The Mystery Bag Challenge | Great Icebreaker & Hands-On Activity

Overview

Of all the icebreakers I’ve tried, this classic challenge is my favorite activity to do during the first few days of school. Students are always intrigued by what might be inside a mystery bag and the concept of working towards a common goal is an excellent way to build camaraderie between new classmates. Furthermore, the challenge itself is simple to understand and embodies all aspects of the scientific method, thus making it the ideal science icebreaker.

Materials

Worksheet

Suggested Item List for Each Mystery Bag (~8-10 unique items):

• 1 Drawstring bag (paper lunch bags work too, but they lack durability)

• Eraser

• Unsharpened pencil

• 3 coins

• Plastic spoon

• Uncooked pasta

• Small potato (saran wrapped if you want to use them later)

• Car air freshener or perfume (preferably a distinct scent that is sprayed into bag and identifiable during the “Smell It!” observational round)

• Paperclips/binder clips

• Foam ball

Preparation

• 8 Mystery bags (or 1 per group of 4)

Resources

• The Mystery Bag Challenge Worksheet | Available on TpT

• How Science Works | California Academy of Sciences

• Science in America - Neil deGrasse Tyson

• An Aurora Called ‘Steve’? Strange Sky Phenomenon Investigated

Pacing

Suggested Pacing

Day 1 - mystery bag challenge | how science works

Day 2 - mystery bag reveal | wrap up discussion

Pacing w/ Teacher Notes:**

Day 1 - For this challenge, I like to introduce it after going over the syllabus and classroom norms. After they’ve had a chance to do some icebreakers and feel more comfortable in the classroom, I briefly ask them about how science works and we transition into the activity.

Before giving the students their mystery bags, I have my students read the directions aloud. I stress that they should be using only one observational skill per round until the last one. I also let them know that they shouldn’t taste the bag, which tends to make some students laugh. Then I have them group up in fours and they get a chance to work and discuss within their groups. While they interact, I check in with each group as I announce the beginning and end of each round. I give them two minutes per round, so that everyone has enough time to observe and write. I give them a little more time for the last round (3-5 minutes) to revisit previous observations and to discuss with their groups.

Once the challenge is over, I gather the bags and I don’t let them immediately see its contents. This allows students to stay engaged and I tell them that it’s similar to how scientists work, as they can’t always “see what’s inside.” It also prevents your students from sharing with their friends in your other classes.

If there is time, I show them a video that goes over an example of how science works and ask them to take brief notes about the process on the back of their handout. After the video, they may share notes and work on answering the discussion questions within their groups.

Day 2 - On Day 2, I give them a chance to share their answers to the discussion questions and their guesses on what they thought was inside the mystery bags. I like to have them write their responses on the board, as they can connect their answers to what they did during the challenge. When we finish discussing, I give them a chance to look inside the bags. I wrap up the activity by highlighting an example of how citizen scientists can make discoveries and by showing a video on why science is a crucial subject to understand .

Credits: California Academy of Sciences, StarTalk, Space.