Roman Britain Mystery: The Missing Eagle – a fun, ready-to-use Year 5 History Detectives investigation.

Can your pupils solve the mystery of the missing Roman eagle?

This engaging Roman Britain mystery puts pupils into teams as History Detectives. Give each team the evidence one clue at a time and watch them debate, eliminate suspects, change their minds and build a case.

What is included:
• Teacher instructions and lesson guidance
• A Roman Britain mystery introduction
• Four suspects with different motives, opportunities and alibis
• 10 printable clue cards to reveal progressively
• Roman numeral code-breaking activity
• Evidence involving timelines, alibis, physical evidence and eyewitness testimony
• Detective evidence worksheet
• Final accusation activity
• Teacher answer and discussion guide
• Extension activities focusing on historical evidence and source reliability
The mystery includes plenty of humour to keep Year 5 pupils engaged, including one particularly suspicious “Roman cushion”!
Pupils will practice:
• using evidence to support a conclusion
• distinguishing fact from inference
• considering the reliability of evidence
• understanding chronology and opportunity
• explaining and defending their ideas
• working collaboratively
• applying Roman numeral knowledge

Suggested use: 45–60 minutes. Give each group one clue at a time and allow them to discuss whether the new evidence changes their strongest suspect.

Suitable for Year 5 / KS2 / Roman Britain / Ancient Rome / history investigations / evidence and inference / classroom mysteries.