The case of the stolen statue: this month, learn about chemical change

SuperScience, Sept, 2008 by Britt Norlander

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Read the pray below. Then, use the materials listed at the end to solve the mystery.

Characters

Narrator   Sheriff Smith
Martin     Ms. Annie Fox
Jane       Lawyer 2
Judge      Mr. Sam Moore
Lawyer 1   Mr. Peter WoLf

Narrator: Jane and Martin are at a local courthouse with their social studies class. They are about to watch a case unfold.

Martin: I wonder what the case we will see is about.

Jane: Shhh! Here comes the judge. The case is starting.

Narrator: The judge takes a seat behind a large desk.

Judge: Please begin.

Lawyer 1: Today I will prove that Mr. Sam Moore stole a statue from Ms. Annie Fox. I will begin my case by calling Sheriff Smith to the stand.

Narrator: Sheriff Smith takes a seat on the witness stand.

Lawyer 1: Sheriff, please tell us what happened last Tuesday.

Sheriff: I received a call from Ms. Fox. She said a statue had been stolen from her apartment. I searched Ms. Fox's building to see if I could locate it.

Lawyer 1: Did you find the statue in the building?

Sheriff: Yes. I discovered it in an office in Ms. Fox's building. The office is shared by two men, Sam Moore and Peter Wolf.

Narrator: The lawyer holds up a shiny copper statue of a dog and shows it to the sheriff.

Lawyer 1: Is this the statue you found in the office of Mr. Moore and Mr. Wolf?

Sheriff: Yes.

Lawyer 1: Where did you find it?

Sheriff: In Mr. Moore's desk.

Lawyer 1: Thank you, Sheriff.

Narrator: The lawyer dismisses the Sheriff and calls Annie Fox to the stand. As she sits down, she looks closely at the statue the lawyer is holding.

Lawyer 1: Is this your statue?

Ms. Fox: Yes. But it looks different. It used to have a dark tarnish on it. It's been cleaned.

Lawyer 1: But this statue is the one that was stolen from you?

Ms. Fox: Yes.

Lawyer 1: Thank you, Ms.Fox. Your honor, I rest my case. Judge: Thank you. The lawyer for Mr. Moore can now begin.

Lawyer 2: I would like to call Sam Moore to the stand.

Narrator: Mr. Moore walks up to the witness stand.

Lawyer 2: Mr. Moore, did you steal Ms. Fox's statue?

Mr. Moore: No! The day it was stolen I was very busy. I didn't leave my office. I even ate my lunch of a hamburger with ketchup and onions at my desk.

Lawyer 2: Can you explain why Ms. Fox's statue was in your desk?

Mr. Moore: My partner, Peter Wolf, set me up. He must have stolen Ms. Fox's statue!

Narrator: A man sitting near Jane and Martin stands up and starts shouting at Mr. Moore.

Jane: That must be Mr. Wolf!

Martin: I guess so.

Narrator: The man continues shouting at Mr. Moore.

Mr. Wolf: You're a liar, Sam Moore! I didn't steal anything!

Narrator: The judge bangs his gavel on his desk.

Judge: Quiet in the courtroom!

Narrator: Mr. Wolf sits down.

Judge: Please continue.

Lawyer 2: I would like to call Sheriff Smith back to the stand.

Narrator: The sheriff returns to the witness stand.

Lawyer 2: Sheriff, Ms. Fox said that the statue has been cleaned.

Did you clean it?

Sheriff: No. It was clean and shiny when I discovered it in Mr. Moore's desk.

Lawyer 2: Did you find anything else in Mr. Moore's desk?

Sheriff: I found a hamburger wrapper and some empty ketchup packets.

Lawyer 2: You didn't find any cleaning materials in his desk?

Sheriff: No.

Narrator: Mr. Moore's lawyer walks up to the witness stand. He holds up a bag containing a bottle of dishwashing liquid.

Lawyer 2: Sheriff, does this item look familiar?

Sheriff: Yes. I found that while I was searching the office. It was in Mr. Wolf's desk.

Narrator: The audience gasps.

Jane: So it was Mr. Wolf after all!

Martin: I'm not so sure.

Jane: What do you mean?

Martin: I think Mr. Moore is hiding something.

Narrator: Mr. Wolf suddenly stands up and begins to walk out of the courtroom.

Mr. Wolf: I won't let Sam Moore blame his crime on me.

Narrator: Mr. Moore's lawyer points to Mr. Wolf.

Lawyer 2: Judge, that is Mr. Wolf, the man who stole the statue.

Judge: Sheriff Smith, please take that man into custody.

Mr. Wolf: I didn't do anything!

Narrator: Martin suddenly stands up. The judge looks at him angrily.

Judge: Young man, we have had enough interruptions today. Please sit down or I will remove you from the courtroom.

Martin: I am sorry to interrupt, Your Honor. But I think you've got the wrong man. If you put me on the stand, I can prove it.

SOLVE THE MYSTERY

WHO STOLE THE CHOPPER STATUE?

To solve the mystery, grab these materials:

* 2 dirty pennies (covered in detergent brown tarnish)

* plastic plate

* ketchup

* dishwashing

* sink

* paper towel

Place two tarnished pennies on a plastic plate. Cover the top side of one penny with ketchup. Gently rub the ketchup on the penny. Cover the other penny with dishwashing detergent and rub it in. Let the pennies sit for two minutes. Wash both pennies off under running water. The penny that looks clean solves the case.

For Grades K-4

* Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

* Properties of objects and materials For Grades 5-8

* Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

* Properties and changes of properties in matter

INTEGRATE YOUR CURRICULUM

Language Arts--Reading Fiction

BEFORE READING