Metropolitan Police · Detective Bureau
The Foxglove Case
A body in the library. Four suspects. One hour to solve it.
Classified / Detective Use Only
Death at Foxglove Manor
Victim: Lady Henrietta Foxglove, 68
Location: The library, Foxglove Manor
Cause: Poisoning (foxglove extract)
Suspects: Four. Means, motive, opportunity — unclear.
Learning Objective
To work as a team to complete a physical challenge under competitive conditions.
Success Criteria
- I can take on a clear role within my team.
- I can communicate clearly when under pressure.
- I can adapt my thinking when new evidence appears.
Structure
Session 1 (40 min) — The Case Lands · break · Session 2 (40 min) — The Reveal
No running. No shouting. Just you, the evidence, and whoever's at your table. That's the whole lesson.
Arrival Task: The 2x2 Grid
Whiteboards. One question each. 4 minutes total.
Thomas Marsh was found hiding in a supply barrel. What was he charged with?
Name ONE piece of evidence used in the trial — by either side.
What verdict did you give Marsh — and what was your strongest reason?
In the Crew's Trial you thought alone. A real detective thinks with a team. What's the hardest part of thinking out loud with other people?
Session 1 · 40 minutes
The Case Lands
Internal Memo — DCI M. Blackburn
"Detective. You're up."
Lady Henrietta Foxglove was found dead in her library yesterday morning. Poisoned. Her own garden grew the stuff that killed her. There are four suspects in the house, and every one of them had a reason.
I've given you a team. Use them. You've got until sundown to file a theory — who did it, how, and why — and a rival team is on the same case. Only one of you gets the win.
There's a catch for Round 2. You'll find out after the break. For now: read the file. Talk. Think.
— DCI Margaret Blackburn ✒
Round 1 happens before the break. After the break, new evidence drops — and the rules change.
The Challenge & Your Bureau Roles
The Case — Round 1 Rules
- You'll see 4 suspects and 6 pieces of evidence. Flip each card to read.
- 20 minutes to study the file, rule suspects in or out, and file your theory.
- Submit your accusation on the sheet: who did it, why, and 3 pieces of evidence that prove it.
- Closest to the truth with the strongest reasoning wins the round.
- You stay at your table. This is thinking work, not running work.
Class of 6 → 2 teams of 3
With 3 per team, the roles double up: Lead Detective + Interrogator, Profiler + Archivist, Analyst flies solo.
Click each card to read the role
Lead Detective
Click to flip
Asks the questions. Keeps the team on track. Makes the final accusation. If in doubt — they call it.
Profiler
Click to flip
Reads people. Thinks about why: motives, grudges, secrets. Who stood to gain? Who was hurting?
Analyst
Click to flip
Handles the physical evidence. Works the timeline. What happened at what time? What does the object actually tell us?
Archivist
Click to flip
Keeps the team's notes. Re-reads facts when someone gets lost. The quiet power behind every good team.
Interrogator
Click to flip
Spots the lie. Notices what doesn't add up. Asks the awkward question: "But wait — that doesn't match."
✦ Classified ✦
Each detective gets a Secret Brief.
Printed. Folded. Handed to you privately. Inside: a piece of intel only you know, and a rule only you have to follow. Your team can't solve the case without what's on your card — but they won't see it unless you share it.
Teacher: print, cut along the dotted lines, hand one to each detective. Keep it private.
Plan Your Team's Approach
Split into teams. You have 5 minutes to: (1) assign your five roles, (2) agree how you'll work through the evidence, (3) decide who writes the final theory on the sheet.
Support
Not sure what you want? Take Archivist. You write what the team agrees and re-read it when someone gets lost. Vital work.
Challenge
Take Lead Detective. Run the team's thinking. Make sure every suspect gets considered before the final accusation.
1 · Roles
Who's Lead? Profiler? Analyst? Archivist? Interrogator?
2 · Method
Suspect by suspect? Evidence by evidence? Rule out first?
3 · Scribe
Who writes the final accusation? Who double-checks it?
Round 1 — The Case File
Click each card. Read. Discuss. Decide.
The Suspects
Mr. James
Foxglove
Stepson, 42
Click to flip
Inherits Foxglove Manor. Heavy debts. Heard arguing with the victim at 9pm about money. Was downstairs when tea was served.
Mrs. Evelyn
Holt
Housekeeper, 25 yrs
Click to flip
Given notice three days ago. Lost her home, her wages, her pension. Delivered the victim's tea at 10:40pm.
Dr. Cedric
Vance
Family doctor
Click to flip
Had access to medicines and left his bag in the hallway. Paid a "routine" call at 9:30pm. Knew the victim's health history intimately.
Miss Clara
Penrose
Goddaughter, 24
Click to flip
Caught stealing a ring from the manor last month. Was seen in the garden — where the foxgloves grow — at dusk.
Interrogation Room — Ask the Suspects
Click a question to ask it. Watch how they answer.
James Foxglove
Mrs. Holt
Dr. Vance
Clara Penrose
New Tip Received — Commissioner's Office
"A laundry maid at the manor has just called in. She says she saw someone return from the garden at 10:15pm — roughly 25 minutes before the tea was delivered. She only saw the back of their head. Short hair. That's all we've got." — detectives: does this help, or make it harder?
The Evidence (6)
The Teacup
Click to flip
Contained a fatal dose of foxglove extract. Only the victim's fingerprints on the cup itself.
The Diary Entry
Click to flip
"Tomorrow I change the will. Long-standing arrangements must end. I fear there will be tears." — dated the day before her death.
The Garden
Click to flip
Freshly cut foxglove blooms missing from the east border. Garden gate found unlocked.
The Argument
Click to flip
The maid overheard James and the victim arguing at 9pm. Raised voices. About money. James stormed out.
The Dismissal
Click to flip
Mrs. Holt received written notice three days ago. 25 years of service ending with no pension. Staff say she'd been crying.
The Tea Tray
Click to flip
Tea delivered to Lady Foxglove's library at 10:40pm. The maid confirms the housekeeper carried it up alone.
Round 1 — Reasoning Score (1–10)
Click a team name to rename
Team Raven
Team Owl
Round 1 Timer — 20 minutes
Teacher — watch for
Who's doing the talking · who's quietly right · whether the Archivist is actually capturing the team's thinking · which team rules suspects OUT before accusing.
Someone Just Confessed.
"But their story doesn't match the evidence."
Internal Memo — DCI Blackburn
"Detective — while you were writing up, one of the suspects walked into the station and confessed. I'm not going to tell you which one. Here's the problem: their story contradicts two things in your case file. Either they're covering for someone — or they're trying to throw us off.
New evidence drops after the break. A confession on the table. And your final accusation — in silence. Go get a drink of water. Think."
— M. Blackburn ✒
On Your Break — Carry This With You
Which suspect is most likely to confess falsely — and who would they be covering for? Don't write anything. Just think. The answer will be asked after the break.
1
Debrief
2
Twist
3
The Reveal
Session 2 · 40 minutes
Back at the Bureau
Debrief — Walk Me Through Your Thinking
3 minutes in your teams. Then 2 minutes whole-class share. You're not defending — you're learning. Where did your reasoning hold up? Where did it wobble?
Question 1
What was your strongest piece of evidence?
Name the specific card. Why did it point so clearly for you?
Question 2
Who did you almost accuse — and why didn't you?
The suspect you ruled out at the last minute. What changed your mind?
Question 3
What's your weakest claim?
Be honest. Which bit of your theory would the rival team attack first?
Push it further: A real detective never "knows" — they just have the best theory the evidence supports. Is that different from being right? What's the risk of being too sure?
The Twist
New evidence just arrived — and the rules have changed.
Two New Pieces of Evidence
Dr. Vance's Alibi
Click to flip
The village landlord confirms Dr. Vance was drinking at The Crown from 9:45pm until 11:15pm. Multiple witnesses. The doctor is in the clear.
A Second Witness
Click to flip
The kitchen boy saw Mrs. Holt alone in the pantry at 10:20pm. She was crying. Then — calmly — she prepared the tea tray and carried it upstairs.
New Rule
Silent Deliberation
From now on — no talking.
Write on paper. Pass notes. Tap the evidence card you think matters. Point. Nod. Write. But don't speak. This is how real case rooms work.
5 minutes of silent deliberation
- Reconsider your Round 1 accusation. Does the new evidence still support it?
- If you need to change your mind — say so on the sheet. Changing your mind is a strength, not a weakness.
- Agree your final accusation in writing only.
The Final Accusation
Silence only. Writing only. Final answer.
Rules — The Final
- No speaking. If someone speaks, the team loses 2 points off their final score.
- Write your final accusation on the sheet. Three pieces of evidence. Signed by the team.
- Five minutes. When the timer ends, both teams place their sheet face-down on the desk.
Final Accusation Score
Closest to the truth + strongest reasoning
Team Raven
Team Owl
Silent Timer — 5 minutes
Teacher — watch for
Who writes the decisive note · who changes their mind based on new evidence (that's a skill!) · the quiet pointing at key cards · the moment a team realises they need to start over.
Your Private Case Notes
Fill in the sheet — just for you.
No one reads it unless you want them to. What did you actually think? What changed your mind? What did working with a team show you about how you think?
Push it further: Changing your mind because of new evidence — is that a weakness, or the most important skill a detective has? Write one sentence arguing your view.
The Reveal
"Detective. You want to know what really happened? Press the button."
Case Closed
It was Mrs. Holt.
Motive. 25 years of service. Given notice with no pension. Losing everything — home, wages, the only family she had.
Means. She knew every inch of the garden. She knew foxglove mimics heart failure in an older woman.
Opportunity. She carried the tea alone at 10:40pm. The kitchen boy saw her compose herself minutes before.
James had motive but no opportunity. Dr. Vance had means but a confirmed alibi. Clara stole rings — not lives. Mrs. Holt had all three.
Honours from the Bureau
Awarded for sharp eyes, calm nerves, and stubborn thinking.
Teacher: hand out these honours however you like. Every detective leaves with at least one.
The Sharp Eye
Spotted a clue nobody else clocked.
The Case Closer
Most convincing reasoning from start to end.
Grace Under Pressure
Stayed calm in the silent round when it was hardest.
The Mind Changer
Changed their theory when the new evidence demanded it. Real skill.
The Archivist
Kept the team's thinking tidy. The quiet power in every good team.
Wise Owl
Said little. Saw everything. The one the others kept turning to.
✦ The Case Closed Trophy ✦
"And the team that cracked it…"
Losing team: getting the wrong answer for the right reasons is still good detective work. The evidence was deliberately misleading. Being wrong on good reasoning is how all detectives learn.