball. since 20.00, dancing, loud music. Former She loved Black, but was rejected. Anger? Revenge?
ballerina, has been crying, admits being in love Then saw him flirting with Scarlett. Jealousy?
Female, thin, 50-60,
with DB, but DB secretly gay; ‘cousin’ really his
blue ballgown, no
lover. Barefoot. Claims blood on hands, feet, and
shoes, hat with veil,
candlestick from blisters.
(widow), black hair.
Preferred MO strangulation.
Mustard, A. In Billiard since 20:03. Saw DB in W passage Black’s book exposed him as liar & fraud.
going S @ 19:31 (to Con.) Claims stain on hand is Revenge?
Male, 50-60, army
port. Heard shouting when in bath; later, heard Attempt to silence? (Book’s covered in ink and ruined.)
colonel, white hair,
music, direction of Ballroom, record scratched,
Indian Army uniform,
something heavy falling, dragging sound from
pistol, boots, gloves.
corridor. Suspects White, for own reasons.
Preferred MO shooting, has killed before.
Scarlett, R. In Library since 20.30 - came downstairs long after Trying to seduce Black into marriage.
others. Claims to’ve been reading, but struggles – Rejected and humiliated. Revenge?
Female, 20-30,
a lie. Claims blood on hand (under glove) and
American, actress,
scissors from slip while cutting out photos. Lied
sexy but stupid,
about scrapbook (not present), was burning non-
high-heels,
flattering articles/photos in fireplace; also lied
red silk dress,
about only meeting DB the day before.
gloves.
Preferred MO shooting, has pistol in purse.
Plum, P. In Study since 20.00, writing own magnum opus. To prevent Black becoming prof. & Faculty Head.
DB beat him at cards. Head of History Faculty at University reputation and own position under threat.
Male, 30-40, thin,
university, DB’s boss. Didn’t like DB’s ‘populist’
glasses, wheelchair,
approach to history. Preferred MO poison.
purple tux., nervous.
White, G. In Kitchen since 07:00, cooking, cleaning, etc. Communist plot to get revenge on toffs for exploiting
Saw DB at 19:45, asking re dinner; resented working classes? Would inherit house and wealth after
Female, 60-70,
intrusion. DB suffering diabetes attack; given Black’s death (M stands for ‘mother’ on Black’s will).
stocky, working
leftovers (inc. garlic mayo & ketchup), eaten out of
class, servant’s
sight of guests. Blood explained by preparing
uniform.
meat. Overworked. DB’s mum (name changed).
Preferred MO strangulation.
15

MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 5C
STAIRWELL CLUES - GIVEN TO INDIVIDUAL DETECTIVES IN PLENARY SESSION
(copy and paste to Zoom Chat, as private messages to each student)
 The victim was found on the stairs leading down to the cellar. These stairs are made of stone,
painted white and regularly scrubbed clean by Mrs White; blood would clearly show up against the
white, but there is no blood at all on the stairs under the body.
🗪 Why is there no blood where the victim’s body was found?
 There is, however, a red handprint on the top bannister, directly above the cellar steps.
It is only a partial palmprint, and there are unfortunately no fingerprints.
🗪 Whose palm print could it be? The murderer’s? The victim’s? Was he pushed?
Who literally has ‘blood on their hands’? Which suspect will be ‘caught red-handed’?
 There are two parallel black streaks, about a foot apart, clearly visible on the honey-coloured tyles of
the floor; next to the stairs, heading towards (or from) the Library. They appear to have been caused by
something made of black rubber; like little tyre tracks or skid marks…
🗪 What could have made these marks? A small car? A wheelchair? A serving trolly?
 There is a small flower by the Entrance Hall door. It has purple petals and a bright orange centre.
It has been crushed, as if it has been trodden on by someone.
🗪 Who did the flower belong to? The murderer? The victim? Someone else?
 The victim’s clothes are dusty and dishevelled – his well-polished shoes are scuffed, his shirt is
pulled out, and his silk necktie is pulled up tight around his collar. There doesn’t appear to be any
blood on his clothing, but his clothes are all black so it’s hard to say for certain. They will need to
be sent to the forensic laboratory for analysis to be sure.
🗪 How did his clothing get so dusty and ruffled? Was there a fight? Was the body dragged here?
 There is a sort of small lift or elevator designed to carry a serving trolley or wheelchair to the upper
floors without needing to use the stairs. The lift is on the first floor level.
🗪 Could someone have used this to travel between floors? Why is it on the first floor?
 Despite everyone reportedly going upstairs to their rooms to dress for dinner at 7.30pm, the victim
was still wearing his day clothes - his customary black shirt, rather than a white dress shirt; and a
long tie of black silk, rather than the bow tie usually worn for dinner. His black jacket is missing.
🗪 Why didn’t he dress for dinner? What was he doing instead? Where did he go? Where is his jacket?
 There is a torn hole in the victim’s long silk tie; a small piece is missing. There is also a small white
stain on the end, which smells a little of garlic.
🗪 How did the victim’s tie get damaged? Where is the missing piece? What is the stain?
 The victim’s pocket watch was broken; it had stopped at 8.13pm.

🗪 Is this the time of the crime? How was the watch broken - did he fall, or was there a fight?
 There is a single muddy footprint, or rather boot print, between the Stairwell and the Library door;
the toes are pointing southward.
🗪 Who’s footprint is this? Who is wearing boots?
16

MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 5D
APPARENT CLUES - GIVEN TO INDIVIDUAL DETECTIVES IN BREAKOUT ROOMS
(copy and paste to Zoom Chat, as private messages to the student in each room)
ROOMS SUSPECT POSSIBLE OTHER CLUES
FOUND IN MURDER
THAT ROOM WEAPONS
Conservatory Green Broken water pipe, spanner. Crocuses. Wet floor. Blood on Green’s hands, water pipe, and
spanner. Green suspects Peacock.
Ball Room Peacock Candlestick. Blood on candlestick, and on Peacock’s hands and feet.
Billiard Room Mustard Revolver, billiard cue. Wearing gloves. Skull and crossed bones bottle (poison?).
Mustard suspects White. Red stain on cue.
Library Scarlett Bell-pull. Wearing gloves. Cut bell-pull. Scarlett suspects Green.
Study Plum Letter opener Red ink all over Plum’s hands, clothes, desktop, papers, and
the letter opener. Black’s book. Plum suspects Mustard.
Kitchen White Rolling pin, various Blood everywhere: on White’s clothes, hands, rolling pin,
knives. knives, and kitchen table. White suspects Plum.
Entrance Hall No-one Missing dagger, sticks. Wellingtons? Did someone go outside?
Lounge No-one Steak knife (found) Black jacket, case in pocket, syringe and bottle.
Dining Room No-one Steak knife (missing) Seating arrangement? Serving trolley – skid marks?
1. Conservatory: 1st search, apparent clues: A well-lit room with windows on the south and west sides. Beneath the
southern window there are flowerbeds, full of saffron crocuses. The air is rich with their scent, and the smell of damp soil.
The floor is covered with water; there is a man in the room, kneeling on the floor with his back to you, trying to mop up the
water with rags. He’s wearing green wellies and a bottle-green suit. He is slightly overweight, with a bald patch on the top of
his head. He turns as you enter and you see a chubby, smiling face, framed by thinning grey hair which sticks out at the
sides of his head, bushy grey eyebrows, and the ‘dog collar’ of an Anglican priest. Despite the water, you see what looks like
fresh blood on his hands; there is also ‘blood’ on a spanner and a piece of broken pipe lying on the wet floor beside his feet.
2. Ballroom: 1st search, apparent clues: A large room, richly decorated in azure-blue and gold, in an Art Deco version of
an Egyptian tomb. The large curving bay window in the south wall, and the mirrors on each of the other walls, fill the room
with light during the day; but for the evening, as it is now, there is a grand chandelier in the ceiling, with matching
candlesticks on each of the small tables placed around the edge of the open dancing space in the room’s centre. One of the
candlesticks is lying on the floor, and has what looks like fresh blood on it. One of the tables has a gramophone on it.
A tall, thin, 50 year old women is sitting on a chair next to that table. She is wearing a blue and gold ballgown, but is barefoot
(she isn’t wearing any shoes). Both her hands and her feet are covered with what looks like fresh blood. The room has the
faint smell of blood, sweat, and tears.
3. Billiard Room: 1st search, apparent clues: A small room with windows facing west. There is a rack of billiard cues
and a drinks cabinet against two of the other walls. The drinks cabinet contains decanters of brandy, scotch, port, and one
which has a ‘skull and crossed bones’ on it. There is a billiard table in the middle of the room, with electric lamps suspended
above it. A white-haired man with a large moustache is bent over the table with a cue in his hands, playing billiards alone.
He is smartly dressed in the mess dress uniform of the British Indian Army, with highly-polished leather boots, belts, buttons,
and straps. You also notice a brown leather holster on his belt, from which the handle of a service revolver is protruding. He
is wearing spotless white cotton gloves. There is a red stain on the cue. The room smells strongly of alcohol and cigars.
4. Library: 1st search, apparent clues: A medium-sized room, lined with bookshelves from floor to ceiling; with a fireplace
in the north wall, and a west-facing window with a window-seat set into it. An armchair is next to the fireplace, with a table in
front of it. On the table is a pile of newspapers and magazines, and a pair of scissors. There is a red stain on the tip of the
scissors. A young women with dark red hair, in a low-cut evening dress of red silk, is sat in the chair with her feet - in high-
heeled shoes - resting on the table. She is holding a book, bound in red leather, in her elegant elbow-length red gloves. You
smell perfume, cigarettes, old books, wood smoke, and… burnt paper. You see some partially-burnt pieces of paper in the
fireplace; photographs and articles from the magazines. On the floor near the fireplace is a 3 foot length of braded rope,
made of red silk, an inch in diameter. One end has a tassel; the other end has been cut. You see that it matches the stub of
the bell-pull still hanging on the wall.
17

5. Study: 1st search, apparent clues: A smaller room, with mahogany panelled walls and an antique mahogany writing
desk. There are windows facing west and north, but they’re hidden behind rich burgundy-coloured velvet curtains; the only
light comes from an electric lamp on the desk, and a fireplace in the southern wall. There are boxes full of copies of Black’s
new book around the room, which smells strongly of fresh print. There is a thin, middle-aged man sitting in a wheelchair in
front of the desk. He is wearing light-purple evening clothes (a badly chosen crushed-velvet tuxedo), but they are stained
dark with what looks like fresh blood. There is also ‘blood’ all over his hands, the top of the desk, the piles of papers that are
on it, and a dagger-like letter opener. He is frantically trying to mop up the ‘blood’ with an ink-blotter when you enter…
6. Kitchen:
1st search - apparent clues: Situated at the corner of the house, the kitchen has windows facing east and south – all of
which are open wide. The room is nevertheless as hot as hell, with a massive stove oven against the north wall filling the
room with its infernal heat. At a wide table in the centre of the room stands a stocky middle-aged woman. She has an angry
expression on her face, and is holding a big knife in her right hand, held up above her head. In her other hand is a large
wooden rolling pin. The rolling pin, knife, her hands, her face, and her once-white clothes are all splattered with blood -
which you know is blood because you can also smell in the air.
7. Entrance Hall:
1st search - apparent clues: A large, oak-panelled reception area, welcoming and tastefully-decorated with statues and
objet d’art, including a suit of armour. The suit of armour includes a sword and shield, both permanently fixed into place. You
also notice that the suit of armour is missing a dagger; there is an empty scabbard, but no blade. There are places to sit, a
table upon which is a vase of flowers, hooks on the walls for hats and coats, and a stand full of umbrellas and walking sticks.
There are seven pairs of Wellington boots (‘wellies’) neatly arranged on a thin strip of carpet against one wall. They are
different colours: black, grey, blue, yellow, red, purple, and white; with a gap between the grey and blue pairs large enough
for another pair. The room has a faint smell of damp clothes and mud, partially hidden by the scent of the flowers.
8. Lounge:
1st search - apparent clues: A large room in the northeast corner of the house, with windows facing in those directions.
There is no fireplace in this room, but it has been fitted with modern central heating radiators beneath both windows. It is
very warm, and smartly-furnished with comfortable leather Chesterfield sofas and armchairs, a cocktail cabinet, and a
square card table with four chairs. On the sofa is a man’s jacket. It is black, but there’s a bright orange stain around the
buttonhole. There is a metal case in the pocket containing a hypodermic syringe and a small bottle, which is empty. The label
on the bottle is obscured by a red thumbprint, so you can’t tell what was in it. On the card table there is a silver tray, on
which is a dirty plate and cutlery that Mrs White has yet to clear away.
9. Dining room:
1st search - apparent clues: A large room with a long dining table in its centre, and six dining chairs. There is a large
sideboard against one wall, filled with crockery and cutlery. The table has been set for six diners, with place cards at each
setting: Dr Black’s seat was at the head of the table, with the Reverend Green opposite him, Mrs Peacock and Colonel
Mustard to his right, and Miss Scarlett and Professor Plum to his left. You notice that all of the settings around the table have
steak knives, except one… a noticeable absence.
10. Stairwell:
The area where the body was found – as discussed in detail during the first part of the activity.
18

MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 5E
Answering Questions – as the Reverend Verne Green
As a suspect, you won’t want to get yourself into trouble, and are therefore unlikely to give up information freely.
You will only answer if the students ask you the right questions. Here are some suggested questions they have been given as
prompts, and the answers you should give in reply. They might be able to think of some good questions for themselves too
(hopefully), so be prepared to improvise an answer if that happens. If no reply comes to mind, just wax lyrical about crocuses –
your passion.
Q: “Where were you / What were you doing around the time of the murder – between 7.30 and 8.30 pm?”
A: “I was here, in the Conservatory. I’ve been here all afternoon, since just after lunch, around one-ish, tending to my precious
crocuses. (The others wanted to drink cocktails and play cards in the Lounge, but, as doctor Black pointed out, I’m a man of
the cloth, I shouldn’t join in. I came here instead, and have been here ever since - mostly trying to fix this leaking water pipe!
It’s vitally important that my precious crocuses are properly irrigated, you see. But this blessed pipe has sprung a leak – as
you can see from all the water on the Conservatory floor…”
Q: “Where did you last see Dr Black?”
A: “He popped in here, briefly, around 7.30-ish, to – erm – to remind me to dress for dinner.”
Q: “Who do you think killed Dr Black? / “Who had a reason to want him dead?” / “Why do you think he was murdered?”
/ “Why would anyone want to kill him?” / “Why do you suspect X ?”
A: “Well, the doctor may not have always been the most Christian of chaps - not always as kind to his fellow man as he might
have been… I did try to get him to mend his ways, but… Well, we all have our faults, I’m sure. Far be it from me to ‘cast the
first stone’, but I have my suspicions about Mrs Peacock. She was head-over-heals in love with Dr Black, had been for years,
and had sadly lost her bloom waiting – in vain - for him to return her affections. Then, when she arrived here this morning, she
found that Miss Scarlett had arrived the night before – alone – and had taken the bedroom next to his. Well! I believe she has
deduced that the doctor and the Hollywood starlet have been having an affair. The idea rather upset her. I suspect she took
out her frustration upon him… ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’, as they say.”
Q: “Who told you that Dr Black was dead?” / “How did you know he was dead?” / “When did you hear about his murder?”
A: “I… I think it was – erm – the Colonel, yes. He told me. About ten minutes ago.”
Q: “Why do you think Dr Black didn’t dress for dinner when everyone else did?”
A: “Probably for the same reason I didn’t – too busy sorting things out.”
Q: “Why is there blood on your hand?”
A: I cut myself on the rusty old pipe when I was trying to take it out and replace it. The spanner slipped, and I caught my hand on a
sharp piece of the metal. If you noticed blood on the spanner and the old pipe… that’s why.”
Q: “How long have you known Dr Black?” / “How did you meet him?” / “When did you first meet Dr Black?”
A: “Well, I’ve known him since we were both in our teens. We’re – erm – cousins, yes, distant cousins. I actually live with him here
in the manor house these days – apart from Saturday nights, when I stay at the Vicarage, so that I’m fresh for the sermon on
Sunday mornings. But I’m here most nights… I moved in shortly after his last… [pause] lodger, Mr Peacock, moved out to get
married. (Huh! The irony!) It was Mr Peacock that designed much of the house; but it was my idea to have this Conservatory
built, so that I could tend to my precious crocuses – they’re my babies; my precious, precious babies…
[Aside, to himself] They’ll all be ripped out and replaced with common vegetables if she gets her way!”
Q: “How would you kill someone, if you were going to?”
A: “Oh, my goodness! I could never kill anyone. ‘Thou shalt not kill’ sayeth the Lord.”
Q: “Why do you think Dr Black was carrying a syringe in his pocket?”
A: “I’m afraid my poor darli… Darcy had diabetes. He mostly managed to control it by making sure he ate at regular intervals, to
keep up his blood sugar levels, but he nevertheless had to carry the syringe and a bottle of insulin around with him in case he
ever suffered an attack – (An attack! Oh, the irony!)” [sobs]
Q: “What did you see? What did you hear?” / “Where was Dr Black coming from? Where was he going to?”
A: “I’m afraid I was too preoccupied to notice anything. I was facing the flower beds - under them in fact, fixing that pipe - so I
didn’t see or hear a thing.”
19

Answering Questions – as Mrs Hyacinth Peacock
You will only answer if the students ask you the right questions. Here are some suggested questions they have been given as prompts,
and the answers you should give in reply. They might be able to think of some good questions for themselves too (hopefully), so be
prepared to improvise an answer if that happens. If nothing comes to mind, just wax lyrical about ballet, or Dr Black – your passions.
Q: “Where were you / What were you doing at the time of the murder – between 7.30 and 8.30 pm?”
A: “I was dressing for dinner until eight; then I came in here, the Ballroom. I’d been feeling a little… stressed, so I came in here to
dance. Dancing is my passion – or it was… I used to be a prima ballerina, you know… When I was still young… I was
reminiscing about those days…”
A: “In the Lounge. We were all playing cards, then Darcy – that is, Dr Black - suggested we retire to our rooms to dress for
dinner, and the party broke up. That would have been around 7.30. I came back down for 8.00, and the Butler told me dinner
would be late, so I came in here. I didn’t see him again – Dr Black, I mean.”
A: “Well, far be it from me to gossip, but I have my suspicions about Ms Scarlett. That gold-digging hussy is only here to seduce
him into marrying her, so that she can live here and spend his money! She’s been trying for weeks, but, of course, he turned
her down! He was far too good for the likes of her; he saw through her and her schemes! He wouldn’t have married her, even
if he weren’t… [pause]. Well, I suppose you’ll find out anyway, sooner or later. Darcy - Dr Black - was… [pause]… Let’s just
say women weren’t his cup-of-tea; he preferred the company of that so-called ‘cousin’ of his. (They are NOT related.) ‘Scarlett
the Harlot’ tried to seduce Darcy, and he laughed in her overly made-up face. ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’, eh?”
A: “A few moments ago, when I saw the police arrive. I asked the Butler why you were all here, and he told me… Oh my!” [Sobs]
A: “I had no idea he hadn’t – it was his suggestion, after all. Hypocrite!

I wish I hadn’t changed either, now; my shoes may look fine, but they are NOT suitable for dancing in!”
Q: “Why is there blood on your hand?” / “Why is there blood on your feet?” / “Why is there blood on the candlestick?”
A: Those damned high-heeled shoes! They gave me blisters! They’re not good for dancing in! I was trying to, but I stumbled and
fell against that table. I’m afraid I jogged the gramophone and scratched the record! There was something else on the table
that fell off when I knocked it – that candlestick on the floor – I tried to pick it back up but it was too heavy and I was too weak.”
A: “I’ve known him for almost thirty years. We were at university together. He was studying History; I was learning dance. We may have
been poor in those days, but we were happy… He was such a handsome young man… Everyone loved him… He saw me dance at
an end of term performance and gave me a rose. I still have it. I must admit, I was a little smitten with him… but… Such a pity.”
A: “Oh, my goodness! How could you ask such a thing? I assure you, the thought of killing someone has never crossed my mind!
…But if it had, if I had thought about it, I’d have imagined strangling her with her own necklace!”
Q: “Why was Black carrying a syringe in his pocket?”
A: “I’m afraid my poor Darcy had diabetes. He managed to control it by ensuring he ate at regular times to keep up his blood
sugar levels, but he had to carry that needle and a bottle of insulin with him in case he ever had a seizure.”
Q: “What did you see? What did you hear?”
A: “I was too busy, too preoccupied to notice anything. The gramophone was playing, so I didn’t hear anything.”
Q: “You are known as ‘Mrs Peacock’. Are you married? Where is Mr Peacock?”
A: “I did marry, yes. A close friend of Darcy’s, a wealthy Fashion Designer. But he’s dead now. [long pause] Sadly.
[Hurriedly] I didn’t kill him! He died peacefully, in his own bed, in 1918, after catching the Spanish Flu. He was very old…”
20

Answering Questions – as Colonel Aurelius Mustard
(hopefully), so be prepared to improvise an answer if that happens. If nothing comes to mind, just wax lyrical about old glories, the
Empire and the Raj, right wing politics, snobbery and casual racism – your passions.
A: “Between 19:30 and 20:30, eh? Bath, cold, at 19:39, put on mess dress at 19:45, descended stairs 19:58, received intel re
delayed dinner from Butler, Grey; entered Billiard Room, 20:03, been ‘potting a few’ ever since – backspin needs work.”
Q: “Where did you last see Dr Black?” / “Where was Dr Black coming from? Where was he going to?”
A: “19:31. Had visual contact from stairs; Black in west passage, heading south, in direction of Ballroom, Billiard Room,
Conservatory sort of area.”
A: “Hmm… Cook – White (Mrs). Poison, probably. It’s generally the staff in such cases, I find. Had a Langri (native Indian cook)
try to poison me once, back in India, ‘58. The bounder put too much damn spice in the curry! Confined to barracks for three
days, couldn’t ride a horse for another week. Had him shot, of course. (The Langri, not the horse.) Staff. Can’t be trusted.
Blaggards, the lot of ‘em. Rebellious bunch: always complaining about ‘workloads’, ‘not being paid’, ‘getting whipped’…
And not just the blacks; suspect White (Mrs) just the same. (See what I did there? Joke. Jolly funny, what? Good for morale.)
The woman’s always complaining about ‘workload’, ‘too much to do’, ‘dinner delayed’. Probably a ‘Pinko’ (looks the sort).”
Q: “Who told you that Dr Black was dead?” / “How did you know he was dead?” / “When
did you hear about his murder?”
A: “Dead is he? Oh well, good innings.”
A: “Probably a ‘Pinko’ (looked the sort).”
Q: “Why are you wearing gloves?”
A: “Billiards! Better for holding the old stick, what? Smoother stroke.”
Q: “Can you take off your gloves, please. Why is there blood on your hand?”
A: “That’s not blood, old chap. That’s ruby port. Spilled a little. Jolly clumsy of me.
Uniform safe, though.”
Q: “How long have you known Dr Black?” / “How did you meet him?” / “When did you
first meet Dr Black?”
A: “Horse Guards. Shortly after War. Wanted to bend my ear about Military History. Writing book, or something. Wanted first-hand
knowledge. Told him some of my stories; past glories over a glass of brandy sort of thing. Became chums.”
A: “Have ‘em shot.”
Q: “Why do you think Dr Black was carrying a syringe in his pocket?”
A: “Narcotics, eh? Probably a ‘Junky’ (looked the sort).”
A: “Thought I heard shouting, raised voices, hullaballoo, coming through pipes while in the bath. Something about ‘being rude’,
possibly with ‘vegetables’, and some chap called ‘Will’ - who’s ‘a bit of a mummy’s boy’, apparently. Couldn’t make sense of it.
Later, downstairs, in Billiard Room, could hear music, from direction of Ballroom. Mozart. Stopped suddenly; record scratched.
Then sound of something heavy falling. Listened for a bit, but ‘all quiet of Western Front’. Then heard dragging sound coming
from corridor, sound of an electric motor, then another sound of something heavy falling. Bit odd, what?”
21

Answering Questions – as Miss Rose Scarlett
(hopefully), so be prepared to improvise an answer if that happens. If nothing comes to mind, just wax lyrical about yourself –
your passion. You are a poor girl from Smalltown, Idaho, USA, who has recently found fame on ‘the silver screen’. Now that you
are mixing with high society you play the part of a sophisticate, but your roots are showing.
A: “Mostly here, in the… book room. I went upstairs at half-past-seven to change into this dress – do you like it? It’s from Paris,
France! Say, you wouldn’t be an angel and zip it up for me, would ya? There’s a zipper… at the back. I tried to get one of the
other folks here to help me zip it up, but they were already downstairs by the time I’d finished fixing my hair. I came back down
and they told me dinner was a ‘no show’. To be honest, I was kinda glad; I’m still full after that olive I had for lunch, and I can’t
eat too much, I gotta stay slim for the movies! I’m an actress! In Hollywood! So, anyways, I came in here to… erm… read a
book! I was reading this one [reads, badly] - Le Rouge et le Noir (The Scarlet and the Black) – good title! It’s about… [reads,
badly] ‘a liv-ely, sat-ir-ical port-rayal of French society after Water-loo; filled with greed, dark-doings, and enn-oo-wee’.
Sounds like they need a plumber!
A: “In that big fancy room with the cocktail cabinet, at 7.30. That was when we all stopped having fun and came upstairs to
change. I popped next door to Blackie’s bedroom - to ask him to help zip up my dress for me - but he wasn’t there.”
Q: “Who do you think killed Dr Black? / “Who had a reason to want him dead?” / “Why do you think Dr Black was murdered?”
A: “Well, if you ask me, my guess would be the Preacher guy – the little fat fella with the bald head and bushy eyebrow that looks
like a penguin. He’d been snapping at Blackie and giving me funny looks at breakfast; and he kept giving me the ‘evil eye’ every
time I went near Blackie. I got the feeling he didn’t like Blackie very much. I tell ya, if looks could kill… I think he might have a bit
of a crush on me - I have that effect on men - and he was getting jealous of the way I was flirting with Blackie and not with him.
Say, are Preacher’s allowed to marry over here? He lives in this fancy house too, but he said something about having another
house in the village, and he’s got a church… He must be pretty rich, huh?”
A: “Blackie’s driver, the Butler guy, told me when I came downstairs, after I’d finished fixing my hair. He told me Blackie was dead, and
he wanted to keep the stairwell clear ‘til you cops showed up, so I headed for the nearest room. Here.”
A: “Didn’t he? I thought that was kinda the tradition over here…”
Q: “Why are you wearing gloves?”
A: I gotta look after my hands, honey. These nails don’t come cheap.”
Q: “Could you take off your gloves, please – I’d like to see your hands. Why is there blood on your hand / the scissors?”
A: Ok, look, so I wasn’t reading the French book (I don’t read much). I was actually up in my room, cutting out newspaper articles about
myself and gluing them in my scrapbook. I slipped and cut my hand. That’s why there’s blood on my hand, and on the scissors. I came
downstairs to look for a Band-Aid, but the Butler guy was busy, and sent me away. I came in here and put everything on that table.”
A: “I – er – I just met him yesterday at the station. I was struggling with my cases and he offered me a ride to the hotel in the village,
but when I saw that he had a Rolls, I talked him into bringing me here – I ain’t never seen a real British palace before!”
A: “I’d shoot ‘em. I keep a little revolver in my purse. For protection, you understand.”
A: “I didn’t see nothing, but I heard something: there was a lot of angry shouting coming from the room next door.”
Q: “Why did you cut the bell pull?”
A: “I thought it would make a swell belt. But it isn’t quite long enough. I need to lose more weight!”
22

Answering Questions – as Professor Porfirio Plum
(hopefully), so be prepared to improvise an answer if that happens. If nothing comes to mind, just wax lyrical about Classical
Antiquity – your particular passion.
A: “After dressing for dinner I came in here. Black’s book reminded me that I’m a little behind with my own magnum opus – ‘a
Study of Taxation Systems in the Ancient World!’ So when I found out dinner was delayed, I came in here to get on with it.”
A: “In the Lounge. After he beat me at cards, we all went back to our rooms to change. I didn’t see him again after that.”
A: “Well, my money would be on Colonel Mustard. Black had just finished his book on ‘The Wars of the British Empire’; tonight
was meant to celebrate its completion. We all got a copy of the book, and I noticed the Colonel reading his - while Dr Black,
Mrs Peacock, Miss Scarlett and I played ‘Bridge’. At one point, his eyes bulged out of his head at something he read. He
began coughing; his face all red. I think he got to the bit where Black wrote about the Battle of Ctesiphon – It was during the
Great War, spring 1916, and the British Indian 6th Division had attempted to capture Baghdad. They thought it would be easy,
but the intelligence they’d been given was bad; their commanding officers had dangerously underestimated the strength of the
Ottoman forces. The British faced a humiliating defeat: they were besieged for months in Kut Al Amare, and were eventually
forced to surrender. Many high ranked British officers were captured and imprisoned for the remainder of the war. The Colonel
was one of them - despite the fact he’s been dining out on the story of his ‘bravery’ on the front lines, the great ‘war hero’, for
years! It turns out he spent most of the time in a Turkish prisoner of war camp! What’s worse, he was the officer who provided
the bad intelligence - the entire defeat was his fault. Colonel Mustard? Colonel Custard more like! Black only invited him to this
book launch party this evening so that he could burst the bubble of his lies and humiliate him! Mustard’s reputation will be in
tatters when the book is published. If that isn’t a reason to commit murder, I don’t know what is.”
A: “I found out a moment ago, when you detectives came in here and started asking your foolish questions. I merely put two and
two together. Simple deduction. Elementary, you might say…”
Q: “Why do you think Dr Black didn’t dress for dinner when everyone else did?” / “Why was the doctor carrying a syringe in his pocket?”
A: “Trivia! I am a man of the mind! I have more important things to think about than a man’s mere outward appearance or what
he keeps in his pockets? Fashion is fleeting in the grand scheme of things. Cloth doesn’t endure.”
A: It’s not blood, you fool; it’s ink. I was making corrections to my own work, using red ink so it stands out, and I knocked over the
bottle! That’s why I have red ink all over my hands, and my clothes. It’s also all over the desktop, my papers, the study floor,
Black’s books… It went everywhere! And that’s not blood on the letter opener you found either, just more ink.”
Q: “How long have you known Dr Black?” / “How did you meet him?” / “When did you first meet him?”
A: “We met when he started working at the university. That must have been ten years ago, now. I’m the Head of the History
Department, so it was I that interviewed him and gave him the job… More’s the pity. Not that he’s a bad historian, he does – I
mean did – excellent research; it’s just, he tended to write about popular subjects rather than those of purely academic
interest; writing to please the plebeian masses rather than his peers. He made himself some money selling books, though…
We didn’t always agree as to what makes good history. It’s a good job he never managed to rise in the faculty – he might have
ruined the university’s reputation if he’d been made a professor and been given responsibility for choosing our areas of study.
People would have said we’d ‘sold out’!”
A: “Hypothetically? A purely intellectual exercise? Fascinating! I’d choose poison; hemlock, the fated sip of Socrates.
A: “I was too busy, too preoccupied to see anything; I was face down in my marking.
I did hear something, though; someone went into the Entrance hall at around twenty-past eight.”
23

Answering Questions – as Mrs Gwen White
(hopefully), so be prepared to improvise an answer if that happens. If nothing comes to mind, just complain about being overworked.
A: “Where d’you think I was? Where I always am - here, in the Kitchen; where I’d been since seven o’clock this morning, and
where I will still be at twelve o’clock tonight: getting the oven lit, preparing the day’s menu, cooking breakfast, clearing away
the leftovers, washing the dishes, cleaning the kitchen, cooking lunch, clearing away the leftovers, washing the dishes,
cleaning the kitchen, preparing afternoon tea, baking the scones, making the jam, churning the cream, clearing away the
leftovers, washing the dishes, cleaning the kitchen, cooking dinner… I don’t get time to fart, let alone do anything else!”
A: “Oh, he stuck his nose in here, must have been around quarter-to-eight. There’s me up to my eyebrows in pheasant feathers
and up to my elbow in its… nethers, and he sticks his nose in and asks me ‘how dinner’s coming along’. I told him it wasn’t,
nor would it be if he kept interrupting me. I’d just turned round to tell him to get stuffed, maybe demonstrate, and I noticed he
was leaning against the door, looking as white as an inside-out bag of flour. He said he wasn’t feeling so good, and needed to
eat pretty quick. Well, he had diet-beetles, didn’t he? So what could I do? I let him have a plate of leftovers from the pantry –
bit of cold steak from last night’s dinner, with a big dollop of tomato catch up; and a Seizure salad with a big dollop of garlic
mayonnaise. I put it on a tray, and he took it and snuck off to eat it somewhere where his guests wouldn’t see him eating early,
while they had to wait for their food. Not that they’re gonna eat nothing, now… such a waste!”
A: “Well, if it weren’t the diet-beetles that did for him, I’d have to say I’d plump for that plummy professor, the one that always wants
his grapes peeled for him. It’s not my place to speak ill of the toffs, but there’s something off about that one; wandering around
rapped in a purple bedsheet talking foreign half the time. He said it was just the one time, and that he was doing ‘Roman poetry’,
written by ‘Hovis’ or something, but I still don’t think it’s normal: normal people don’t do things like that. What’s more, he and the
doctor didn’t get on; the professor was always using his superior position at the university to boss and bully the doctor. He was
none too pleased about the doctor being upgraded to ‘professor’ himself – that would have made them equals. I wouldn’t put it
past him to have removed a rival, stabbed him in the back; it’s very Roman – it’s what that Bootlace did to Julius Seizure.”
A: “Mr Grey told me at half-past eight, just as I was about to serve up. He told me the doctor’s special slap-up supper was called off,
as a mark of respect. All that work, and it’ll all go to waste! I honestly don’t know why I bother, sometimes. AND I’ve lost my mop!”
A: “He was more worried about eating something before his diet-beetles got the better of him.”
A: I’ve just spent the last three hours plucking, gutting, and cutting up half a dozen pheasants! What do you think?”
A: “I knew him before he was rich and famous, before he changed his name and started writing his books about the olden days…
before he moved into this big house (so much cleaning! I’ll be hiring more staff when its mine, I tell you that much!)
In fact, I’ve known him all his life. Ever since he was a baby. Of course, I wasn’t his housekeeper back them, just his mum.
[pause] OH, MY BABY!” [sobs – don’t answer any questions for a good minute].
A: “When people annoy me, I wring their necks, chop ‘em up, and stick ‘em in a pie. Just like this one. Fancy a slice?” [sarcasm]
Q: “Why was he carrying a syringe in his pocket?”
A: “He had diet-beetles, poor love. He managed to control it by making sure he ate at regular times, to keep up his bloody sugar
wossnames, but he still had to carry that needle and a bottle of insulting around with him in case he ever had a funny turn.”
Q: “What did you see? What did you hear?” / “Where was Dr Black coming from? Where was he going to?”
A: “I was too busy; I didn’t see or hear nothing.”
24

MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 5F
HIDDEN CLUES - GIVEN TO INDIVIDUAL DETECTIVES IN BREAKOUT ROOMS
(copy and paste to Zoom Chat, as private messages to each student)
ROOMS SUSPECT IN ROOM MURDER WEAPONS OTHER CLUES
Conservatory Green Broken water pipe, spanner; Crocuses. Wet floor. Blood on Green’s hands, water pipe, and
garden twine, slug pellets. spanner. Green suspects Peacock. Secret passage. Silk.
Ball Room Peacock Candlestick. Blood on candlestick; Peacock’s hands, and feet. Tissues?
Billiard Room Mustard Revolver, billiard cue, Wearing gloves. Skull and crossed bones bottle. Wearing
poison? gloves. Mustard suspects White. Red stain on hand and cue.
Library Scarlett Bell-pull; scissors. Wearing gloves. Cut bell-pull. Burnt paper. Scarlett suspects
Green. Scissors under newspapers, red stain.
Study Plum Letter opener Red all over Plum’s hands, clothes, desktop, papers, and letter
opener. Plum suspects Mustard. Letters, will. Secret passage.
Kitchen White Rolling pin, various Blood everywhere: on White’s clothes, hands, rolling pin, knives, and
knives. kitchen table. White suspects Plum. Seating plan. Secret passage.
Entrance Hall No-one Missing dagger, sticks. Wellingtons? Umbrella stand contents.
Lounge No-one Steak knife (found) IOUs. Secret passage.
Dining Room No-one Steak knife (missing) Seating arrangement? Serving trolley matches skid-marks.
1. Conservatory: 2nd search, hidden clues: Searching inside a storage cupboard you find a roll of garden twine - thin but strong; and a
packet of poisonous slug pellets. There is a small scrap of black silk lying in a puddle of water over the drain in the Conservatory floor.
2. Ballroom: 2nd search, hidden clues: On closer inspection of the room, you find that the gramophone record is of music by Tchaikovsky,
not Mozart; it is badly scratched. You find woman’s high-heeled shoes, a hat with feathers and a veil, and several damp tissues on the floor
under her chair. The tissues have mascara on them.
3. Billiard Room: 2nd search, hidden clues: On closer inspection of the ‘skull and crossed bones’ decanter, you find that it contains ‘Pirate
Rum’; that skull and crossed bones is just the brand logo, a gimmick for marketing purposes, and NOT poison-related.
4. Library: 2nd search, hidden clues: On closer inspection, you find that the partially burnt pieces of paper were bad reviews of Scarlett’s
terrible acting, cut from the newspapers and thrown onto the fire. There is no trace of Miss Scarlett’s scrapbook or any glue. She was lying.
5. Study: 2nd search, hidden clues: On closer inspection you find, amongst the paperwork on the desk, the Last Will and Testament of Dr
Black. In it he writes, “in the event of my death, I hereby bequeath everything I own – the house and grounds, my fortune, royalties from my
books – to my beloved M… ” …unfortunately, the name is obscured by red stains, and unreadable except for the initial ‘M’. What
name could that ‘M’ begin? Mrs? Miss? Mustard? Mother? You also find letters addressed to Dr Black: one is from the university, offering
him a promotion to professor, as well as Plum’s job as Faculty Head; the other is from someone called ‘Porfirio’, complaining about Black
publicly criticising his life’s work as being ‘boring, irrelevant and useless’; a third is a receipt from an antique restoration company, for a ‘medieval
dagger’ that is being repaired. That fresh print smell is from the books and spilled ink. The wheels of Plum’s wheelchair are 3 feet apart.
6. Kitchen: 2nd search, hidden clues: On closer inspection, you find a piece of paper detailing the seating plan for dinner: Dr Black was to be
sat at the head of the table; with Professor Plum opposite him; Colonel Mustard on his immediate right, with Mrs Peacock next to him; and
the Reverend Green on his immediate left, with Miss Scarlett next to him. You also find a copy of the menu:
Entrée – bird's nest soup served with Melba toast and blue cheese
Fish course – Herrings poached in a rich tomato jus
Main – game pie served with fresh green beans
Dessert – plum pudding served with blackberry sauce
Coffee – black or white
Cheese board – with a selection of homemade mustards
You also find that the pantry in the southwest corner of the kitchen has a false back, which swings open to reveal a hidden passage. You follow it
and find that it leads under the house, through a dusty passage, emerging in the Study from another hidden door disguised as wood panelling.
7. Entrance Hall: 2nd search, hidden clues: On closer inspection, you find seven items in the umbrella stand: an ebony walking stick, a green
umbrella, a blue parasol, a brass-tipped cane, a red parasol, a mahogany cane with an amethyst jewel at its head, and a mop.
8. Lounge: 2nd search, hidden clues: On closer inspection you find, under the tray on the card table, three pieces of paper. Each is marked with
‘IOU’ at the top, with different numbers and initials written beneath: ‘DB, 16, RS’; ‘DB, 5, HP’; and ‘DB, 34, PP’. You realise that the plate and cutlery
includes the steak knife that was missing from the dining room. There is a red stain on it. You also find that the drinks cabinet slides to one side to
reveal a hidden passage. You follow it, and find that it leads under the house, emerging in the Conservatory behind a large potted palm.
25

9. Dining room: 2nd search, hidden clues: On closer inspection of the seating arrangement, you notice that it doesn’t match the seating plan
found in the kitchen. Were the place cards moved around? Why? The serving trolley wheels are 2 feet apart.
26

MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 5G
TELEGRAMS of FORENSIC REPORTS
DRIP-FED TO ALL DETECTIVES THROUGHOUT GAME
(copy and paste to Zoom Chat as messages to all; prompt/scaffold discussion)
 Samples of blood taken from suspects: Green, Mustard = type A; Black, White = type B;
Peacock, Plum = type AB; Scarlet = type O - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from balcony IS blood - stop - type A - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from hand of Green IS blood - stop - type A - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from hand of Peacock IS blood - stop - type AB - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from hand of Scarlett IS blood - stop - type O - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from hand of Mustard hand NOT blood, but PORT - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from hand of Plum NOT blood, but INK - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from hand of White IS blood - stop - type A - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from spanner IS blood - stop - type A - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from lead pipe IS blood - stop - type A - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from candlestick IS blood - stop - type AB - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from billiard cue NOT blood, but PORT - stop.
 Sample of red stain taken from letter opener NOT blood, but INK - stop.
 Sample of red stain taken from carving knife IS blood - stop - type A - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from rolling pin IS blood - stop - type A - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from scissors IS blood - stop - type O - stop
 Sample of red stain taken from steak knife NOT blood, but KETCHUP - stop
 NO large wounds on body- stop - discount stabbing or shooting - stop

[Prompt: He could still have been killed using either a blunt instrument, strangulation, or poisoning.]
 NO bruises on body (despite broken watch) - stop - discount fight or fall- stop
[Prompt: Why were there no bruises from falling onto the stone steps? Was he already dead by then?]
 Body has several small holes on both arms and one (1) behind right ear - stop
[Prompt: The victim could have been injected with poison, or secretly injected himself with drugs.]
 Bottle contains traces of insulin - stop - prescribed for diabetes - stop

[Prompt: Those small holes on his arms and neck may have been from self-injection of the medicine...]
 Body has red marks around throat - stop - strangulation? - stop

[Prompt: what possible murder weapon have you seen that could have been used to strangle him?]
 Red marks around throat of victim are 1 (one) inch wide - stop
[Prompt: The Garden twine is too thin to match the marks; what other potential murder-by-strangulation weapons are this wide?]
 Victim had recently eaten - stop - undigested food in stomach - stop

[Prompt: So, the victim ate before his guests did… and his last meal hadn’t been digested when he died…]…]
 Blood sugar (glucose) of victim very low - stop

[Prompt: So, the victim’s last meal hadn’t had time to enter his bloodstream when he died. A diabetic seizure? Natural causes?]
 Blood of victim contained very high level of insulin - stop - possible overdose - stop
[Prompt: The victim was used to injecting himself with the right dose… Could someone else have injected him?]
 Thumbprint taken from label of bottle matches records of one Verne Odhran - stop - previous for Gross indecency in 1921- stop
27
MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 5H - DENOUEMENT

[SHARING INFORMATION, DISCUSSING OPINIONS, DEDUCTIVE REASONING]
🍏 Returning to plenary in the Stairwell, start an open discussion about the students’ theories.
Encourage them to review their notes, share their thoughts and opinions, and argue their
conclusions. They can summon the Suspects to join them, and ask any final questions, before
making their accusation.
🗪 You now have all the clues you will need to solve the crime. Return to the Stairwell, and talk with your
classmates about your theories. Review your notes, share your thoughts and opinions, and argue your
conclusions. Have you deduced the identity of the murderer (who?), the scene of the crime (where?),
the time of the crime (when?), the M.O. or modus operandi (how?) and the motive (why?) - and do you
have evidence to support your theories.
You can summon all of the Suspects to join you in the stairwell, and ask them one last question, before
making your final accusation.
The murderer was
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
The scene of the crime was
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
The time of the crime was
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
The Modus operandi was
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
The motive was
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
What I think it happened was
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
🖎 ________________________________________________________________
Your Activity Leader will tell you if you solved the crime correctly.
28
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“Whodunnit?

1A. PRE-TEACH AND PREPARATION.

1B. PRE-TEACH AND PREPARATION.

2A. PRE-TEACH AND PREPARATION.

2B. PRE-TEACH AND PREPARATION.

3A. PRE-TEACH AND PREPARATION.

3B. PRE-TEACH AND PREPARATION.

5. CONSOLIDATION - THE MURDER MYSTERY GAME ITSELF

MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 1A

🕮 reading 🖎 writing 👂listening 🗣 speaking 🗪 conversation 👀 notice 🖳 online activity

🖎 WRITING ACTIVITY: Answer the following comprehension questions:-

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The Suspects – Who’s who?

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WHO “Who do you think killed Dr Black?”

WHEN “When did you first meet Dr Black?”

MURDER MYSTERY ACTIVITY 4 - HOMEWORK

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WORD/PHRASE TRANSLATION DEFINITION

WORD/PHRASE TRANSLATION DEFINITION

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WORD/PHRASE TRANSLATION DEFINITION

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WORD/PHRASE TRANSLATION DEFINITION

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WORD/PHRASE TRANSLATION DEFINITION

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Finally, the solution is revealed (page 27).

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SUSPECT STATEMENT POSSIBLE MOTIVE

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 The victim’s pocket watch was broken; it had stopped at 8.13pm.

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Q: “Where did you last see Dr Black?”

Q: “Why is there blood on your hand?”

Q: “How would you kill someone, if you were going to?”

Q: “Why do you think Dr Black was carrying a syringe in his pocket?”

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Q: “Where did you last see Dr Black?”

A: “I had no idea he hadn’t – it was his suggestion, after all. Hypocrite!

Q: “How would you kill someone, if you were going to?”

Q: “Why was Black carrying a syringe in his pocket?”

Q: “What did you see? What did you hear?”

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A: “Dead is he? Oh well, good innings.”

A: “Probably a ‘Pinko’ (looked the sort).”

Q: “Why are you wearing gloves?”

Q: “How would you kill someone, if you were going to?”

A: “Have ‘em shot.”

Q: “Why do you think Dr Black was carrying a syringe in his pocket?”

A: “Narcotics, eh? Probably a ‘Junky’ (looked the sort).”

Q: “What did you see? What did you hear?”

🕮 reading 🖎 writing 👂listening 🗣 speaking 🗪 conversation 👀 notice 🖳 online activity

Q: “Where did you last see Dr Black?”

Q: “Why are you wearing gloves?”