The Escaped Specimen: ESL Partner Speaking Mystery (B1–B2)

Professor Jarvis lists the Shelf of Unlikely Specimens every Monday and Friday. This week something escaped from the shelf, and somebody tried to hide it. What changed, and which specimen got away?

HOW IT WORKS

This is a partner speaking mystery for pairs. Student A has Monday's list of the eight jars. Student B has Friday's list of the eight jars. Neither sheet solves the mystery alone: each student has only one day's list. Students keep their sheets secret, ask and answer questions in their own words, compare what they find out and describe and compare the jars, find the three changes and work out which specimen escaped. The answer is fixed and fully explained in the answer key.

LEVEL AND LANGUAGE

Written for English learners at CEFR B1–B2, grades 5–8. Language focus: describing objects (a worm with red and yellow stripes, covered in hair) and comparing (On Monday it was …, but on Friday it is …).

PREP AND TIMING

Print page 2 for each Student A and page 3 for each Student B. Keep pages 1 and 4 for yourself. No cutting and no extra materials. About 25 minutes.

THE INSTITUTE OF UNLIKELY SCIENCE

One of five mysteries set in the same very strange research institute. No science knowledge is needed: the science is silly, the thinking is real.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (1 PDF, 4 pages, full colour)

• Page 1: Teacher notes (level, timing, language focus, steps, an early-finisher idea and support/challenge tips)
• Page 2: Student A sheet
• Page 3: Student B sheet
• Page 4: Answer key with the reasoning (teacher only)

LICENCE

Purchase grants the purchasing teacher permission to use this resource in their own teaching and to print copies for their own students.

You may not resell, redistribute, share the digital file with other teachers, or upload it to publicly accessible websites. Each teacher who wishes to use the resource must purchase their own copy.