Something's Fishy at Lake Iwannafisha - eBook
A Whodunit Forensic Mystery
Grades: 5-9
Critical Thinking
View Sample Pages Grades: 5-9
Critical Thinking
- Multiple Award Winner
Description and Features
Description and Features
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interesting and excitingI like how the Critical Thinking Co.™ put this together to make it interesting and exciting, and encourage students to use critical thinking skills in a way that really requires them to apply them. Not just in the sense that they are reading and answering questions or drawing conclusions, but that they are pulling together pieces and parts of information from all different sources and synthesizing them and then drawing conclusions and using those conclusions to answer other questions. That’s the kind of critical thinking I want my son to be able to do as a high schooler, and honestly, this is just a really fun way to do it!
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my kids loved this programGeared for grades 5 and up, Something's Fishy is quite challenging. My sons, especially the youngest, are pretty protected, and the youngest is exceptionally sensitive, but they loved this program. They viewed it from a scientific and mystery stand point only and never once blinked an eye at the details presented. If you have a child with an investigative mind who likes a good mystery, they will probably love Something's Fishy at Lake Iwannafisha. The Critical Thinking Co. has always been a favorite in our house. Their colorful workbooks and mind challenging products never disappoint.
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does not tie up nice and neat with a bow and no loose endsThe kids really enjoyed reading about fingerprinting, ballistics, handwriting analysis and even about counterfeit currency. This is also teacher involved as you play the role of Police Sergeant. You will want to read through all of the teacher notes and instructions for the book. They enjoyed getting to read the police reports and witness statements! They had so much fun taking turns on the readings. One would be the officer and the other would be the witness. They truly had fun making up voices as well for that activity! This mystery, like the real world, does not tie up nice and neat with a bow and no loose ends! There are so many possibilities I am sure no two students will follow exactly like the other.
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a blast to work throughSomething Fishy at Lake Iwannafisha was a blast to work through. This is a product that was truly interesting. It was completely different than anything we had ever used and was a perfect final project for our forensics unit.
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science and critical thinking applied to real lifeAs the students examine the evidence, they will need to request further information from the teacher, who plays the role of a sergeant obtaining the requested reports. So students will need to use critical thinking skills to decide what kind of evidence to ask for - what will they need first, and where will each additional piece of the puzzle lead them? They can examine Missing Persons Reports, Witness Statements, reports from the various labs and units (arson investigation, ballistics and striations reports, firearms identification catalog, counterfeit currency department, vehicle registrations, handwriting samples, fingerprint records, and the medical examiner's report), and record their findings on various forms. We used this investigation purely as a fun supplement, but it does present a lot of great introductory information on forensic sciences and how experts and detectives use these specialized fields of science in solving crimes. The practice in logical and analytical thinking is also valuable. It's a fun way to see how science and critical thinking is used in practical applications. I do want to mention that even though the students are learning about analyzing evidence from human remains, where the cause of death was violent, there are no graphic or disturbing images or descriptions. We both had a lot of fun sifting through evidence, analyzing information, and figuring out which Persons of Interest should be charged with the crimes.
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N/ATeachers seeking to actively and enthusiastically engage students in the learning process will be delighted by the ease with which this highly entertaining crime mystery simulation accomplishes that goal. Kids happily take on the role of police detectives trying to get to the bottom of this carefully crafted crime scenario. Working individually or in small teams, sleuthing students throw themselves into gathering information, observing, assessing, questioning, comparing, drawing inferences, and deducing their way towards solutions rooted in logic. Along the way, they also learn a good deal about various types of forensic evidence (fingerprints, ballistics, handwriting, and more) while using witnesses' statements, police reports, and lab reports to form and corroborate theories and conclusions. From cover to cover, Something's Fishy at Lake Iwannafisha is filled with easy-to-use tools and resources that lend this in-depth learning experience the immersive and rewarding feel of an exciting, real-life adventure.
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