Murdoch is cracking the case on student engagement
Uncover your end-of-year win…
As the school year winds down, Murdoch in the Classroom helps educators channel students’ end-of-year energy through rich, story-led learning experiences that spark creativity, collaboration, and learner agency – culminating in learning students will remember long after June.
The global hit CBC series Murdoch Mysteries brings its iconic detective storytelling into classrooms with free lesson plans designed to move students out from behind their desks and into active, curriculum-connected learning. Murdoch in the Classroom is already in classrooms across Ontario, earning rave reviews from students and educators alike. Bradley Grant, an educator with the Toronto District School Board, said, “It was the most engaged I’ve ever seen my class.”
Learning Immersed in Canadian Storytelling
Built on the foundations of one of Canada’s most beloved and enduring television series, Murdoch in the Classroom uses mystery, history, science, and Canadian heritage as entry points for deeper learning. The initiative brings together entertainment, education, and cultural storytelling in a classroom-ready format that supports meaningful, curriculum-connected learning.
Lessons are designed by award-winning educator, author and UDL specialist Kendra Grant (OCT, MET). The project is guided by Dr. Natalie Davey a professor, researcher, and author in the field of education, with strategic guidance from Bruce Rodrigues, former Deputy Minister of Education.
Engaging students with Canadian stories in a fresh and memorable way.
Murdoch in the Classroom currently includes five ready-to-use lessons, designed to support and engage a wide range of learners across grades 5–9. Murdoch in the Classroom brings the current curriculum to life through five standalone lessons, each designed for approximately four to ten hours of classroom time. Teachers can choose the lesson that best fits their students, schedule, and curriculum focus.
No prior knowledge of Murdoch Mysteries is required. Each lesson provides the historical background students need, and the introductory lesson offers the character details and series context that help teachers and students step confidently into the world of Murdoch Mysteries.
“In our professional assessment at Curio, Murdoch in the Classroom transforms passive viewing into active, imaginative inquiry, making it an indispensable resource…” Laraine Bone, Senior Specialist, CBC Curio
The current set of lessons connect to Language Arts/English, Social Studies/History, Science and Technology, Mathematics, The Arts, Music, Media Literacy, and Digital Literacy.
- Introduction to the World of Murdoch Mysteries
- Character Creation – Create a new character for Murdoch Mysteries.
- Mystery Meets History – Pitch a Murdoch Mysteries episode that includes a historical figure from the time.
- Melodious Murdoch – Score (and add sound effects) to a Murdoch Mysteries clip!
- The Great Murdoch Escape – Design a race-against-time escape room packed with riddles, codes and hidden clues.
- The Murdoch Method – Gather the forensic evidence and help solve the crime!
Grade 7-8 students during Murdoch in the Classroom lesson.
Created for what educators need
At a time when educators are looking for meaningful ways to increase engagement, Murdoch in the Classroom offers a distinctly Canadian storyworld as a springboard for learning. By connecting classroom outcomes to characters, cases, inventions, social questions, and historical moments, the series helps make learning more accessible, relevant, and alive. Students are encouraged to ask questions, think critically, make connections and solve problems. Through hands-on, minds-on learning, they build confidence and become active, purposeful participants in their own learning.
Teachers using Murdoch in the Classroom are already seeing a difference, with students showing stronger engagement, deeper historical understanding, and greater follow-through on classroom tasks. Students are not only excited by what they learn, but proud of the final products they create.
“I’ve used various Murdoch in the Classroom lessons over the past 2 years and observed a high level of engagement from a variety of learners, specifically those on the spectrum, students with learning difficulties and those that would otherwise be disengaged. It’s been remarkable to witness.” Marsha Beacock, Teacher, Grades 6, Bogart Public School, York Region District School Board
Try a lesson before the year ends
End the year with a win, 100% of teachers from the pilot sessions would teach lesson plans again!
Free lesson registration and more information can be found at murdochintheclassroom.com or CBC’s learning platform CURIO.ca. Teachers using the lessons are invited to complete a short reflective survey to help shape future free resources and ensure Murdoch in the Classroom continues meeting real classroom needs.
As a thank you, educators who try a lesson before the end of the school year and share feedback could have their class featured, receive a Murdoch Mysteries swag pack, or even be surprised with a live virtual call from a cast member!
Try a lesson. Share your students’ creativity. Help shape what comes next.
This program is developed by Shaftesbury, producer of Murdoch Mysteries, and Produced with the Financial Participation of the Shaw Rocket Fund and CBC. Created by Kendra Grant, the project brings together education experts and classroom teachers to create classroom ready resources that support meaningful, curriculum-connected learning.
