Statement on file
Jasmine
Read statement
I arrived at 7:40 and went straight to the cafeteria. Yesterday Liam said he had a hilarious idea for the assembly, but he would not tell me what it was.
6th Grade English Language Arts · Ms. Lisch
The Mystery of the
Missing Trojan Head
The school’s enormous, 50-year-old Trojan mascot head has vanished. Five suspects. Eleven evidence files. One conclusion you can defend.
Begin detective trainingYour learning mission
Missouri Learning Standard · 6.RL.1.A
Use textual evidence to analyze explicit meaning, make inferences, and draw conclusions. (Student-friendly paraphrase.) Read the official Missouri standard.
Students will be able to draw a logical inference about the missing mascot and support it with at least three relevant pieces of textual evidence.
Students will be able to explain how each piece of evidence supports a conclusion and why one misleading clue does not establish responsibility.
Before you investigate
Detective training
Observation: what you can directly see, hear, or read. Inference: a reasonable conclusion using evidence and what you already know.
A wet umbrella is beside the door.
Observation: “The umbrella is wet.”
Inference: “It may have rained.”
It might also have been splashed. An inference is not a certainty.
Observation: “The umbrella is wet.”
Inference: “It may have rained.”
It might also have been splashed. An inference is not a certainty.
A student enters five minutes late, breathing heavily and carrying a backpack in one hand.
Task 1 · Read the case file
The Trojan is missing.
Yesterday at 3:15 p.m., the school’s Trojan costume was stored near the gym for a 9:30 assembly this morning. The costume is more than 50 years old, with a separate body and an enormous helmeted head. At 8:10 a.m., Ms. Lisch discovered that both pieces were missing.
The head is the most recognizable part of the missing Trojan. Find out who most likely took the costume, why, and where it may be hidden before the assembly begins.
Your job: determine who most likely took it, why, where it may be, and which evidence supports those conclusions. Treat witness statements as claims to check.
Task 2 · Compare the statements
Meet the suspects
Open every statement. Notice what each person claims about their location and timing.
Statement on file
Benny
Read statement
I was near the gym at about 7:55 to get my water bottle. I did not touch the Trojan. A teacher confirms Benny asked permission to retrieve the bottle.
Statement on file
Evelyn
Read statement
I checked the costume yesterday afternoon; it was there. This morning I was making assembly signs in the library. The librarian saw Evelyn arrive at about 7:45, but did not watch her the entire time.
Statement on file
Danny
Read statement
I joked about wearing the Trojan head to math class, but I did not take it. My bus arrived at 8:07. Three students confirm this.
Statement on file
Liam
Read statement
I arrived around 8:05, went to my locker, then to class. I would not want to wear that ancient head anyway. The inside smells weird. Liam says nobody saw him arrive.
Task 3 · Access the linked resource
Open the evidence archive
Read all eleven exhibits in the separate case resource. You may return to it as often as you need.
Open Evidence File 402Task 4 · Build your case
From evidence to inference
Choose three exhibits. Record what each actually says, then explain what you infer. Include at least one clue that could mislead you.
Task 5 · Make and defend a claim
Your final detective report
Write a paragraph in your own words. Name the person you think took the Trojan, explain a likely motive and hiding place, and cite at least three exhibits. Explain how each supports your conclusions and address one red herring. Clearly label motive and location as inferences.
Need a sentence starter?
I believe ___ moved the Trojan. In Exhibit #___, ___. This suggests ___ because ___. Exhibit #___ adds ___. Although ___ seems suspicious, ___.
Before you finish: a clear claim, three cited exhibits, reasoning for each, and an explained red herring.
Your entries stay on this open page only. Copy your report into Canvas, or print/save it before closing or refreshing. This site does not send work to Ms. Lisch.
Case closed: the strongest case points to Liam.
The clues suggest Liam took the Trojan to record a funny video, likely for the assembly. He may have hidden the costume in the old equipment room after hearing someone nearby, deleted the video, and claimed a later arrival time. Nobody directly observed that whole sequence: the motive and hiding place remain supported inferences.
Exhibits 1 + 2: someone used a familiar cartoon voice near the gym at 7:50, before Liam’s claimed 8:05 arrival. That suggests an earlier arrival, but a voice alone cannot identify someone. Exhibits 5 + 6: a deleted video thumbnail includes the Trojan head and bright green sneakers; Liam is the only listed suspect wearing those shoes. Together, the voice and footwear strengthen the inference.
Exhibit 3: Liam volunteered knowledge of the smell inside the head. That suggests he has examined or worn it, though it does not tell us when. Exhibits 7 + 8: the custodian heard a heavy object near the equipment room, and Liam independently suggested that room. This supports a possible hiding place, but the room is known to other students, too.
Red herrings: Benny’s fabric has an explanation from yesterday’s equipment cart. Evelyn returned the key, and her video note refers to an older recording. Danny’s sketch predates the disappearance, and his bus arrived after the sounds. None of these details alone proves innocence or responsibility.
A strong conclusion: Liam is the best-supported suspect when the clues are combined. A video for the assembly is a plausible motive, and the old equipment room is the best-supported place to check. The file does not confirm a recovery or confession. Accept a different conclusion if it is supported thoughtfully by the evidence.