Becoming Investigators

As a teacher, you’re always looking for creative and engaging ways to inspire your students. One of my favorite units to teach in 2nd grade was our mystery unit.  It’s such a great way to teach inference and predictions.  One fun and challenging activity you can try is creating a mystery that can only be solved by finding hidden clues in several passages. Here’s how you can set it up:

1. Choose a theme and create a story

First, choose a theme for your mystery. It could be anything from a missing artifact to a stolen recipe. Once you have a theme, create a story that incorporates it. Your story should be broken up into several passages that will be given to your students to read.

2. Hide clues in each passage

Next, hide clues in each passage that will help your students solve the mystery. These clues could be anything from a word that is underlined in the text to a symbol that is hidden in the margins. Be creative and make the clues challenging but not impossible to find.

3. Assign reward points for each clue

To add an extra layer of excitement, assign reward points for each clue that your students find. For example, the first clue might be worth 10 points, the second clue might be worth 20 points, and so on. At the end of the activity, the student with the most points wins a prize.

4. Watch your students become investigators

Once you have everything set up, distribute the passages to your students and watch as they become investigators, searching for clues to solve the mystery. Encourage them to work together and share their findings with each other. You can even create a leaderboard to track their progress and add to the excitement.

Creating a mystery with hidden clues is a fun and challenging activity that can inspire your students to become investigators. By assigning reward points for each clue, you can add an extra layer of excitement and encourage your students to work together. Give it a try and watch your students become engaged and motivated learners!