The Phone Box Mystery

Objective & Plot Summary

Objective: To lead students to follow an investigation, form hypotheses about suspects, and understand the resolution of a mystery in English.

Summary: Old red telephone boxes are mysteriously disappearing from a small English town. Two friends, Ryan and Ellie, lead the investigation within a local history society where every member is a potential suspect. Between red herrings and discreet eavesdropping, they will have to unmask an unexpected duo of thieves.

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Suggested Lesson Flow

1. Before Listening (~5 min): THE MYSTERY BEGINS

• Anticipation: Show an image of a red telephone box. "What is it? Where can you see it?".

• Vocabulary: Introduce the investigation words: phone box, mystery, thief, suspect.

2. During Listening (~25 min): WHO ARE THE CULPRITS?

• Segmented listening in 3 parts:

  • Part 1 (The Crime): Listen until the first phone boxes disappear. Pause: "What is the mystery? Who are the members of the history society?".

  • Part 2 (The Red Herring): Listen to the investigation into the Hardings and the discovery of the fake phone boxes. Pause: "Are the Hardings the thieves?".

  • Part 3 (The Resolution): Listen to the investigation into Miss Pendlebury and the surveillance scene at the cinema.

3. After Listening (~10-15 min): THE CASE IS SOLVED

• Discussion: "Who were the thieves? Was Ryan's final plan a good idea? Why?".

• Simple Task: Create a "wanted poster" for one of the thieves. Write their name and a simple sentence: "Wanted: Mr Ogden. He steals red phone boxes with a crane.".

Adaptations

• To Simplify: Provide portraits of the history society members. After each stage of the investigation, ask students to point to the new suspect.

• To Extend: Ask students to imagine and act out the phone conversation between Miss Pendlebury and Mr. Ogden as they plan the theft of the last phone box.