The Case of the Soda Explosion

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Stille, D. (2012).

The Case of the Soda Explosion and Other True Science Mysteries for You to Solve.

Mankato, Minn.: Capstone Press.

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Summary

The Case of the Soda Explosion and Other True Science Mysteries for You to Solve contains 12 fascinating and real world mysteries written specifically for children to solve. Each mystery provides a science-related question to answer, focusing a child's thought process. Some of the mysteries are straightforward; others are fairly difficult and will require quite a bit of thinking and digging. The mysteries are illustrated in a way to highlight important parts. Well-developed answers follow each mystery, along with key vocabulary. One does not have to be a scientist to enjoy these mysteries.

Teaching Idea:  Internet Inquiry

Around the beginning of the school year, I will start reading one case each Monday. My students will have until Thursday to write a brief explanation of what they believe happened and their solution to the mystery for that week. They can solve it by solely using their prior knowledge or my conducting some research using whatever method they prefer. I will post the book's solution, and the scientific reasoning behind it, on our wall each Friday so we can exam what truly happened in these real world cases. Going through our weekly mystery is for pleasure and to continually spark my students' interest in science.

Once we have covered all 12 mysteries, I will assign an Internet Inquiry. My students will need to locate a real world science mystery similar to those we have examined in the book. They will identify important questions to search and gather information to answer those questions. They may choose any issue they would like to explore. Allowing my students to explore any science topic will help motivate them and better engage them in the learning process. They also may work with a partner, if they so desire. Finally, they must choose the format they will use to present their mystery, and its solution, to their peers in class.

5th graders naturally love solving mysteries. The benefits of using this book along with an Internet Inquiry are that my students will receive experience thinking like a scientist and discover how science is used to solve real world occurrences. It will be a creative and attention-grabbing assignment!

This lesson corresponds with Science TEKS 5.2(B), (D), (F); 5.3(D).

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