The Tasks in Each Section Are As Follows

The tasks in each section are as follows:

Location. The pupils have been set questions about the fiction section of the library and have a grid overlying the floor plan of the house. The questions have multiple choice answers and beside each is a direction e.g. four boxes down and one box right. If they follow the directions beside each correct answer, they can start tracing a path towards where the murder took place. They then have to find titles of books on the shelves written by four named authors. One isn’t a genuine and they have to follow the directions beside his name. If they answer all questions correctly they will be able to trace a path to the room where the murder took place.

Time. The time of the murder takes the pupils to the decoder chart which lists classification numbers of main subjects on the information shelves and asks them to find code numbers of subjects to do with crime. When they enter the numbers they find in the grid in their notes and add up the numbers in the two highlighted columns, it will give them the time in the 24 hour clock when the murder took place.

Weapon. Pupils now move to the reference section where they answer questions related to crime. They have to note down which reference book they found the answer in. When all the answers are written into the grid in their notes, a hidden word appears which reveals the murder weapon.

Clues. This section ties in with the work they have done using the decoder chart which showed them how to find a code number of a subject. This gives them four code numbers and asks them to find any book starting with these numbers. They then write down the full code number, the author’s name the title and most importantly, what the book is about as this relates to the code number. When they have completed all four, I will show them clue cards with four clues found at the crime scene.

Motive. To complete this section, the pupils use an index of a book about forensic crime which has been scanned into the website. They are asked on which page number of the book they would find information on specific topics. On their notes, they have a grid with a number and a letter in each box. If they answer each question correctly, and use the letter in the same box as the number they used for the answer, they will be able to spell out the motive for the crime.

Main suspects. Six authors are listed with descriptions of them and what they were wearing on the night of the murder. The authors are depicted with photographs of members of staff. By using the evidence they have gathered already, the pupils should be able to eliminate most of these people from their enquiries.

Suspects’ alibis. The final section takes the pupils onto the West Lothian library on line catalogue via a short tutorial on how to use it. All of the suspects claim to be famous authors. This ‘alibi’ can be checked by finding any book written by them. One of the suspects isn’t an author which is the final piece of evidence proving who committed the crime.