Crime Scene Investigators in Science

We have been learning about properties of matter in science.  First we looked at a collection of objects and brainstormed different ways to describe them such as size, weight, color, material, shape, and texture.  Then students chose an object to draw and label in their science notebook.  Here are a few examples:

Then we put our skills to the test as crime scene investigators.  I presented the following scenario to the class:  A toy store was broken into in Grapevine recently and the method used was a ball thrown through the window.  Since it was a toy store, there were lots of other balls found inside.  We have been asked by the police department to confirm which of the balls found was the culprit.  We were given 2 clues to work with.  Clue 1 said that the ball used to break the window was smaller than an apple.  Clue 2 said that the ball used was the heaviest of the balls.  

First students worked with their teams to put the balls in order by size and eliminate the ones that could not be the culprit because of their size.  Then students used a balance scale to compare the balls by weight and narrow it down to the correct object used in the break-in.  Here are some students hard at work to solve this crime! 

 

When the teams were done, they recorded their results in their science notebooks like this:

 

Then we opened the evidence box to find that the small silver ball was the one used in the crime - just as our class of detectives had concluded!