A Who-Dunnit for English Learners
Have you tried our Detective Series in your English class yet? “The Case of the Missing Ring” is a who-dunnit series designed for high-intermediate to advanced learners who are interested in vocabulary building, listening practice, and everyday English and idioms. With Halloween around the corner, October is the perfect month to get started on this section! The series includes 11 lesson plans, 3 vocabulary review check points, and 3 quizzes. Teachers’ notes and downloadable audio files are also included. All members of ESL-Library have access to these materials. Not a member yet? Join here!
Episode 1
In the intro to the series students learn about the Hummingbird family. Cynthia Hummingbird’s granddaughter Emma is about to be wed. There is only one problem. The wedding ring has been stolen! This ruby ring is a family treasure. Throughout this series, Detective Bossley is conducting an investigation. In each episode the detective questions one of the residents of Hummingbird Manor. The first suspect is Ralph Hummingbird, the bride-to-be’s father. Today’s podcast offers a sneak preview of Episode 1.
Here is the vocabulary that is introduced and practised in this lesson:
- reruns
- to get down to business
- to mean the world to someone
- to be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
- to mean nothing
- the love of one’s life
- Bingo!
- on the contrary
- empty nest
- to have your heart set on something
Students are also challenged to name Ralph’s alibi, and to predict whether or not Emma’s father is a likely suspect. Each lesson plan includes vocabulary review, comprehension questions, discussion questions, a gap-fill, a fact file, and a professional audio recording by a talented group of New York actors.