Mystery Hangout - US Geography
Subjects: Social Studies, Math, Science
Common Core Speaking and Listening Standard: Anchor Standard 1 - Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Objective: Students use their knowledge of US regions, cardinal directions, capitals, time zones, major landforms and waterways, relative geographic size and knowledge of state and regional facts.
Here is a Google Map marking the locations of the "Mystery Schools" we've partnered with at Meadows and Robinson this year.
Subjects: Social Studies, Math, Science
Common Core Speaking and Listening Standard: Anchor Standard 1 - Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Objective: Students use their knowledge of US regions, cardinal directions, capitals, time zones, major landforms and waterways, relative geographic size and knowledge of state and regional facts.
Here is a Google Map marking the locations of the "Mystery Schools" we've partnered with at Meadows and Robinson this year.
Overview: Students connect with a “Mystery Classroom” via video call. Each class asks the other a series of yes/no questions to try to determine the “mystery location”. This can be done as a culminating activity or throughout the year to engage students in the study of geography. Mystery calls take approximately 30 minutes but require pre-planning, described below.
Supplies needed:
Prior to Mystery Call
1. Identify a partner classroom: The teacher locates a partner school in another state through personal connections, social media or lists of group lists like the ones below:
3. Assign roles to students: Prior to the Mystery Call students are divided into groups based on roles. Students can chose or teacher can assign roles. Here are some sample roles shared by Pernille Ripp:
For the USA
If east of Mississippi:
During the Call
1. Introduction: Have designated student(s) introduce your classroom without giving away any clues. For example “My name is Holly. I am a student in Mr. Barakat’s 4th grade classroom. Our school has 300 kids in grades 3 - 5.”
2. Questioning: Take turns asking and answering questions. Some classes continue to ask questions until the response is “no”. We prefered to alternate and have each class ask and answer questions back and forth. It helps to signal the partner class if your students are actively working on processing information.
3. Making a Guess: Students will eliminate regions and states with each question. As they narrow the location down, they will need to brainstorm which questions will help solve the mystery. When they are ready, they can make a guess. If student’s guess the mystery state incorrectly, the partner class can offer a hint. Sometimes this is necessary because there are times when students ask a question that can be interpreted different ways, for example, “Do people vacation in your state in the winter”. Students used this to determine if the state had a mild winter climate, but there are winter sports destination states that would answer this question in the affirmative.
After the Call
1. Debrief: Discuss with students what worked and what didn’t work during the call. This is a good time to fine-tune questions, review/re-define roles, etc. Consider having students write a reflection before you discuss as a class.
2. Share your experience: Share your experience via social media (make sure it’s ok with the partner class if there are images of their kids in your photos!), encourage colleges to try Mystery Calls with their kids! If you plan to do multiple Mystery Calls over time, consider posting a map and coloring in states that you’ve called over time.
Resources
Sources:
https://education.skype.com/mysteryskype/how-it-works#nav
https://plus.google.com/communities/110369120141935358658
http://pernillesripp.com/2013/05/13/great-mystery-skype-questions-to-get-you-started/
http://pernillesripp.com/2011/10/25/so-you-want-to-do-mystery-skype/
http://teachingforward.net/2014/06/15/mystery-calls-making-geography-real-for-kids/
Supplies needed:
- Google Hangout or Skype software (requires free download & account set up) OR set up Google + Hangout (requires Google + account and plugins installed)
- Internet connection on teacher computer
- Webcam
- Speakers & microphone (often integrated with webcam)
- Optional supplies: whiteboards/markers, atlas, maps to write on, Google Maps, key terms/definitions, large puzzle of the US
Prior to Mystery Call
1. Identify a partner classroom: The teacher locates a partner school in another state through personal connections, social media or lists of group lists like the ones below:
- Google + Mystery Hangout Community
- 6th Chat Mystery Skype
- Mystery Country/Mystery State
- The Official Mystery Skype Community from Skype
- On Twitter - message #4thchat OR #mysteryskype OR @mysteryskype OR #mysterycall
3. Assign roles to students: Prior to the Mystery Call students are divided into groups based on roles. Students can chose or teacher can assign roles. Here are some sample roles shared by Pernille Ripp:
- Greeters – Say hello to the class and some cool facts about the class – without giving away the location.
- Speakers – these kids ask the questions and are the voice of the classroom. They can also be the ones that answer the questions.
- Think tanks – I had students sit in a group and figure out the clues based on the information they knew.
- Question keepers – these students typed all of the questions and answers for us to review later.
- Facilitators – Students that runs from group to group relaying information.
- Reporters – takes pictures and video during the call
- Closers – End the call in a nice manner after guesses have been given.
For the USA
- Are you in North America?
- Are you in the United States?
- Are you east of the Mississippi?
If east of Mississippi:
- Are you one of the original 13 colonies?
- Do you border a Great Lake?
- Do you border an ocean?
- Do the Appalachians run through your state?
- Do you border Canada?
- Are you Northeast/Midwest/Southeast region?
- Do you border the Gulf of Mexico?
- Are you in the West/Southwest region?
- Do you border the Pacific?
- Do the Rocky Mountains run through your state?
- Do you border Canada?
- Is your state landlocked?
- Are you one of the contiguous states?
During the Call
1. Introduction: Have designated student(s) introduce your classroom without giving away any clues. For example “My name is Holly. I am a student in Mr. Barakat’s 4th grade classroom. Our school has 300 kids in grades 3 - 5.”
2. Questioning: Take turns asking and answering questions. Some classes continue to ask questions until the response is “no”. We prefered to alternate and have each class ask and answer questions back and forth. It helps to signal the partner class if your students are actively working on processing information.
3. Making a Guess: Students will eliminate regions and states with each question. As they narrow the location down, they will need to brainstorm which questions will help solve the mystery. When they are ready, they can make a guess. If student’s guess the mystery state incorrectly, the partner class can offer a hint. Sometimes this is necessary because there are times when students ask a question that can be interpreted different ways, for example, “Do people vacation in your state in the winter”. Students used this to determine if the state had a mild winter climate, but there are winter sports destination states that would answer this question in the affirmative.
After the Call
1. Debrief: Discuss with students what worked and what didn’t work during the call. This is a good time to fine-tune questions, review/re-define roles, etc. Consider having students write a reflection before you discuss as a class.
2. Share your experience: Share your experience via social media (make sure it’s ok with the partner class if there are images of their kids in your photos!), encourage colleges to try Mystery Calls with their kids! If you plan to do multiple Mystery Calls over time, consider posting a map and coloring in states that you’ve called over time.
Resources
- Video overview of the Mystery Call
- Printable time zone map
- Time zone activity packet
- MapFight - Web tool to compare sizes of states (great math tie-in!)
- Sample Mystery Call questions blog post
- Sample Video Conferencing Guidelines
- Google maps
- Google Earth Web version (requires plugin install)
Sources:
https://education.skype.com/mysteryskype/how-it-works#nav
https://plus.google.com/communities/110369120141935358658
http://pernillesripp.com/2013/05/13/great-mystery-skype-questions-to-get-you-started/
http://pernillesripp.com/2011/10/25/so-you-want-to-do-mystery-skype/
http://teachingforward.net/2014/06/15/mystery-calls-making-geography-real-for-kids/