Welcome, Detective!
A great detective reads carefully, takes notes, and never guesses. Every clue in this case matters. Some clues will help you rule out suspects. One clue at a time, you'll find the thief.
How to crack the case
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The Crime
Read the story carefully. Details matter!
Friday afternoon at Maple Hill Elementary
Leo Park is 10 years old, and he loves to make video games. For five whole months, he worked on a game called Robo Rescue. In his game, a little robot saves lost puppies in outer space.
On Saturday, Leo was going to show Robo Rescue at the big Maple Hill Game Fair. The best game would win a brand-new tablet!
On Friday after school, Leo went to Coding Club in the computer lab. At 3:50, he saved his game on a bright orange flash drive. He zipped it into the front pocket of his backpack. Then he hung his backpack on a hook by the door.
At 4:00, the whole club walked to the cafeteria for snack time. Nobody locked the computer lab door.
At 4:15, the club came back. Leo went to get his backpack. The front pocket was unzipped. His orange flash drive was gone!
Inside the pocket, Leo found a note:
Nice game, Leo.
Now it's MINE!
Leo's teacher, Ms. Carter, called the school's detective club for help. That's you!
Important times
The thief had a 15-minute window, from 4:00 to 4:15. Remember this!
Detective notes
Every detective starts by writing down the facts. Choose the right answer for each blank.
Check your reading
The Suspects
Five people knew about Leo's game. Who had a reason to take it?
A motive is a reason for doing something. Detectives look for people who had a motive to commit the crime. Read about each suspect.
Game: Motive or no motive?
Decide if each suspect had a reason to steal Leo's game.
Check your reading
The Alibis
Where was everyone from 4:00 to 4:15?
An alibi is proof that you were somewhere else when a crime happened. But anyone can say where they were. A good detective checks with other people to see if the alibi is true.
Game: Does the alibi hold up?
If someone proved the suspect was far away the whole time from 4:00 to 4:15, the alibi holds up. If not, it doesn't.
Think like a detective
The Evidence Lab
Three suspects are left: Max, Mr. Harper, and Jordan. Test four clues.
Clue 1: The footprint
An art project with wet blue glitter paint was drying on the floor by the backpack hooks. Someone stepped in it and left a footprint! The print came from a kid's size 4 sneaker.
Size 4 sneaker print in blue glitter paint.
Here are the suspects' shoes. Tap every shoe that matches the print, then press Check.
Detective lesson: fingerprints
Everyone's fingerprints are different, even twins! But most fingerprints fit into one of three families. Look for the pattern in the middle.
Clue 2: The fingerprint
The detective team dusted the zipper on Leo's backpack pocket. They found Leo's fingerprints, of course. But they also found one print that wasn't Leo's!
Which family does this print belong to?
Suspects' prints. Tap the one that matches.
Clue 3: The note
Look at the thief's note again. It was written on paper with purple lines. One edge is ripped and bumpy, like it was torn out of a spiral notebook.
Nice game, Leo.
Now it's MINE!
The detectives checked the notebooks in the backpacks of the last two suspects. Which notebook could the note have come from?
Clue 4: The computer log
The computer lab keeps a list of everything that happens on each computer. Look what the list says happened on Friday:
4:09 PM COMPUTER #7 Game copied to desktop
4:11 PM COMPUTER #7 USB drive removed
So the thief used computer #7! Which Coding Club kid uses computer #7? Solve the logic puzzle.
Clues
| Kid | Computer |
|---|
Solve the Case
Look at your suspect board. Who took Leo's game?
Suspect board
Suspects get crossed off as you finish each part of the case.
Make your accusation
Think it through! If you choose the wrong person, the case file locks for 5 minutes.