Case No. 003 · Detective's Sheet

1 sheet, front + back ← Back to the case Case file
At the printer: pages 1–2 are the student sheet. Print them two-sided on one piece of paper. Turn Background graphics ON and use Letter, portrait.
Case 3 · The Fossil Dig
Detective's Sheet · front
Detective (name)PartnerPeriod
The case: Marisol, 12, has coughed for 13 days since a science-club fossil dig, and an antibiotic did nothing. Six suspects: 2 viruses, 2 bacteria, 2 fungi. Eliminate five with evidence and name the one that did it.

Part A · Read her vital signs Evidence 1 · Activity 1.1

Temperaturenormal 97.8–99.1 °FBlood pressurenormal 90/60 to 120/80Pulsenormal 60–100 bpmBreathingnormal 12–20 /min
Marisol100.9 °F106/68104 bpm26 /min
Circle onetoo low · normal · too hightoo low · normal · too hightoo low · normal · too hightoo low · normal · too high

The fast breathing tells me the sickness is in her .

Part B · The elimination table Evidence 2–6 + the suspect files

Write ✓ if the clue fits or ✗ if it does not, then count the ✓. A suspect is guilty only if all four fit. Every other suspect needs a reason it is not guilty. Three ✓ means a decoy: find the clue it cannot explain.

Suspect from the suspect files 1 · Symptomsmatch?2 · Timingfits? 3 · Spreadfits?4 · Labs + treatmentfit? ✓Not guilty because…
1 · Influenza virusvirus the flu · 1–4 days · person to person
2 · Measles virusvirus measles · 10–14 days · person to person
3 · S. pneumoniaebacterium pneumonia · 1–3 days · person to person
4 · Group A Streptococcusbacterium strep / scarlet fever · 2–5 days · person to person
5 · Trichophytonfungus ringworm · 4–14 days · people or animals
6 · Coccidioidesfungus Valley fever · 1–3 weeks · spores in dry soil

Part C · The clue log Evidence 2 and 4

Dig on Day → first symptom on Day = days. That timing fits Suspects .

Of the people at the dig, the only ones who got sick .

Sam was in the same pit but stayed healthy because .

Medical Detectives · Case No. 003 · Marisol is a fictional patientDetective's sheet · front
Case 3 · The Fossil Dig
Detective's Sheet · back

Part D · Follow the chain Rewrite each starter on the lines and finish it

Link 1 Bacteria or not?
This link eliminates Suspects and

The agent is / is not a bacterium. I know because the antibiotic ______ and the agar plate ______.

Link 2 A person or a place?
This link eliminates Suspects and

The agent did / did not spread from person to person. The clue that proves it is ______.

Link 3 Two fungi left

It cannot be ringworm because ______, and ______.

Part E · The verdict claim · evidence · reasoning

🔍 Claim

Marisol has , caused by a called .

Evidence

Three clues that prove it are ______, ______, and ______.

Reasoning

These clues fit this suspect and no other because ______.

Part F · The decoy and the cure

The suspect that almost fooled me was ______ because ______, but it did not fit because ______.

More antibiotics will not help because ______. Next time she digs, Marisol should ______.

Medical Detectives · Case No. 003 · Marisol is a fictional patientDetective's sheet · back