"Right
or wrong, it is the learning that counts!"
Mystery
Class/AllGrades/Closing Arguments/Ceremony
Barbara DeSantis
Samsel
Upper Elementary School
Parlin, NJ
I
hold a Mystery Class Celebration near the end of the activity. In
addition to the students who worked so hard, I invite a few other
school staff like the librarian, media specialist, and other teachers
(all of whom helped provide resources during the quest) and also my
principals and other supervisors.
The students all really worked hard! So, near the end of the Mystery
Class activity, I plan our 'celebration' , because right or wrong
it is the learning that counts!
Here are a few things that I make part of the celebration:
Self-Expression
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One
of my students (at my request) has written a poem for the occasion:
Mystery
Class
Mystery
Class is really fun
Find your coordinates and you'll be done!
Find
your location, east or west,
Eliminating countries is a pest!
Look
at your clues and you will see
Your location - just like me!
When
I find my location, so will you,
We'll be winners for the things we do!
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Review
and Gratitude
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I
review where we had been, and what we had done (put the charts
on the wall- I use the easel sized paper)
We
thank the folks who helped us (the media specialist for letting
us have the encyclopedias, the other teachers who loaned us maps,
my excellent teaching partners, etc) |
What's
the real message here?
(Click image to find out
what really counts.)
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Laminated
Certificates |
I
gave out laminated certificates (the highlight of the event!)
to the students recognizing their efforts and learning.
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Sweet
Rewards |
After
the presentation,
time for food!
We
collected money ($.50 a child) and got ice cream sandwiches.
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We invite the principal, vice principal, science supervisor, and
social studies supervisor to enjoy the event.
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At the very end (after some teasing), I reveal the results/secret
locations.
- Our
Board of Education monthly handout even had a paragraph write up
about our Mystery Class participation.
Results |
My
favorite page is labeled "Results"- I had each team
use a file card to share what they learned - some comments were
very detailed (about the location, city, country, etc) while
others were more general (longitude, latitude, lapsed time,
problem solving). Still others were more cultural based (currency,
kings, things to see). It helps me make the point - "See
how much you have learned!" This makes the revelation of
the classroom sites secondary. |
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