Sunlight and the Seasons
A Video Snapshot of Mystery Class

In a global game of hide and seek called Mystery Class, students track changing day length at ten secret sites around the world. They discover that changing sunlight is what drives seasonal changes. This, in turn, affects the entire web of life.
Changing Sunlight Guides the Search

How does changing sunlight guide the search for the Mystery Class locations?

Discover Latitude

 

How can graphing photoperiod help reveal information about the latitude of each mystery site?

Discover Longitude

 

What clues are given to calculate longitude and narrow the search?

Pinpoint Locations with More Clues

After the spring equinox, what additional clues will the Mystery Classes provide to help pinpoint their locations?

Clip #5 Celebrate your Discoveries!

 
Early May brings the day the students have all been waiting for... the day the secret Mystery sites are revealed! Reflection and assessment follow as students rush to see if they accurately predicted the locations
 
Mystery Class supports scientific observations, data collection, and student-directed inquiry. Students learn the importance of establishing and following a scientific protocol. Students develop a deep grasp of these important concepts because they puzzle them out in real time as the project unfolds over two and a half months.