Great Chocolate Caper

<p>Reginald Van Feisty, owner of the world-famous chocolate factory, Dutch Delight Chocolates, is excited about his brand-new recipe for chocolate. But, before he can manufacture even the first chocolate bar, the recipe is stolen! Have your students discover who stole Van Feisty's famous chocolate recipe and they'll not only be great detectives, they'll be masters of logical thinking. There are nine suspects, but which one is guilty? This mystery becomes a vehicle for teaching logical thinking. In solving the mystery, students will: differentiate between valid conclusions and invalid assumptions, use syllogisms to reach valid assumptions, recognize false premises, solve deductive matrix puzzles, and decode a secret message.<br><br>Grades 5-8</p> INTRODUCTION LESSON PLANS 1 The Chocolate Recipe (optional 2 Evidence at the Crime Scene 3 Motives 4 Fingerprints 5 Making Generalizations 6 The Alibis 7 Corroborating an Alibi 8 A Secret Message 9 Who Done It Epilogue STUDENT PAGES FOR LESSONS 1.1 Does Chocolate Really Grow on Trees 2.1 Secret Recipe Stolen 2.2 Evidence Found at the Scene of the Crime 2.3 Two Kinds of Assumptions 2.4 More Valid Assumptions 3.1 Possible Suspects List 4.1 Fingerprint Analysis 4.2 Make Your Own Prints 5.1 Dangerous Generalizations 5.2 Enough Evidence 6.1 Alibis 6.2 Are There Any Holes 6.3 False Premises 7.1 At the Diner 7.2 Second Alibi 7.3 Witnesses 8.1 Facts About the Message 8.2 The Message 8.3 A Key to Decoding 9.1 Notes From Detective Abel PRACTICE PUZZLES 1 Suspects Questioned 2 Who Questioned Whom 3 Suspects’ Appearances 4 Birth Months 5 Police Talk 6 Where They’re From 7 Salty and His Reunion 8 Pizza But No Chocolate 9 Police Report—Middle Names 10 Years in the City 11 Traffic Violations 12 Identifying Marks 13 What They Were Wearing 14 Hobbies and Awards 15 Distance to the Police Station 16 Home Sweet Home 17 House Exteriors 18 Shoestring Mall 19 Food Court 20 Factory Row 21 Second Floor at the Chocolate Factory APPENDIX Certificate of Merit Answers ABOUT THE AUTHOR COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS ALIGNMENT