Clue / Cluedo Murder Mystery (logical elimination puzzle for computational thinking)

This link is to a short 2 minute video I have made to accompany this resource that (if you have access to YouTube!) can be used to help introduce the activity to students.

https://youtu.be/avYjcGM8X1U

NOTE: You do not need access to YouTube / internet to introduce / deliver / complete the activity.

I then hand out the main worksheet with the clues on it and read aloud the following passage:

**Mr Black has been found dead at Tudor Manor. **

You are the lead investigating detective. You have all six suspects brought to the main hall of the mansion, seated next to each other around a circular table.
Every one of them has a motive to murder Mr Black, but only one committed the crime.

Can you solve the case and bring the killer to justice?

• Who killed Mr Black?
• What weapon was used?
• Where was the weapon hidden?

This activity is a logical elimination puzzle of my own design (similar to, but more complex than ‘Einstein’s five houses’ logic problem for anyone who is familiar with it)

Students must read the scenario and extract only the relevant information available from the text; create an appropriate data structure to record these facts; and use a lengthy logical process of elimination to solve the problem.

I have been using it with KS4/5 Computer Science classes to demonstrate computational thinking (abstraction and decomposition), though I have also tried it with a higher ability Y9 class where I had them working in pairs, with me giving the occasional clue to those who were making .

In my experience, more able students who like puzzles can usually complete it within 60-90 minutes with no assistance (some have taken the sheet home to keep working on it). My top student in Y13 complete it alone, 40 minutes into the session. Typically I provide students with support in class as I judge fit, including: mention that it is based on Einsteins 5 houses riddle (encourages them to record facts in tables); work with a partner; provide a printed assistance grid for writing down their facts (there are 3 grids included here that offer different levels of support).