Murders in the classroom (doom doom!)
It’s September, which means most of you have just finished well-earned holidays and got back to school. Yay, I guess? Well, ever since I escaped the gilded cage of public educational system my favourite back-to-school activity is drinking morning coffee on the balcony watching pupils all in white and navy, trotting hopelessly to celebrate the first day of school.
Yes, I’m evil, I know.
Oh, you already hate me? Good, good, let the hate flow through you… Because sometimes even hate can bring you fun in the classroom. Or murders, in this case. Seriously, I think everyone, teachers and students alike, feels more or less murderous in September, especially on Mondays. So what can we do? Absolutely: bring proper crime to the classroom, have fun and relieve the negative feelings!
If I were to list my favourite authors, Agatha Christie would be in top ten – I love murder mysteries and I find them a really nice activity in the EFL classes as students actively use a lot of vocabulary items and grammar constructions – be they on pre-intermediate level or ready for their CAE exam. So today I want to share some of the mystery-solving activities I’ve been working with for a surprisingly long time, and they’re still loved by my students.
Murder in the Classroom by Graine Lavin
Level: pre-intermediate+
Min. number of students: 7
I absolutely love this game because the victim is a cranky English teacher – purrfect! It’s a school reunion party and the person who dies seems to be an old spinster… but the truth is far more complex: love, hate and guilt end up with a crime – and everyone is a suspect!
Mystery at Mr. Grim’s Mansion by Graine Lavin
Level: intermediate and above
Min. number of students: 3
When an old rich man invites a lot of people to the party and suddenly dies, there are more secrets to be revealed than one can truly wish for. During investigation one question arises: had anyone ever liked Mr. Grim?
Boardgames:
I already wrote a note about Mystery of the Abbey which is one of my favourite games ever, as you can play it with students on all levels.
The other game my friend recommended and I played with my students more than once is Deception: Murder in Hong-Kong. In the game, players take on the roles of Investigators attempting to solve a murder case – but there’s a twist. The killer is one of the investigators (which makes everything even funnier). Each player’s role and team are randomly assigned at the start of play and include the unique roles of Forensic Scientist, Witness, Investigator, Murderer, and, optionally, Accomplice. While the Investigators attempt to deduce the truth, the Murderer’s team must deceive and mislead in a classic battle of wits. The Forensic Scientist has the solution but can express the clues only using special scene tiles while the investigators (and the murderer) attempt to interpret the evidence. I have changed the rules slightly and as I usually am the Forensic Scientist (who’s a Game Master, to put it simply) I am completely silent, just hovering my finger above the scene tiles, making students talk and guess. I find this board game great for all students from A2 to C2: it’s fun, very communicative and witty.
A great collection of murder mystery worksheets can be found on iSLCollective – be they dialogues, activities focusing on describing pictures and locations or using Past Simple and Past Continuous in the game of Alibi. There is even a lovely worksheet for one of the most terrifying murder films ever!
I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun – you and your students alike. You don’t really have to bring props (although it greatly adds to the effect), but I’m sure once you start incorporating a little bit of crime in your classes, you’ll appreciate its communicative merit.
Enjoy,
your Evil Mistress of the World (in the Making).
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