Whodunnitblog

Get a Voki now!



Check out www.inspecteurduval.blogspot.com for an idea on how to use a fictional blog to encourage research, creative writing and problem solving. This blog is designed for an able year 11 or a Sixth Form group. Inspecteur Duval (of course Duval, as those familiar with the valley our school is in will know) has to solve the mystery of a diamond theft from a luxury Paris Hotel. Using links to sites connected with the suspects and scene of the crime students begin to develop the characters, and prepare vokis giving a brief statement of innocence, as well as mp3s of initial interviews with Duval. Students then decide which of the suspects is going to be guilty, and plan a subtle gap or discrepancy in their story, as well as plenty of motivation for all three suspects, just to make things tricky! They can then record or post statements from supporting characters. When the project is finished (I estimate three weeks of 1hr 20 a week) we have a murder-mystery blog activity for other groups to solve. At that stage I might invite new participants onto the jury and use the polling feature in Blogger for them to cast their vote, with a 1G memory stick as a prize for the best judge's sentencing speech posted as a comment.