Every Monday, the kids come in to a mystery to solve. I build it around things we have been learning so they can use those skills in a different context. This week, a package went missing. To find it, the kids worked through a series of investigations, with each answer leading them closer to a final clue. One required them to use what they had learned about circuits. Another required them to read a book closely and use their comprehension to find the answer. The next was a multi-step math problem involving multiplication and subtraction.
One of my favorite parts was watching them work through the math problem. Every kid approached it in different ways. Some drew it out, while others talked through the numbers or broke the problem into steps. They compared their thinking and explained how they got their answers. It gave me a chance to see not only whether they could solve the problem, but how they were thinking through it.
And that thinking continues throughout the entire mystery. The kids have to figure out what they know, what information matters, and what to try next. Reading, math, and science become tools they can pull from as they need them. They also have to work together, share what they notice, and listen to different ideas. Their first attempt doesn’t always work, and sometimes one child catches something everyone else missed. Of course, they love cracking the final code and finding the package, but most of the learning happens while they’re getting there.
My hope is that the kids become comfortable looking closely, asking questions, using what they know and working together when the answer isn't obvious. And Monday Mystery gives us a place to practice that every week.
-Cristina
