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"Imagine walking into your classroom, only it has been transformed into
a crime scene. Something has happened here, what it is is not exactly
clear, and it is up to your students to come up with conclusions based
on the evidence. Students make and test observations, then use speaking
and writing skills to make inferences about what may have happened."
National Science Teachers
Association NSTA.
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The
GEMS guide “Mystery
Festival” is a science guide that engages students by introducing
mystery and
encouraging investigation. This guide offers two mysteries
designed for
particular grade levels. The “Mr. Bear Mystery” is designed for grades
2-3 and
The “Mr. Felix Mystery” is designed for grades 4-8. The mystery
that we
will be focusing on targets grade levels 2-3. The “Mystery Festival”
guide
provides students with a variety of challenges at different learning
stations
set up around the classroom. The goal of this mystery is for students
to be
able to distinguish between evidence and inference and to successfully
solve
the mystery. The mystery is divided into five sessions or
activities. The
first activity involves the students’ discovery of the crime scene and
the
students will observe and record clues. The second activity introduces
suspects
and the suspects’ alibis. After this information is disclosed the
students will
re-examine the crime scene clues and begin to make “guesses” as to what
happened.
The third activity requires that the students conduct tests on five
pieces of
evidence and evaluate suspects based on the pieces of evidence. The
fourth
activity students conduct test on five more pieces of evidence and
again
evaluate suspects based on pieces of evidence. The last activity
involves
collaboration between students and teacher to present options and
attempt to
solve the mystery.
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October 2007
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