Crisis PR Whodunit: The Lumina Tech Breach
A tabletop investigation simulation for high school juniors, seniors, and advanced students in which small groups analyze a faux corporate crisis file, including leaked emails, conflicting witness statements, timestamps, and budget sheets. Groups interrogate suspect role-players and draft a unified 60-second press statement or board pitch, building critical analysis, persuasive writing, and consensus skills in a single class block.
“Whodunit: The Crisis PR Scenarios • The Concept: A tabletop mystery/investigation minus the physical locks. • How it Works: Give small groups a faux corporate crisis file (e.g., a product recall, a leaked memo, or a PR disaster) with conflicting witness statements, timestamps, and budget sheets. Instead of opening a padlock, groups must interrogate "suspects" (played by teachers or student leaders) who only answer specific prompt cards, and draft a unified 60-second press statement or board pitch to solve the "mystery." • Communication Focus: Critical analysis, persuasion, and consensus building.”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use as a 60- to 90-minute collaborative lesson, with an initial 20-minute document review in small groups followed by timed suspect interviews and a final drafting sprint; it works well as a capstone after a unit on argument or media literacy.
- Discussion question: Which document contradicts another, and what does the choice of wording ("minor incident," "out of an abundance of caution") reveal about each person's motive to minimize or deflect?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide a one-page cue sheet listing tone, timing, and consistency markers, and pre-assign each group member a single document to annotate before the group discussion begins.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask groups to write a rebuttal from the accused party's perspective or to identify which piece of evidence is deliberately misleading and explain how a skilled reader would expose it.
- Estimated time: About 75 minutes total, including 20 minutes of reading, 25 minutes of interrogation, 15 minutes of drafting, and 15 minutes of group presentations.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free“Whodunit: The Crisis PR Scenarios • The Concept: A tabletop mystery/investigation minus the physical locks. • How it Works: Give small groups a faux corporate crisis file (e.g., a product recall, a leaked memo, or a PR disaster) with conflicting witness statements, timestamps, and budget sheets. Instead of opening a padlock, groups must interrogate "suspects" (played by teachers or student leaders) who only answer specific prompt cards, and draft a unified 60-second press statement or board pitch to solve the "mystery." • Communication Focus: Critical analysis, persuasion, and consensus building.”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use as a 60- to 90-minute collaborative lesson, with an initial 20-minute document review in small groups followed by timed suspect interviews and a final drafting sprint; it works well as a capstone after a unit on argument or media literacy.
- Discussion question: Which document contradicts another, and what does the choice of wording ("minor incident," "out of an abundance of caution") reveal about each person's motive to minimize or deflect?
- Scaffold for struggling readers: Provide a one-page cue sheet listing tone, timing, and consistency markers, and pre-assign each group member a single document to annotate before the group discussion begins.
- Extension for advanced students: Ask groups to write a rebuttal from the accused party's perspective or to identify which piece of evidence is deliberately misleading and explain how a skilled reader would expose it.
- Estimated time: About 75 minutes total, including 20 minutes of reading, 25 minutes of interrogation, 15 minutes of drafting, and 15 minutes of group presentations.
Crisis PR Whodunit: The Lumina Tech Breach
A tabletop investigation simulation for high school juniors, seniors, and advanced students in which small groups analyze a faux corporate crisis file, including leaked emails, conflicting witness statements, timestamps, and budget sheets. Groups interrogate suspect role-players and draft a unified 60-second press statement or board pitch, building critical analysis, persuasive writing, and consensus skills in a single class block.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free