Murder Mystery: Who Did It?

In this B2 ESL lesson, students work together to solve a murder mystery. They read about a suspicious death, analyze clues one by one, and update their theories as the story unfolds. The lesson builds critical thinking, discussion, and vocabulary related to crime and investigation. It ends with a final reveal and reflection questions to deepen engagement.

Lead-in, Vocabulary

This upper-intermediate lesson on murder mysteries begins with six general lead-in questions to set the tone and get students talking. On the next slide, you’ll find a vocabulary section with eight key words: alibi, motive, suspect, detective, evidence, clue, red herring, and interrogate. Your students may already know some of them, so focus on the unfamiliar ones. Give clear examples or ask students to make their own sentences to check understanding. Use as many words as you need, depending on your class time.

Case intro, Suspects, Timeline

Then the murder mystery begins with the case of Amanda Black, a famous author found dead in her study. After the case intro, students are told they’ll receive one clue at a time. After each clue, they must discuss with their group how it affects their theory. Next, they’re introduced to five suspects. Students read about each one, take notes on anything suspicious, and then examine a timeline of events to spot anything strange and discuss it together.

Clues 1-8, Who did it?

Next, start presenting the clues one at a time. Don’t rush — give students time to discuss and challenge each other’s theories. Encourage them to ask questions and look closely at both the images and words in each clue. Remind them that some clues are misleading. After all clues are revealed, go to the page with the five suspects. Students must decide who the killer is and explain their reasoning.

The truth, Questions

On the next slide, reveal the truth — the killer is Rachel. Ask your students to read about her motive and discuss what led her to murder Amanda. Talk about what went wrong for Rachel and what clues gave her away. Then move on to the final discussion page. There are five follow-up questions; feel free to use as many as your class time allows.

Quote, Homework

At the end of the lesson, there’s a quote by Agatha Christie. Encourage your students to share what they think it means, whether they find it personal, and how it connects to the story. The final task is homework: students choose one of three mystery topics and write a short story. Their story should include suspects, a timeline, and several clues. They’ll present it to the class in the next lesson.