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It's a Mystery!

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I strongly believe a Mystery Box is an essential item for any teacher teaching kids and teens. It can probably even be used for adults. I might just try it this semester since I do have an adult group on Saturdays. 
There are so many ways you can use this box that's why it's so useful. It can be used to introduce vocabulary or sentences on slips, for example, place words in the box that are connected to the unit topic, have each student come and with their eyes closed pick a word, read it aloud, and try to guess what the unit is about. You can write their guesses on the board and then see how close they got to the correct answer. You can place different objects in the box and slowly show parts of the object for students to guess. The answer to a question can be placed in the box and at the end of the class a student can read the answer to see if students answered correctly. People always love a little mystery so this box is a great way to engage students and bring an unexpected twist to your lesson plan.
Before I open the box, I always like to sing the Mystery Box song from Super Simple Songs and even use the box to beat the rhythm of the song.
I used a shoebox to make the Mystery Box in the picture but you can use any box and then just let your creativity run free.


 

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