CracktheCodes

A murder mystery activity.

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A B C D E F G
1GLASSESMOUSTACHE SKIRT RADIO VERY WHEN JUICE
2 HAIR THE SHORT FAT MATHS IS FUN
3 DRILL EXERCISE PAPER RANDOM MURDERER RIGHT LEFT
4 VICTIM MURDERER KNIFE PYRAMID LLAMA PHONE UP
5 ONE TAXI STATION VEGETABLE JOURNEY SPOON CLUE
6 URGENT VICTIM OF LONG THEIR TOO SUDDENLY
7 BANANA TIME TOKEN PEOPLE BOLD IF EAR
8 RINGS FRESH DUCK AT IMPORTANT PARK GUN
9TOWARDS WHEN DOWN PENALTY NEVER THE DOCTOR
1
0 AS HOTEL EACH URBAN EXTRA CAMP PLACES

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5 E J O T Z
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T E L
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1 Victoria Green F Short Dark YES YES
2 Lauren Shine F Short Light YES YES
3 Ryan Smith M Tall Light YES NO
4 Ian Leach M Short Dark NO NO
5 Natasha Anderson F Tall Dark NO YES
6 Naomi Fisher F Tall Light YES NO
7 Jerry Sohota M Tall Dark YES YES
8 Thomas Shaw M Short Light YES YES
9 Sofia Hurst F Short Dark NO NO
10 Claire Brown F Short Light NO NO
1 James
1 Taylor M Tall Light YES YES
12 James Lester M Tall Light NO YES
13 Nicole Gatty F Tall Dark NO NO
14 April Plumb F Short Light NO YES
15 Courtney Davis M Tall Dark NO NO
16 Sandy Cifelli F Tall Light YES YES
17 Matthew O'Brien M Tall Dark NO YES
18 Abigail Ferdinand F Tall Dark YES NO
19 Jamie Rudwick M Short Dark YES NO
20 Hannah Cantwell F Short Dark NO YES
21 Stephen Chinery M Tall Dark YES NO
22 Ian Quirk M Short Light YES NO
23 Daniel Mazaheri M Short Light NO NO
24 Laura Rohen F Tall Dark YES YES
25 Oliver Reeves M Short Dark NO YES
26 Louise Quirk F Short Dark YES NO
27 Jamie Sparkes M Short Dark YES YES
28 Joshua Mills M Tall Light NO NO
29 Nicola Buxey F Tall Light NO YES
30 Ritchie Sayer M Short Light NO YES
31 Kate Darby F Short Light YES NO
32 Lorna Brown F Tall Light NO NO
CracktheCodes Name:_
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Last night at the hotel, a crime was commited. As a new recruit to the
detective agency, it is up to you to solve the crime.
The names and details of all 32 suspects have been collected. The
murderer is one of them.
There were five witnesses to the crime and each has left you one clue
to the identity of the murderer.
Each clue was left in a different code and can be solved in any order.
Once you have solved each clue you can eliminate some of the suspects.

Clue1

Clue2
MNOP
ABCD
Clue3

Clue4

Clue5

The person who commited the crime is _

___
___
___
___
__
Crack the Codes
Teacher Information

Crack the Codes is fun and engaging activity where students are
tasked with solving a mystery regarding a murder that occurred at
a hotel.

This can be implemented in anyway you like. I divided the

students into small groups (3-4 students) with one suspect list
between them and gave each student their own worksheet. I had
two sets of clue cards placed on tables around the class for the
groups to go to. I had my students come to me after solving each
clue to make sure it was correct.

I like to give an initial briefing as though the students are new

recruits to a special program and this case is a test to see if they
will make the cut. Getting the kids to call you Inspector or Chief or
Sargent is also a fun idea.

Print List
• Double sided worksheet for each student
• Suspect List for each group
• 2 or 3 sets of clue cards
• Answers and Hints for the teacher

This activity has been adapted from Stephen Froggatt’s

TESConnect Resource “Murder Mystery Game Problem solving”
with his permission. Click HERE for the original resource.

Hope you and your students enjoy it!

Mr Dignan’ s Desk
Crack the Codes
ANSWERS
Clue 1:
A5 = ONE These words are jumbled up but can be
B10 = HOTEL read in the correct order by looking at their
position in the grid.
C6 = OF
E3 = MURDERER
F9 = THE
G7 = EAR
A8 = RINGS
B2 = THE
D8 = AT
E6 = THEIR
G3 = LEFT

ANSWER: THE MURDERER LEFT ONE OF THEIR EAR RINGS

AT THE HOTEL.

Clue 2:
The worksheet has a clue to decode the message.
M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

HINT: M’s are really A’s, N’s are really B’s… etc.

ANSWER: STRANDS OF DARK HAIR WERE FOUND ON THE

VICTIMS CLOTHING.

Clue 3:
HINT: Decode using the x axis then y axis.

ANSWER: I SAW MY REFLECTION IN THE MURDERERS

GLASSES.
Clue 4:
This is found to be the hardest one by most students.

HINT: Backwards but not in reverse.

HINT 2: Bottom left, right and up

ANSWER: I SAW A VERY TALL PERSON RUNNING AWAY

FROM THE HOTEL.

Clue 5:
Using the hint on the clue students should be able to decipher.

ANSWER: THE MURDERERS BEARD COVERED MOST OF

HIS FACE.

The murderer is….. Jerry Sohota!!!