Whodunnit? Week 1

I started a new unit entitled Whodunnit? which mixes activities centered around forensic science and the study of the Mystery genre. In searching the web for classroom ideas I found Whodunnit and decided to pattern a class after this site. I created the crime scene below for the students to study and process (my apologies to Yankees fans, but it is a crime in Massachusetts to be a Yankee fan). Pictured is some graffiti, a spray paint can, a hat, a pair of gloves, a newspaper clipping of the Red Sox which has been defaced, a sweat shirt, soda cans, candy wrappers and a set of keys. I asked the students what they thought had happened and who might be responsible. They had some great ideas. The hat, gloves and sweatshirt were worn because the perpetrator rode a motorcycle. He/she is a Yankee fan and hates the Red Sox. The perpetrator has been to Hawaii because the key chain is from there. He/she liked to eat candy and drink soda. All great observations.

Then we proceeded to process the crime scene. First we took photographs. Then I gave the students a sheet of paper with a grid (very conveniently, the floor is tiled and I taped off the exact number of corresponding squares) for them to draw out the crime scene. Then I had the students take turns coming into the crime scene with me to measure the distances between the items. Lastly, the students made labels (date, item, and detective's name) and we bagged up the evidence.

With the crime scene sheets we can work on some math concepts. The grid can be numbered and we will be able to talk about coordinate planes (i.e. at what coordinate pair is the spray can?) as well as use the measurements to create math problems (which two items are the furthest away or closest? What two items are 17 inches apart?).