When Woodhaven Upper Elementary Principal Mr. G stopped by Mrs. Stephanie Jaskolski’s homeroom during his morning check-in recently, he was in for a surprise: her classroom had been transformed into a full-blown crime scene.
The case? The mysterious death of Mr. Krabs.
The suspect? SpongeBob SquarePants.
Students became detectives for the day, walking into the “crime scene” to take notes on what they saw. They were given a fictional case file packed with a crime scene report, witness statements, and evidence lists. Their mission was to carefully analyze the evidence—fingerprints, money, weapons, stains, and more—and decide whether it was direct, circumstantial, or irrelevant.
Next, the young investigators examined witness testimony from familiar characters like Squidward, Plankton, and SpongeBob himself. Working in teams, they compared stories, weighed the facts, and built a case to prove whether SpongeBob was guilty or innocent. Finally, they presented their claims to the judge - played by Mrs. Jaskolski herself.
Students had plenty to say about the experience:
Andrew Napier shared, “This is awesome. It is cool to work with different people you wouldn't usually work with. Walking in to see the crime scene tape and the body outline made the evidence seem so real.”
Mason Bernardine and Tanner Renner said, “Getting to be detectives was cool. We got to sort through the evidence and prove our case.”
Madilyn Caldwell added, “This is so different from our usual work. It was entertaining. I was never bored. Getting to bounce ideas off each other is cool.”
While the lesson was filled with fun and laughter, it was also rich in academic skills. Students practiced:
Critical thinking – weighing evidence and distinguishing fact from opinion
Reading comprehension – pulling key details from multiple sources
Logical reasoning – connecting evidence to claims
Argument writing – organizing points for a prosecution or defense
Public speaking – presenting in a mock trial format
Collaboration – working as a team to build a case
Mr. G summed it up best:
“We love when our teachers use their personalities and joy to connect with students and make the learning come alive! This is what I love seeing in the classroom. Teaching and learning is way more than books and pencils, and lectures and notes. Teaching and learning are the pathways to the future that you hope for; and my staff make sure every day that we put that into practice. Today has been a GREAT day at WUE!”
Whether SpongeBob was guilty or innocent depended on the arguments students made - but one thing was certain: the lesson was a win for engagement, creativity, and learning.
