Mystery Class
Teacher Tips for Longitude Clues
- For background information and instructional support see pages 2-5 of Practice Packet #2: Discovering Longitude Clues.
- Animations provide helpful visual support. See graphics provided in this slideshow: Longitude Clues: Why They Only Work on the Equinox.
- Don't be overly concerned about "right answers": Longitude Clues are just one piece of the puzzle in locating Mystery Class Sites. It is not essential for students to find the "right answers." They can be successful in pinpointing locations by using the interdisciplinary clues that will be provided in future Updates. Your role is to encourage students to explore the data and ask questions. Our overarching goal is to help students learn the science behind the seasons as they search for Mystery Class sites.
- Watch for teachable moments: As a real-world, inquiry-based project there are always elements of surprise. For example, a Mystery Class site may not experience sunrise on the equinox, so there will be no data for students to calculate. In such cases, encourage students to think about why this is true and predict where in the world such a location might be. Build curiosity and celebrate moments of discovery. To give students the opportunity to do math calculations, partner them this week with students/groups searching for other Mystery Class sites.
