Okay, I confess...the inspiration for this series came from a need to lower the volume during our STEM lessons! My third graders seemed unable to contain their enthusiasm, and it wasn't until they became "secret agents" that they truly employed their "whisper voices."
To make the "missions" extra exciting, I found an old black suitcase at a yard sale and stenciled the words "Top Secret" onto the side; I keep the materials inside, so when the kids see the suitcase, they know it's time for STEM. Each agent is supplied with a secret mission file. Oh...and did I mention that I play the "Mission Impossible" theme music while they work? Yeah...it's pretty cool.
Click here for a YouTube video showing how to assemble student booklets.
Mission: Laser Maze
For this mission, your secret agents will need to protect the diamonds by designing an impenetrable laser maze.
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Teams are provided with a shoebox (top and one short side removed). A numbered, diamond-suit playing card is attached to the inside wall opposite the missing wall. These are the "diamonds" that must be protected.
Using red yarn, students create lines that act as obstacles when a hand is inserted from the front. The object is to design a maze that will not allow a hand to pass through the box and "steal" the diamonds at the far end. To test, each group exchanges its maze with another team; then they attempt to reach the diamonds without being touched by a "laser."
***Teacher tip: Make it a constraint that students cannot place all of their yarn across the front, creating a screen or a barricade. Explain that the lasers must be placed at various depths throughout the interior of the box.***
Mission: FOLLOW THE FOOTPRINTS!
Mission: BUILD A HIGHER SPIRE
Coming Soon...
Mission: Down the hatch
In every great spy film, there's a foot chase with lots of twists, turns, and dead ends! On this mission, your students will create a marble maze to mimic those complicated chase scenes.
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Shoebox lids make great trays, but since I eat more cereal than buy shoes, I've found that half of a cereal box will also do the job. The only
other materials are straws, tape, and a marble.
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I ask students to select one corner for their starting place and to mark an x (along the perimeter of the box) for the finish. Some students like to poke a hole in the bottom or cut an opening in the side wall where the ball will exit the maze.
Before they begin attaching straws to the tray, I have students sketch some possible designs on paper. It takes some planning to create a more complicated maze, and this makes it much easier for students to explain their thinking to each other. For example, one student might show his group what a zig-zag layout might look like, while another explains how she created a dead end. Then the small group can think about ways to incorporate several design elements into their project.
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***Transparent tape gives a cleaner appearance, but when you work on a shoestring budget you use what you've got! (The kids have never complained!)***
In MacGyver-like fashion, ​this mission asks your students to take one object (well, two actually), and create something completely different.
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Each team of secret agents is supplied with just two secret mission files (manila file folders), and asked to build a sky scraper. The sky scraper must be freestanding, and must include a spire.
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The kids tend to be fascinated by the idea of vanity spires, so if you want to indulge them, here's a great article on the topic.
Mission: LEAVE NO PRINT BEHIND
The villains have stolen 3 gold coins and hidden them beneath a pyramid of cups in their lair. Your secret agents have just 20 minutes to dismantle the pyramid, take back the coins, and restack the cups! Can they do it without leaving a trace?
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In this team-building mission, your students will HAVE to work together to succeed. Each child, in a team of four, holds a different string. Clear communication is required for the team to successfully complete the mission.
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STEM activities often emphasize building, so you might be
wondering how this mission fits in. The children are problem solving, strategizing, collaborating, communicating, and persevering...but what are they building? The answer is SKILLS! They are building social skills and thinking skills. Now that's a mission worth accomplishing!
