mystery in a bag activity

Modifying this technique

  • Depending on how you modify it, this activity is appropriate for students from kindergarten all the way through high school. Depending on their age, you will need to modify how strongly you guide the investigation with leading questions.
  • This activity is a great way to teach observation and investigation in special needs classrooms. Passing physical objects around the circle can help students focus by giving them tactile stimulation. When choosing props, make sure that your props are sturdy and safe enough for your class.
  • Keeping track of observations can be a way to support vocab acquisition, writing, and spelling. Consider writing all the clues and inferences up on a board, or asking students to take notes on their own detective pads.

skill breakdown

BEFORE THE LESSON

DESIGN THE MYSTERY
What is the mystery? Does it relate to a book you are reading in class? Does it involve a character your students know? Does it teach a new math or science concept? Think creatively about the kind of mystery you want to design.

  • Why? Your mystery should be simple to understand, but complex enough to require investigation.  
  • Notice: In the video, Dianna asks the class to solve the mystery of who this backpack belongs to.
  • For example: Your friend left a bag of supplies at your house. The bag is filled with seeds, a shovel, and a watering can. What do you think they were going to do?
  • For example: A museum’s archives were all mixed up in a hurricane. They have a bag full of scarab amulets, hieroglyphic writing, and linen wrapping. What exhibit do you think it came from?
  • For example: Big Anthony from Strega Nona was helping Strega Nona put her shopping away. He found frosting, candles, and wrapping paper. Why would Strega Nona buy all these things?

GATHER THE PROPS
Be as meticulous as possible when gathering props. Make sure they tell the right story.

  • Notice: In the video, Dianna picks a small children’s bag because the character is a small child. What would have the class have thought if the objects were coming out of a large briefcase?
  • Why? It can be tempting to throw whatever props you have into any old bag, but that can be misleading. Make sure that you choose props as carefully as you want students to examine them.

PICK GUIDING QUESTIONS
Depending on your class’s age and development, decide how much you need to guide the activity. For young classes, come up with leading questions.

  • Why? Coming up with questions before class starts will help you keep the lesson focused.
  • Notice: In the video, you can see that Dianna leads the class with a strong hand. She asks “Is this a big bag or a small bag?” From there, she can lead the conversation to the size of the person who owns the bag. For older classes you can be looser with your questions. Ask general questions like, “What do you see?”

DURING THE LESSON

SCAFFOLD THE ACTIVITY
As always, break the activity into clear steps, and practice each step before moving on to the next. Make sure students understand the previous step before introducing the next step.

  • Why? Scaffolding activities is a way to make sure no one is left behind.

PUT STUDENTS IN CHARACTER
Before you even introduce the mystery, get the students in character as detectives.

  • Notice: Dianna does this expertly by using “let’s all say that.” She lets the students physically engage by putting on “detective glasses” or “detective hats.”  
  • Why? When a student plays an expert, like a detective, they get to model the social-emotional qualities of that character, like focus, responsibility, and impulse-control. Especially for young students, being in character is a particularly effective engagement strategy that engages them physically and mentally.

INTRODUCE THE MYSTERY
Once the students are in character as detectives, tell them about the mystery.

  • Notice: Dianna explains that she found a bag without an owner, and we need to figure out who it belongs to. The beauty of this mystery is that it’s simple to explain, but requires plenty of investigation to solve.

MAKING OBSERVATIONS AND INFERENCES
Once the students are in character and understand the mystery, they are ready to start investigating. This is the crux of the literacy lesson. Depending on the class’s age, focus on different elements of investigation. If your class is familiar with opinions and facts, ask them to identify facts and share their opinions about what the facts mean. You could also ask the class to make observations and inferences. Each age group requires a different kind of investigation.

  • Notice: Dianna asks in-depth questions about every clue. She starts by asking, “What is this?” When the class identifies the object, she relies on their prior knowledge to ask: “How do you use this object?” And, finally, she asks the class the make inferences: “What kind of person might carry this object?”
  • Why? This activity can be an easy entry point to observation and inference because it’s couched in a story. When students are emotionally invested in solving the mystery, a regular lesson becomes an exciting drama.

ONCE THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED
Once your class has solved the mystery, the lesson doesn’t have to end. In fact, extending the activity is a great way to channel the emotional investment into another lesson.

  • Notice: In the video “Mystery In A Bag Activity- Problem Solving,” Dianna shows how a mystery can segue into a literacy lesson. She uses the mystery to introduce a new problem that needs to be solved: Froggy has been invited to a party he doesn’t want to go to.
  • For example: As described in the video, you can solve this problem by writing letters, acting out solutions, or writing opinion pieces.
  • Remember: It’s easy to extend a mystery into a non-literacy lesson. For example, you can segue the Froggy mystery into a lesson about swamps and the animals that live there. Remember, all of the interactive drama strategies in this resource can be applied to any subject, not just literacy.