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📕 A2: Grades 7-9 • MYSTERY & MYTHS

L3: Should/Shouldn't for Protection – Mystery Ending Challenge

In this lesson, you will learn how to use 'should' and 'shouldn't' to give advice about protection. You will read a mystery story with a missing ending and decide if it is real or fake. Then you will write your own ending and record a theory talk.

L3: Should/Shouldn't for Protection – Mystery Ending Challenge
💬 Warm-up
1 Do you like mystery stories? Why or why not?
2 What is a mystery you would like to solve?
3 What do you do when you doubt something you hear?

🎯 Objectives

  • Use 'should' and 'shouldn't' to talk about protection and advice
  • Learn vocabulary for discussing mysteries: solve, explain, prove, trust, doubt, real, fake
  • Read a mystery story and answer comprehension questions
  • Write a mystery ending and record a short talk
In this block:

📚 Vocabulary

1.
solve
"The detective worked hard to solve the case."
to find the answer to a problem or mystery
2.
explain
"Can you explain how the magician did that trick?"
to make something clear or easy to understand
3.
prove
"We need to prove that the story is true."
to show that something is true
4.
trust
"I trust my best friend to keep my secrets."
to believe that someone is honest or that something is correct
5.
doubt
"I doubt the treasure really exists."
to not believe something; to think something is not true
6.
real
"The antique vase is real, not a copy."
true, not fake or imaginary
7.
fake
"The painting on the wall is fake."
not real; made to look like something else
🗓️ Friday, 9th October 2026
solve
to find the answer to a problem or mystery
explain
to make something clear or easy to understand
prove
to show that something is true
trust
to believe that someone is honest or that something is correct
doubt
to not believe something; to think something is not true
real
true, not fake or imaginary
fake
not real; made to look like something else

✍️ Practice

Guess the missing word.
1. The teacher asked me to explain why the sky is blue.
2. We need to prove that story is true.
3. I doubt the story because it sounds strange.
4. If you want to find the answer, you need to solve the puzzle.
5. I always trust my best friend.
🗓️ Friday, 9th October 2026
1. The teacher asked me to explain why the sky is blue.
2. We need to prove that story is true.
3. I doubt the story because it sounds strange.
4. If you want to find the answer, you need to solve the puzzle.
5. I always trust my best friend.

📖 Reading

The Mystery of the Locked Room

It was a cold November evening when Mr. Harrison vanished from his study room. The door was locked from the inside. The windows were closed. There was no way in or out. Yet when his family knocked for dinner, there was no answer. They broke the door down and found the room empty. His coffee was still warm on the desk. His glasses lay next to an open book. But Mr. Harrison was gone. The police arrived quickly. They searched every corner. They found nothing—no clue, no note, no sign of struggle. 'This is impossible,' said Officer Davis. 'We need to solve this mystery. But first, we must find a way to explain how he disappeared.'

The next day, a letter arrived at the police station. It was from Mr. Harrison himself. 'I am safe. Do not trust anyone. The people I work with are not who they seem. I will return when it is safe.' Many officers doubt the letter. 'This could be a fake,' said Officer Davis. 'But what if it is real? We cannot ignore it.' The handwriting looked like Mr. Harrison's, but something felt wrong. The police decided to investigate his workplace. They discovered that Mr. Harrison was a scientist working on a secret project. His colleagues were acting strange. One of them, Dr. Reed, refused to answer questions. 'You should not trust Dr. Reed,' whispered a young assistant. 'He knows more than he says.'

Three days passed. The police still could not find Mr. Harrison. The public began to lose hope. But then, a security camera from a nearby shop showed something unusual. At 2:15 AM on the night he disappeared, a man in a long coat walked past the shop. He looked exactly like Mr. Harrison. But he was walking towards the study room, not away from it. What was he doing? The mystery grew deeper. The police had more questions than answers. The case was far from over. But the police are determined to find out the truth. What do you think happened in that locked room? Can you solve the mystery?

Comprehension Questions

1.
Where did Mr. Harrison disappear from?
He disappeared from his study room.
2.
What was the condition of the room when the family broke in?
The door was locked, the windows were closed, and the room was empty. His coffee was still warm.
3.
What did the letter from Mr. Harrison say?
It said he was safe, that people should not trust anyone, and that he would return when it was safe.
4.
Why did some officers doubt the letter?
Because they thought it might be fake.
5.
What did the security camera show?
It showed a man who looked like Mr. Harrison walking towards the study room at 2:15 AM.

🎧 Listening Practice

The Digital Ghost

0:00 / 0:00
Listening context

Comprehension Questions

1.
Who sent the email to Lisa's uncle?
Someone claiming to be a famous explorer who died 50 years ago.
2.
What did the email say?
It said the explorer was alive, had found a lost treasure, and wanted to meet at the old lighthouse on Friday.
3.
What advice did Lisa give her uncle about the email?
She said he should not trust it and should prove it was real before going.
4.
What happened when Lisa's uncle went to the lighthouse?
No one came, but he found a note under a rock.
5.
What did the note say?
It said he was brave, the treasure was real but not for him, and to keep the secret.

🗣️ Pair Work

Mystery Debate

"Work with a partner. You will debate whether the mystery story you just read is real or fake. Use the vocabulary and grammar (should/shouldn't) to give your opinion."

👉 Decide your opinion: Do you think the story is real or fake? Write two reasons.

👉 Present your opinion to your partner. Use 'I think... because...' and 'You should/shouldn't...'

🚀 EnglishDee Tasks

KEYWORDS: solve explain prove trust doubt real fake
✍️ WRITING

My Mystery Ending

Write your own short mystery ending for the story 'The Mystery of the Locked Room'. Start by describing what really happened in the study room that night. Then explain where Mr. Harrison went and why. End with a surprising twist. Use 80-100 words.

✅ Checklist:
  • Write 80-100 words.
  • Use at least 4 vocabulary words from the list.
  • Use 'should' or 'shouldn't' at least once.
  • Include a surprising twist.
🎙️ SPEAKING

Theory Talk

Record a 45-second talk explaining your theory about the mystery of the locked room. Begin by stating your theory about what happened to Mr. Harrison. End with a question for your listeners.

✅ Checklist:
  • Record 45 seconds.
  • Use at least 4 vocabulary words.
  • Use 'should' or 'shouldn't'.
  • Speak clearly and at a natural pace.
Helpful Phrases
  • I believe Mr. Harrison escaped through a hidden passage...
  • The police should have searched the garden...
  • Maybe Dr. Reed took him because...
  • We shouldn't trust the letter because...
  • The security camera shows that he returned to the study room...
  • Perhaps the whole story is a fake...