"Woe be to you and your progeny."
The Goal: Students must solve three puzzles to find the location of Wednesday's missing friend, Thing.
The Story for Students: "Wednesday's friend, Thing, is missing! Someone has hidden him. Wednesday is very angry. She found a strange note, but it is in code. You must work in teams to solve the clues and find Thing before Wednesday causes a disaster."
Before the class, you will need to prepare and hide the clues.
Materials Needed:
Hiding the Clues:
The Task: Students must write the opposite of each word provided. The first letter of each correct opposite spells the location of the next clue.
The Kidnapper's Note: Find the opposite of each word. The first letter of each answer spells the next location.
The opposite of UP is... _____
The opposite of IN is... _____
The opposite of IN is... _____
The opposite of WRONG is... _____
The secret location is the... ____ ____ ____ ____
Solution: The secret location is the DOOR.
Next Step: Once a group solves this, they go to the classroom DOOR to find the handout for Puzzle 2.
The Task: Students get a map showing the locations of five hidden letters. They must visit each spot, find the letter, and write it down. Finally, they unscramble the letters to spell the location of the next clue.
Go to these places, find the hidden letter at each one, and write it down: The Curtains, The Teacher's Desk, The Smartboard, The Noticeboard, The Whiteboard.
Now, unscramble the letters to spell where the next clue is hidden. It is under the teacher's...
Solution: The collected letters—C, H, A, I, R—unscramble to spell CHAIR.
Next Step: Students go to the TEACHER'S CHAIR. Underneath it, they will find the envelope for Puzzle 3. (Alternatively, use the "Clue Master" method: when a team correctly solves Puzzle 2 and figures out the location is the CHAIR, one member of the team must come to you and tell you the secret location. If they are correct, you hand them their envelope for Puzzle 3.)
The Task: Students arrange the jumbled words to form a correct sentence revealing Thing's final location.
The Words: am I inside the teacher's bag black.
Solution: The correct sentence is "I am inside the teacher's black bag."
Next Step: This sentence tells the students the final location.
Once a group correctly forms the sentence, they can go to the location: the teacher's black bag.
Inside, they will find the prize: a picture of Thing holding a sign that says, "You found me!" along with a Halloween candy for each team member. This concludes the activity.
The Goal: Students will solve three structured puzzles to uncover a secret Wednesday has hidden.
The Story for Students: "Wednesday has decided to test your intellect. She has created a three-part challenge. Each puzzle you solve will lead you closer to uncovering a secret she has hidden somewhere in this room. She does not believe you will succeed, but she is willing to be proven wrong."
Materials Needed:
Hiding the Clues:
The Task: Students analyze a picture of a messy desk and evaluate deductions using modal verbs. The letters from the logical deductions spell the next location.
Instructions: Read each deduction below. Decide if it is Logical ($\checkmark$) or Illogical ($\times$) based on the picture. Collect the clue letters from all the Logical deductions.
The following table (for student use):
Clue Letter, Deduction Statement, Logical ($\checkmark$) or Illogical ($\times$)?
(S), She can't have been feeling stressed.,
(N), The note can't have been finished.,
(O), She might have owned a raven.,
(A), She must have been a very tidy person.,
(T), The book's topic must have been interesting to her.,
(P), She might have been studying for a science exam.,
(I), The inkwell can't have been full.,
(C), She might have been interrupted suddenly.,
(R), She must have been working late at night.,
(E), She must have enjoyed writing with a feather pen.,
The letters from the logical deductions spell the location: __ __ __ __ __ __
Solution: The logical deductions are N, O, T, I, C, E. The location is the NOTICEBOARD.
Next Step: Students go to the NOTICEBOARD to find Puzzle 2.
The Task: On the noticeboard, students find a message written in a secret script. They must use the key to substitute the symbols for the correct vowels and reveal the location of the next clue.
The Key: $\text{🦇} = A, \text{👁️} = E, \text{🕷️} = I, \text{💀} = O, \text{👻} = U$
The Coded Message: "G $\text{💀}\text{💀}$ D W $\text{💀}$ RK. TH $\text{👁️}$ N $\text{👁️}$ XT CL $\text{👻}\text{👁️}$ $\text{🕷️}$S H $\text{🕷️}$DD $\text{👁️}$ N $\text{🕷️}$NS $\text{🕷️}$D $\text{👁️}$ TH $\text{👁️}$ L$\text{🦇}$RG $\text{👁️}$ W $\text{💀}\text{💀}$ D $\text{👁️}$ N D $\text{👁️}$ SK $\text{🦇}$T TH $\text{👁️}$ FR $\text{💀}$ NT $\text{💀}$ F TH $\text{👁️}$ R $\text{💀}\text{💀}$ M."
Solution: The message decodes to "GOOD WORK. THE NEXT CLUE IS HIDDEN INSIDE THE LARGE WOODEN DESK AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM." This refers to the teacher's desk.
Next Step: Students go to the teacher's desk to get the envelope for Puzzle 3.
The Task: Inside the desk, students find a logic puzzle. They must read the clues to eliminate the "impostors" and identify the true hiding place of the key.
Quote: "I have hidden a key. Four of my 'favorite' classroom objects are suspects. Only one is the true hiding place. Read the clues and use your logic to eliminate the impostors. Cross out the ones it cannot be."
The Suspects: The Clock, The Smartboard, The Curtains, The Noticeboard.
The Clues:
Solution: Clue 1 eliminates the Curtains and the Noticeboard. Clue 2 eliminates the traditional Clock. The only remaining location is the SMARTBOARD.
Next Step: This tells students the final physical location to search.
Action: Students go to the smartboard. Taped behind it, they find a small paper key with a note attached.
The Note on the Key: "Impressive. The key is for my private lockbox. You have earned the right to know my secret. The prize for your efforts is in the teacher's bag."
The Prize: Students go to the teacher's bag. Inside, they find a final "Secret Note" from Wednesday for the group, along with their candy.
The Secret Note says: "My Secret Plan for the Weekend: 1. Practice cello until midnight. 2. Repot my carnivorous plants. 3. Avoid all human contact. You may have your reward."