The Mystery Bag

Instructions: With a partner, examine the object inside of your paper bag. YOU MAY ONLY USE YOUR SENSE OF TOUCH. Don’t peek inside the bag—just use your hands to observe the object.

Make statements about the object. Try to communicate your amount of certainty exactly, using modals and any expressions you know. Use a “high” ethos, like you are writing a paper for class.

Ex: The object feels heavy and cold. The surface is smooth, and it appears to be about the same size as an apple. The object may be made of rubber. If I push my finger against it, I can press a dent into the object. It’s possible that the object would bounce like a ball if I threw it on the ground. Although it’s not small, it’s very light. When I tap it with my finger, I can hear that it must be hollow. This evidence suggests that the object may be a racquetball.

As you observe the object, try to answer these questions:

1) Is the object dangerous? I am _____% sure

2) Is the object natural (was it ever living)?I am _____%

sure

3) Is the object valuable? (Worth > $5)I am _____%

sure

4) Can you buy the object in a store?I am _____%

sureObjects (10):

Box of Crayons Paper Hole Punch Orange, Apple

Flashcard Roll of Film Paint Pen

Cookie Cutter Video Game Cartridge Vitamin Bottle

Emphasis Pre-Activity

No observations are perfect, there are always limitations

Emphasis During Activity

Making properly qualified statements

Emphasis Post-Activity

As you write, think about your limitations. They may lead to more questions. Also, never be afraid to admit your limitations. (HONESTY = GOOD WRITING)

*Ways to incorporate this into your writing:

Mention the limits of your survey or experiment design in your methods section.

Don’t say something “is” true if it only “may be” true.

Ask more questions after looking at your results. If you can, try to offer an answer. If you can’t, you can still include the additional questions in your analysis section.

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Homework:

Create one to two paragraphs explaining how your research could be useful to other researchers, students, or the world in general. Remember to qualify statements that are not 100% true. You will include these in your analysis (if you find the correlation you’re looking for) or introduction (if you don’t).