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Mystery 2:
The Case of the Boston Burglaries
Boston’s historic waterfront has always been rich with stories, but now it is the backdrop for a daring string of thefts that could rewrite history. In the shadows of cobblestone streets and centuries-old landmarks, a series of high-profile crimes has left the city on edge. Museum curators, historians, and collectors are scrambling to shield their treasures while the public demands answers.
Each crime scene is immaculate, with no broken locks or shattered glass, only cryptic clues deliberately placed to taunt investigators. The pattern suggests a mastermind weaving Boston’s Revolutionary past into a modern-day game of deception.
Over six to nine weeks, you will dive into the mystery, following twisting leads through narrow streets, hidden passages, and legendary sites. You will analyze forensic evidence, study suspect profiles, decode hidden messages and ciphers, and apply principles of behavioral psychology to anticipate the thief’s next move. Whether you write as a determined investigator, a clever suspect, or a bystander pulled into events, every clue will draw you deeper into a web of history, codes, and strategy, where unraveling the truth could change how Boston’s story is told forever.
Each week, students will:
- Read a new chapter in the unfolding investigation
- Analyze real-world forensic evidence (ink analysis, document aging, behavioral profiling, and more)
- Decipher historical clues linked to Boston’s revolutionary history
- Examine suspect profiles and alibis to determine who’s telling the truth
- Write their own conclusion to the case
Credits Earned: Forensic Science with Lab, English/Creative Writing, and Applied Critical Thinking
Format: Available in Solo Student and Group Editions, with a free Teacher’s Edition. The core program runs six weeks, with an Optional Part 2 for extended learning.
You'll be taken to a registration form first, and then sent to the checkout page.
Select the correct mystery or bundle you want to buy when prompted in the registration form.
Take a Deeper Dive into the Curriculum
The path is the same in both editions: each mystery unfolds over six to nine weeks with identical stories, labs, and evidence. The difference is in how students participate; the Solo Student Edition supports one student working individually, while the Group Edition is designed for siblings, co-ops, or classrooms working together.
How the Mysteries Work
Each mystery is divided into six core weekly sessions, with an Optional Part 2 that allows families to extend the experience through additional research, projects, or the Forensic Showcase. Each session is designed to run approximately two to three hours, plus personal writing time. If you need to shorten or split the sessions, you absolutely can. This engaging program includes everything you need to create a memorable and educational experience.
Each Week Follows This Pattern
Storyline
Every mystery begins with the unfolding storyline. Each chapter pulls students deeper into the case, introducing suspects, revealing fresh clues, and raising new questions, keeping the suspense alive and the detectives guessing until the very end.
Team Collaboration Talking Points or Think Like a Detective
In each mystery, students pause after the story segment to process what has just happened. In the Group Edition, they work together using Team Collaboration Talking Points to spark discussion and analyze clues as a team. In the Solo Edition, students use Think Like a Detective prompts to reflect individually, guiding them to consider new evidence, motives, and theories. Both formats serve the same purpose, helping students think critically and step into the role of a detective.
Evidence Review & Crime Board Setup
The evidence folder contains that session’s forensic materials, photos, handwritten notes, maps, reports, and more. These documents are meant to feel like real case files landing on a detective’s desk. Students examine each piece as they collaborate and build their theory.
To bring the mystery to life, we recommend setting up a bulletin board where students can visually track the case. These become their detective “command centers,” ideal for pinning evidence, marking timelines, sketching out theories, and connecting ideas.
Pigpen Cipher
This mystery includes a coded clue written in a Pigpen cipher, a simple substitution system used by Freemasons and Revolutionary War spies. Each symbol represents a single letter based on a grid pattern.
Your student will decipher the message by matching each symbol to the correct letter using the cipher key. It’s visual, intuitive, and requires no prior experience with cryptography.
The Truth of the Matter
This section provides them with meaningful, real-world context for the mystery. Each page highlights key moments in American history, influential people, and significant places.
It’s designed to deepen understanding, spark curiosity, and help them connect fiction and fact. Encourage your student to revisit these pages as they develop their theory and craft their final mystery story.
Lab Time
Every mystery includes themed science experiments tied to that week’s developments. In the Boston Burglaries case, the focus is not only on physical evidence but also on forensic profiling and psychological profiling. Labs are hands-on, engaging, and written to work with basic supplies.
Each lab comes with a Student Lab Worksheet, which includes:
- A brief explanation of the lab project
- A section for notes, drawings, or charts
- A checklist to reflect on what they did
- One or more meaningful questions to connect science to the mystery
Take a Deeper Dive Videos (Optional)
For students who want to delve further, each mystery includes optional "Take a Deeper Dive Videos". These brief clips bring science, history, and forensic techniques to life, helping students make real-world connections to the case they’re investigating. They’re entirely optional, but they enrich the experience for curious learners who enjoy exploring beyond the mystery itself.
Forensic Focus Questions (FFQ)
These research-driven questions prompt students to delve beyond the mystery itself, connecting real-world science and forensic techniques to the unfolding case before them. Each question challenges them to think like investigators, drawing connections between fact and fiction.
Writing Assignments
Each mystery in this series is designed to strengthen writing skills through creative storytelling grounded in forensic investigation. Students develop confidence in crafting engaging openings, establishing character voice, building suspense, and writing clear, thoughtful conclusions as the case unfolds.
In The Case of the Boston Burglaries, students write a six-chapter mystery guided by a Three-Act Structure. Early chapters establish the setting, central conflict, and initial clues. As the investigation deepens, students explore suspects, follow leads, and raise the stakes. In the final chapters, they bring the evidence together to reveal their interpretation of what happened and its aftermath.
Because the writing grows alongside the investigation, students are never starting from a blank page. Each new piece of evidence provides direction and purpose, making the process especially supportive for reluctant writers while still allowing strong writers the freedom to expand and experiment.
The structure offers just enough guidance to keep students moving forward while preserving creativity, choice, and ownership over the story they tell.
Optional Part 2: Forensic Science Showcase
The Forensic Science Showcase is the capstone project for this course, appearing in all four mysteries.
For states requiring additional hours, or for students wanting a greater challenge, each mystery also includes optional My Research and My Forensic Lab projects. These can be paired with the Showcase or completed separately to extend learning.
The Showcase invites students to present their theories, explain how science informed their conclusions, and reflect on their stories, blending forensic evidence, critical thinking, and creative writing.
Print Center
In the Print Center, you’ll find exactly what students need each week:
- Evidence File materials to track suspects, evidence, and clues
- Lab Worksheets for hands-on forensic activities
- Table of Contents Checklist for students to mark progress as they move through the case
Everything is organized so that you only need to print specific pages for the week, saving you time and money, and no more endless printing.
Most Important of All...
Have fun with it. This isn’t a scripted curriculum. It’s a flexible mystery adventure, and you’re the guide. You get to decide how immersive, suspenseful, or scientific you want to be.
Encourage your students to think deeply, be curious, follow the evidence, and build a story they’ll remember!
You'll be taken to a registration form first, and then sent to the checkout page.
Select the correct mystery or bundle you want to buy when prompted in the registration form.