Summer SAVY, Session 1 Day 4, Crime Lab Chemistry (3rd-4th)
Final Revelations: Day 4 of “Felix: The Case of the Missing Millionaire”
With sharpened investigative skills from solving Who Borrowed Mr. Bear?, our young detectives stepped into Day 4, determined to piece together the final clues in Felix’s disappearance. Tensions ran high as evidence was reviewed, theories challenged, and new twists unfolded.
Students revisited key moments from earlier interrogations, cross-referencing alibi inconsistencies and unexpected connections between suspects. The footprint analysis from Mr. Bear’s case proved invaluable once again—patterns in Felix’s last known movements hinted at an important revelation. Were they chasing the wrong suspect, or had they uncovered a hidden accomplice?
As detectives moved further along Paul’s Reasoning Wheel, they transitioned from inference to evaluative thinking, testing their strongest hypotheses against the collected evidence. The chromatography tests on a suspicious substance from the crime scene, as well as a mysterious note, led to an unexpected breakthrough, while a reexamination of fiber samples from the suspect’s clothing revealed a crucial detail that had been overlooked.
Then came the final confrontation—detectives constructed a timeline, matching Felix’s disappearance with an individual who had been lurking just beyond suspicion. All the pieces finally clicked into place. With logical reasoning and collaborative effort, the truth emerged. Felix’s case had its resolution, but the journey to get there showed just how much our investigators had grown.
Celebrations followed, but detectives knew their work was never truly done. The students were thrilled to learn that their final project would involve crafting their own mystery investigation—complete with a creative story, a clue board, a mock crime scene, and hands-on investigative experiments. We can’t wait to see if their mysteries will leave us stumped once again!
Take a moment to thoughtfully consider the questions discussed in today’s session:
- What new information did you learn about the suspects today? How does this information help you understand the mystery better?
- What is the difference between hard evidence and an inference? Can you give an example of each from today’s investigation?
- How did using the Clue Board help you organize your thoughts? Was there anything confusing or surprising as you added to it?
- Did any of your initial ideas about the mystery change today? What caused you to change your thinking?
- Which piece of evidence do you think is the most important so far? Why do you think it stands out?
- What questions do you still have about the case? What would you like to investigate next?
- How did your team work together to analyze the clues? What strategies helped your group collaborate effectively?
Until the next case!
