Better Than BingoActivity slides
Better Than Bingo · Classroom Edition
Alibi: Ridiculous Edition
Two volunteers build an absurd alibi while classmates test it with very specific questions.
20–25 min8–36 peopleWhole group
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Teacher prep · Do not project yet
Set the room up for success.
Materials
- Scenario cards
- Timer
- Optional investigator question sheet
Before you begin
- Write absurd accusations with no connection to real misconduct
- Recruit willing volunteers only
- Arrange supervised preparation and waiting spaces
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Teacher language · Do not project yet
What to say
“Everything is fictional. Volunteers may stop at any point, and investigators question the story—not the students. Specific is clever; aggressive is not.”
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Teacher notes · Do not project yet
Keep it comfortable and useful.
Make room for everyone
- Offer investigator, evidence tracker, timer, or judge roles.
- Never require volunteering or hallway isolation.
- Provide questions in writing and prohibit topics about real behavior or personal life.
Watch out for
- Do not use scenarios resembling real accusations or school discipline.
- Skip with groups where public interrogation or peer dynamics would feel unsafe.
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For students
Here’s what to do.
- 1
Invite two opt-in volunteers and reveal one absurd scenario.
- 2
Give them four supervised minutes to coordinate where, when, and what happened instead.
- 3
One partner waits in a supervised spot while the class questions the other for three minutes.
- 4
Switch partners and repeat with the same investigator group.
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For students
Keep going.
- 5
Compare answers and vote on whether the fictional alibi held.
- 6
Debrief which questions tested details without becoming personal.
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Prompt 01
They replaced every hallway poster with pictures of potatoes.
Take a moment to think. Passing or writing instead is always okay.
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Prompt 02
They released forty rubber ducks in the front office.
Take a moment to think. Passing or writing instead is always okay.
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Prompt 03
They moved the principal’s desk three inches to the left.
Take a moment to think. Passing or writing instead is always okay.
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Prompt 04
They hid every working dry-erase marker.
Take a moment to think. Passing or writing instead is always okay.
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Wrap it up
One last thought.
- Which question revealed the most useful detail?
- How did investigators stay focused on the fictional story?