Mystery Class FNCS Year Overview Plan

Mystery Class main objective:

To explore the patterns and impact that the sun has on our environment. Changes in the photoperiod impact our
weather, with stunning changes occurring in approaching the equinoxes. A locations photoperiod pattern tells about
its location on the earth.
Exploration:
Starting in January, Journey North gives schools the sunrise and sunset data of location around the world. The call
the locations a Mystery Class. (MC) Students calculate photoperiod and begin to watch the trends that reveal what
hemisphere the class is in, the approximate latitude. Finally, the longitude is calculated on the Spring equinox. Then
students are given four cultural and geographical clues that help them narrow their search to continent, country, state,
and finally city. Then the submit their answers. Two weeks later, the locations of the classes are revealed. One week
later, they post pictures and stories of the Mystery Classes. Students learn about different cultures and geographical
features of places around the world.
Connections:
Weather, phenology, climate change, math, analyzing data, so much!! Keep writing the list!
Month Kinder First Second Third Fourth & Fifth
September Weather Weather Weather Weekly: Weekly:
pattern pattern pattern 1. Track photoperiod 1. Track photoperiod
2. Report on excel 2. Report on map and exel
chart. chart and by hand

October Autumn Autumn Autumn Observe pattern, Observe pattern,

Key Points: Key Points:
1. Autumn 1. Autumn
2. Days getting 2. Days getting shorter?
shorter? 3. What causes day and
3. What causes day night?
and night?

 Mystery Class FNCS Year Overview Plan

November Day light, 1. Daylight, 1. Daylight, Observe pattern Observe pattern
what makes what what makes Key Points: Key Points:
day and makes day day and 1. Northern 1. Northern hemisphere
night? and night. night. hemisphere days days are getting shorter.
2. Days get 2. Days get are getting Southern?
shorter shorter and shorter. 2. Introduce Latitude&
and longer longer Southern? Longitude
depending depending 2. Introduce 3. Explore what causes
on season. on season. Latitude& seasons?
Longitude
December Days get 1. The sun 1. Days get Observe pattern Observe pattern
shorter and warms the shorter and 1. Winter Solstice. Key Points:
longer land air longer 2. Understand the 1. Explore Winter Solstice
depending on and sea. depending position of the sun 2. Explore how the position
season. on season. impacts weather. of the sun impacts
2. Winter weather depending on
Solstice latitude.
3. Local vs Universal time,
prime meridian, GMT.
January Continue to Continue to Continue to 1. Understand Mystery Class begins! Follow
observe observe observe hemisphere, lessons.
weather, weather, weather, equator 1. Record both local and MC
daylight and daylight and daylight and 2. Observe the photoperiod.
season season season pattern of the 2. Explore photoperiod map.
pattern. pattern. pattern. moon and lunar
cycle.
February 1. Explore the orbit 1. Latitude shoes
of the earth 2. Latitude and hemisphere
around the sun. 3. Time zones
2. The position of the
sun impacts the
weather on the
earth.

 Mystery Class FNCS Year Overview Plan

March Continue to observe 1. Latitude and longitude
weather, daylight and 2. Predicting hemisphere
season pattern and latitude with your
MC photoperiod graph.
3. Spring Equinox
4. Use UT time on the
Equinox to identify
longitude.
5. Get first clues to narrow
locations of MC.
April 1. Use clues to find each
MC.
2. Submit final answers
May 1. Big reveal did you get it
right?
2. Make poster out of
pictures from MC.
3. Present MC results to 3rd
grader students.