Children and adults alike love to participate in the singing of the song, "Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar?" The mystery of the missing cookie when sung by children and adults is most times left unanswered. The final person in the round of singing usually ends the quest for the answer by passing the blame back to the originator of the song. I have chosen this favorite song as the plot for the mystery to be developed and solved by the kindergarten children in my class. Though this unit is being prepared for children of kindergarten age, it can be easily adapted to meet the needs and interest of children of a variety of ages and abilities.
The Setting for this Mystery
The setting for this mystery will take place in surroundings with which the children are familiar and feel quite comfortable, their classroom and school.
Laying the Ground Work for the Mystery
Preparation of the Staff
The nature of this unit necessitates that the children work collaboratively in small groups and as a class, and involves the collaborative efforts of the teaching staff of the school. To execute this unit successfully, it will be necessary to explain this project to the entire school staff. Knowing the staff at my school, I am confident of the co-operation and enthusiasm of every individual and therefore look forward to the positive execution of this unit.
I will obtain permission from the principal to solicit the participation and co-operation of staff members for this project. Since this unit requires the participation of the majority of the staff, I will probably seek to present the project during a staff meeting when most of the staff members are present. I will prepare the clue cards for use by the cookie thief in advance so that they can so that the staff can get a clear view of the nature of this project. These clue cards will be clearly designated as Clue #1, Clue #2, Clue #3, Clue #4 or Day #1, Day #2, Day #3, etc. The clue cards will be presented latter in the unit. (You may however wish to devise clues that may be more appropriate for your situation.)
I will explain to the staff that I'll need all of their co-operation in the execution of this project and that I will need one member to assume the role of coordinator and culprit. This member will be the one to collaborate the efforts and actions of all other staff members. For example, in clue #3, the cookie thief tells you that she is wearing earrings. The coordinator will need to instruct several teachers not to wear earrings that day so that they don't fit the description and can be eliminated as a possible suspect. (You may want this person to be anonymous to yourself. This will make the unit more exciting and will keep you on your toes along with the children.)
The Mystery
1, 2,3, Oh, No!
Where did that Cookie Go?
In my classroom, Friday is the day when the children relax with table games, floor puzzles, etc. The children pair off into groups and enjoy the day's activities. This is normally the time when rewards are also given out for a week's worth of good work. Therefore, when I present a cookie jar filled with cookies, though a welcome treat, it will not be a total surprise to the children. I will be sure that there are enough cookies for each child and the adults who work in the classroom and there will be an extra large, extra special cookie placed at the bottom of the jar. This is the cookie that is left over. It is also the cookie that is taken.
After sharing the cookies with the children, I will elaborate on the idea that there is a cookie left over and wow! Is it big! And doesn't it look delicious! The children will want to eat it right away, but I'll insist that they've had enough cookies for the day and that we'll just leave this one here in the cookie jar to share on Monday with the class. You may want to discuss that one cookie won't go far with so many children, but that you'll share it anyway. This encourages the children to share with each other and binds them together collectively as they anticipate the eating of the cookie. I'll secure the cookie in plastic wrap and place it in the cookie jar carefully. After placing the top on the cookie jar and I'll place it in a very conspicuous place in the classroom where all the children can see it.
The coordinator will communicate with the custodian or principal to have access to the classroom so that they may remove the cookie from the jar on the first Friday of the actual mystery. They will also communicate to the staff the role each staff member will play each day, eliminating certain teachers on a daily basis until finally all clues point to the cookie thief.
By the end of this unit the children should not only have solved the mystery of the missing cookie but should also be more fully acquainted with the teaching staff at the school.
The mystery begins when the children discover that the cookie jar has been tampered with and the cookie is gone!
The Clues
Each day the coordinator/culprit will also be responsible for leaving the daily clue either in the teacher's mailbox, taped to the door, or in some obvious place where it can be "found" early enough each day so that the children may actually do some "investigating." Since the majority of the staff members at the school at which I teach are women, many of the clues after the first will be geared mainly to women.
Clue #1 (Monday)
I heard that you've been reading about mysteries,
I'm here to help you out!
I leave a clue each morning,
You decipher what this mystery's about!
I am a staff member at your school!
Clue #2 (Tuesday)
Well, I see you're up and running,
Trying to find that cookie fast,
Take your time and gather the evidence,
Oh! I hope that cookie will last!
I am a classroom teacher at your school!
Clue #3 (Wednesday)
You think you're getting closer
By your bright-eyed look, I can tell
Well, I say you better hurry,
That cookie has a delicious smell!
You'll see me today wearing earrings.
(Your coordinator will need to collaborate with the teaching staff so that only approximately half of the teachers are wearing earrings that day.)
Clue #4 (Thursday)
You're cold, your lukewarm, you're hot!'
You're pretty good at what you do,
I'm glad that you're such smart kids,
Now, here's another clue!
Today I'm wearing black slacks and a sweater.
(By now the coordinator should have eliminated three-quarter of the teaching staff. He/she should also have eliminated all teachers who teach the same grade as he/she.)
Clue #5 (Friday)
I think you're really on the ball,
You're only considering a few,
Today I think you'll get back that cookie,
So, here's the final clue!
I'm a teacher of children in the ______ grade.
(The teacher, who has the cookie, should fill in his/her grade, before leaving this final clue. Remember that the coordinator has previously eliminated any other teacher(s) on his/her grade level.)
Let's Investigate
Suggest to the children that since they are to be the detectives in the solving of this mystery, they should be equipped with the necessary tools to do a detective's job. Ask the children if they remember from previous mysteries that they've seen or read what tools detectives use as they did their detective work. Once the children are fully equipped with vocabulary and tools, send them out on the investigative search. The following schedule of investigative events has been outlined for use with children of kindergarten age.
The first clue identifies the cookie thief as a member of the school staff. This includes the entire staff both male and female, custodian, classroom teachers, principal, etc.. The first thing the children need to do is to gather the names of all staff members. The children will need to be supervised during this activity. When the children return to class, this information will need to be recorded as outlined in Lesson plan #5.