Case No. 001 · Worksheet

3 student pages + 1 teacher key ← Back to the case
At the printer: pages 1–3 are the student packet. Page 4 is the TEACHER KEY — set the print range to 1-3 for class copies. Turn Background graphics ON and use Letter, portrait.
Case 1 · Afterschool Sports
Case Worksheet · 1
Detective (name)PeriodDate
The case: four students came to the health office after sports on a hot summer evening. Collect the evidence, then decide which patient is most probable to be truly sick.

Part A · Collect the evidence

Copy each patient's vital signs from the intake forms. Then circle every number that is OUTSIDE its normal range.

Vital signNormal range P1 MarcusP2 AaliyahP3 SofiaP4 Ethan
Activity—
Pulse (bpm)60–100
Temperature (°F)97.8–99.1
Resp. rate (/min)12–18
Blood pressure90/60–120/80
Symptoms reported—

Part B · What does "probable" mean?

ImpossibleUnlikely PossibleProbable Certain

1Probable means more likely to be true than not. In your own words: what makes an answer the most probable one?

The most probable answer is the one that ______.

Medical Detectives · Case No. 001Case sheet 1 of 3
Interrogate the Evidence
Case Worksheet · 2
Detective (name)PeriodDate
Remember: hard exercise can raise pulse, breathing, and temperature a little — and those effects fade with rest. Illness does not care whether you played.

Part C · The exercise alibi

For each patient: did they exercise hard? Can that explain their circled numbers?

PatientExercised hard?
(yes / no)		 Circled numbers exercise COULD explain Circled numbers exercise CANNOT explain
P1 Marcus
P2 Aaliyah
P3 Sofia
P4 Ethan

2One patient did not play at all. Why does that make their unusual vital signs harder to explain away?

Because they did not exercise, their numbers cannot be explained by ______, so ______.

3One patient feels cold even though their temperature is high, and is thirsty even though they have been drinking. What might these clues tell a detective?

Detective habit

A number can be high but inside the range (interesting) or outside the range (serious). Treat them differently — that is what the ranges are for.
Medical Detectives · Case No. 001Case sheet 2 of 3
Deliver Your Verdict
Case Worksheet · 3
Detective (name)PeriodDate
Your verdict is a probability, not a promise. A good detective argues both sides — then decides.

Part D · The verdict

4Which patient has the highest probability of being truly sick? Circle ONE:

P1 MarcusP2 AaliyahP3 SofiaP4 Ethan

5Give at least 2 reasons, using the evidence, why this patient may really be sick.

Reason 1: their ______ is ______, which is outside the normal range of ______, and exercise cannot explain it because ______.

Reason 2:

Part E · Argue the other side

6Now give at least 2 reasons the SAME patient might not be sick after all. (What else could explain the numbers or symptoms?)

Maybe ______ instead, because ______.

7After arguing both sides — where does your patient land on the ladder: possible, probable, or certain? Why?

Medical Detectives · Case No. 001Case sheet 3 of 3
Case 1 · Teacher Key
TEACHER ONLY
Do not copy this page for students. Print range 1-3 for the class packet.

The verdict: Patient 3 — Sofia Reyes

The crack in the case is the alibi. Sofia is the only one who did not exercise — she watched the game — so exertion cannot explain any of her numbers:

Reasons she might NOT be sick (Part E examples): the gym could have been cold-air-conditioned (explains feeling cold, not 101.6); she may not have drunk as much as she thinks; one visit is one data point — a re-check in 15 minutes could look different; a hoodie in a warm gym can hold heat in.

Why the others are less probable

Grading Parts D-E: accept any patient IF both "may be sick" reasons cite evidence (a number + its range, or a symptom) and both "may not" reasons offer a real alternative explanation. The reasoning is the skill; Sofia is the best-supported answer, not the only acceptable one.

Medical Detectives · Case No. 001Teacher key — keep separate