GRADE 5 TEACHERS at Pineview Public School used deductive reasoning through a game of whodunit to teach students about the concept of matter in Science class.
The premise was that class mascot stuffed animals were stolen and there was a white powder left at the ‘crime scene’. There were three suspects and students used clues and applied the scientific method to ascertain what the substance was and who swiped the stuffies.
In Science, the Halton Hills class has been working on the Properties and Changes in Matter strand. Prior to this project, students learned about, and conducted, experiments involving physical and chemical changes in matter. In the introduction to this current activity, students came into class one day to find a mini ‘crime scene’ in the room including caution tape, mysterious white powder, class mascots missing and a teacher pretending to be police officer.
The students were briefed on the abduction of the school’s class mascots. Three staff members were suspects and their motives and connection to the crime were outlined – one enjoyed baking and used a lot of cornstarch, one ate sweet treats and had icing sugar on her hands, and one was connected to baking soda.
A white powder had been left behind where the stuffies had been and the students determined the type of powder to uncover the thief’s identity. Students worked in small groups to design an experiment to test the powder and solve the crime.
The three suspects spent a couple of weeks trying to frame each other by leaving clues in the classrooms and around the school. The clues included hoof prints in the hallway, notes from the animals letting classes know they're being well cared for and monkey and giraffe pictures in the suspects' rooms or offices. Each day, students had a chance to share new clues they discovered and kept an evidence log.
At the end of the activity, the students conducted experiments they designed like, adding vinegar and iodine to the mystery powder, and used their observations to determine who had stolen the animals. The class had a discussion about the types of physical and chemical changes that occurred and why suspects can or cannot be ruled out as the thieves.
“Students are most engaged in activities they feel a personal connection to and get them actively involved in the learning and inquiry process,” explained teacher Callie Watson. “When they have the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities they get to apply the knowledge they have gained about the subject matter and solidify the concepts.”
Added teacher Lauren Maltby-Lawrence: “When it comes to conducting the actual experiment, students are highly engaged because they're the ones who have determined their procedure and they know the results will lead to the capture of the thieves and our animals being returned.”
The curriculum connection was strong through the deductive reasoning exercise, Watson said.
“This project, in particular, focused on the curriculum expectations of using scientific inquiry and experimentation to investigate changes in matter and identifying indicators of a chemical change,” she said. “In addition, it ties into critical thinking skills. Students questioned who may have tried to frame people, think about why certain evidence shows up where it does and what it means, and consider what they already know when questioning different suspects. There is also a media component to it as they create wanted posters to try and catch the thieves.”