Stirling Council

The project in Stirling Council involved 14 classes in 11 primary schools carrying out Mysteries Inc investigations as an approach to interdisciplinary learning. These tasks took place over a period of six to seven weeks and focused on three or four curriculum areas. The curriculum areas varied in individual schools, depending on the chosen tasks. They were designed to allow scope for depth of learning within a concept or skill. Each task involved finally presenting learning to a wider audience. Children were encouraged to use Assessment is for Learning (AifL) strategies to evaluate and improve upon their work throughout the project. Schools were challenged to be creative in their approach and to interact with their audience during the final presentations.

The quality of the learner’s experience sat at the centre of each task, with focus upon creating a rich and supportive learning environment for each child, where they were motivated, challenged and engaged in their learning as individuals and as members of a team. To facilitate understanding about the project, Stirling Council now term this approach ‘Connecting the learning’.

The project culminated in a collaborative Mysteries Inc showcase, where representatives from each school, approximately 80 children in total, shared their learning with each other as well as with a wider audience of parents, local businesses, council representatives, teaching professionals and other national bodies.

The four mysteries

The primary children were to be offered a challenge around one of four mysteries:

The Lost City of Atlantis, Mary Celeste, Flannan Isle and Bermuda Triangle.

Aims and objectives

Mysteries Inc’s core aims were to:

• develop enquiry and investigation skills
• develop the children’s and teachers’ skills, knowledge and understanding of working collaboratively
• support the children in presenting their work in creative and imaginative ways.

As part of their learning the children would:

• develop skills, knowledge and understanding in research and investigative processes
• produce high quality presentations of learning to a wider audience, working co-operatively and collaboratively through the context of one of the four mysteries.