Build your OWN ELA whodunnit. Any grade. Any skill. Any standard. This editable PowerPoint template lets you plug in your skill focus, suspects, passages, and verdict word - and get a complete self-checking ELA mystery in under an hour.

This is the EDITABLE TEMPLATE BUNDLE from the DeskMade Detective Agency series, designed for teachers who want whodunnit-style cases that fit their specific curriculum, grade, or unit - rather than buying pre-built cases that don’t quite match.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Editable Grade 3-5 PowerPoint template (10-slide structure: 5 stations x 4 questions, 5-letter verdict word, 5 suspect cards)
• Editable K-2 PowerPoint template (8-slide structure: 3 stations x 4 questions, 3-letter verdict word, 4 suspect cards)
• Worked example PowerPoint (filled-in Case File K-01 as a reference)
• “How to Build Your Own Whodunnit” PDF guide (4 pages: 8-step build process, pre-launch checklist, pro tips, verdict word bank)
• Decoder planning worksheet PDF (1-page printable for both Grade 3-5 and K-2)
• README quick-start guide
  All editable in PowerPoint or Google Slides.

WHY TEACHERS BUY THIS TEMPLATE

• CURRICULUM-FREE: plugs into any reading standard - National Curriculum, IB PYP, Common Core, or your own scheme of work.
• ENDLESS REUSE: one purchase = unlimited custom whodunnits, every unit, every year, every grade.
• STUDENTS LOVE IT: the self-checking decoder mechanic plus mystery format drives high engagement.
• ZERO DESIGN WORK: branding, layouts, mechanics, and decoder maths are already built. You focus on the content.

THE DECODER MECHANIC
Students answer multiple-choice questions. Each correct answer reveals one letter. The letters per station form a station code word; the station letters together spell the verdict word. When a real word emerges, students know they’re on track - built-in feedback with no answer key to copy from.

PERFECT FOR
Curriculum-matched cases for specific units, homeschool reading enrichment, reading intervention groups, end-of-unit assessment, cover/sub lessons, and themed weeks (Halloween, end of year).

ABOUT DESKMADE
DeskMade is run by an active classroom teacher building real, classroom-tested ELA resources. The Detective Agency series uses the same chassis you can now customise for your own classroom.