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Observation and The Mystery Box
Observation and The Mystery Box
Activity idea
In this activity, students determine the contents of a ‘mystery’ box by making observations but
without opening it, and parallels are drawn between this activity and aspects of the nature of
science.
Students are unlikely to meet all of the activity objectives at the end of one lesson! They
should demonstrate a developing understanding of some of these aspects of the nature of
science.
Introduction/background
What you need
What to do
Extension ideas
Introduction/background
The activity is designed to explicitly teach ideas about the nature of science. It contains no
specific science content knowledge. This means that the students can learn about the nature of
science without having to try to understand new science content at the same time.
Activities like this could be used as part of a unit on the nature of science or they could be
incorporated throughout a science programme.
This particular activity helps to clarify the difference between observation and inference.
Science is not the orderly accumulation of knowledge. Rather, science requires imagination
and creativity to provide inferential statements about observed phenomena. Observations
describe what is seen, while inferences are statements made about observed phenomena from
conjecture.
It also allows students to see that observations can be made with non-visual senses (for
example, auditory senses as they rattle their boxes to determine its contents) and that
observations can be aided by instruments (using a magnet against the side of the box,
weighing it, using X-ray and so on.)
Since the students cannot open the box, they can never be 100% certain about its contents.
This helps students to see that scientific knowledge is tentative.
Identical small boxes (or containers) – one for each group of 3–4 students (a 10 cm cube is
a good size
Variety of small objects such as nails, paper clips, marbles, cotton buds, table tennis balls,
short pencils and so on
Tape
What to do
1. Before the session, place one item (or a few of one kind of item) into each box. It is a good
idea to have 3–4 boxes of the same item(s). Tape each box shut.
2. Hand each group of students their box. Ask them to leave it on their table and use their
sense of sight to begin making their observations, not inferences.
“It is red” is a valid visual observation.
“It is pretty” or “It would make a nice box for a gift of fudge” are inferences.
3. Once the students have shared their visual observations, ask them to make as many
observations as they can with all their senses without opening the box. For example, they
can feel the box, smell it and shake it to listen to it.
4. Have them share and record their observations. Ask them also to use these observations to
make a prediction about what the object(s) inside the box is.
6. Discuss what they could do to be more confident. For each option they offer, draw the
analogy to how scientists work.
Here are some possible student responses and comparisons with the work of scientists:
We could hold a magnet against the side of Scientists can use technology to enhance
the box or weigh it or X-ray it. their observations, but sometimes, the
most useful technology may be prohibitive.
We could get another box, put what we Scientists can make models to test.
think it is inside it and then compare them.
We could swap boxes and get another Scientists can replicate the work of others
group to check our results. to support or challenge their claims.
Extension ideas
This activity can be used to illustrate several tenets of the nature of science.
Each group brought different personalities, experiences and knowledge to this task and that
affected their observations and conclusions.
References
Cavallo, A. (2007). Draw-a-Scientist/Mystery Box. Science and Children, 45(3).
Knott, R.C. & Their, H.D. (1993). Science Curriculum Improvement Study 3 (SCIS 3) series.
Janulaw, S. (n.d.). Mystery boxes for grades 3–5. Retrieved from
http://undsci.berkeley.edu/lessons/mystery_boxes.html