here's an idea for a summer camp if you're stuck. you could easily change it a bit for middle school level.
*EDIT - Summer 2011 - I've updated the activity to make it a bit more controlled and to take a little longer. I've attached the updated worksheets as 'MurderHunt.pdf' *
my summer camp theme was 'mystery' and this was the final activity.
there were 70 kids in the camp, split into 5 groups of 14. we had 1 teacher assigned to each group, so we managed to keep it under control. we had planned the activity to last 2 hours, but they got so competitive it only took like 50 minutes! from the feedback at the end of the camp this was by far the most popular activity.
1. kids sit in their groups. hand out the Worksheet(_) and explain the task. They are going to solve a murder. There are 5 crime scenes preserved (home room classrooms) that they need to visit and collect evidence. each piece of evidence needs to be brought back to the 'base' (seminar room, where we were having the camp) so their teacher will give them the next clue. the first group to collect all the pieces of evidence will get a prize, and the first group to solve the crime will get a bonus.
2. tell the kids to look under their seats. under 1 seat in each group is an anagram(1) in an envelope. the group needs to solve this anagram which will tell them to go to one of the teachers. once solved, they go to the teacher and get their first stamp on the worksheet.
3. the teacher will then give them a cut up photo(2) which they need to assemble. the photos are of specific locations in their home rooms that they should be able to recognize. they run to the home room and look around the place in the photo. sellotaped nearby will be the 'motive_notes'(3).
4. the motive notes tell them that someone was paid 1000won to kill a teacher. they bring this back to base and get a stamp, and if they haven't figured it out already are told that they need to find 10 100won coins that will be hidden in the home room. it's important here that each group only goes to their assigned room, or else they will steal other groups' evidence or simply sabotage the crime scene by throwing evidence out the window (happened in one of our groups).
5. when they have found the 10 100won coins (which were marked so they can't cheat and just add their own) they come back to base and are given the chopsticks clues(4). The clue tells them to go to a place they all recognize (cleaning room, water dispenser, english room sofas etc.) where there will be hidden a plastic bag full of chopsticks. the chopsticks each have a letter on them, which they must organize to spell out 'chopsticks'. once they show this to the teacher they get their next stamp.
6. Then they are given the fingerprints sheet (5) and map of the english room (7). We prepared the fingerprints sheet to have prints of each teacher on each sheet. they have to go to the english room and search for 5 fingerprints, which are on sheets of paper hidden and numbered around the classroom. they must mark down the locations on the map, and below the map they also have to write whose fingerprints they are, by comparing them with the fingerprints sheet. one teacher needs to stay at the english room for this and only allow one group in at a time. none of the fingerprints in the room can be moved or tampered with. when they complete this they can run back to base.
7. finally, once the groups are all back and sitting down in the base room, congratulate the team who was first, and then explain that there will be a bonus for the first team to finish the worksheet correctly. hadn out the final clue (6) which tells them where the murder happened in the english room. they need to figure out the person's fingerprint that was at this location to answer who the killer was.
so then they've found out:
where did the murder happen? english room - at his desk
what was the murder weapon? chopsticks
what was the motive? 1000 won payment
who was the killed? steve
we were a bit rushed putting this together and the next time i'd extend it to have more complex puzzles and less running madly around the school. it was good fun though and the students loved it. i'd recommend it - it's worth the hassle.
