Unsolved Mysteries

This fully revised blackline master series (Pacemaker Pack) was initially devised as a means of providing extension for students within the regular classroom, whilst catering for the needs of the teacher and providing materials that were designed along educationally sound lines. Unsolved Mysteries presents interesting information on a range of topics such as the Loch Ness monster, the Yeti, UFOs and Stonehenge. Students are asked to develop original ideas based on reading and additional research. The activities in this book challenge the student's creativity and innovation by presenting a variety of hypothetical scenarios. Although the content and layout for the Pacemaker Pack series has been completely updated, the principles behind the series remain the same, using CONTENT LEVELS as a basis for categorizing activities. The key to this approach, which we term the appropriate curriculum model, is that students are presented with activities appropriate to their levels of understanding of the content together with their mastery of the requisite higher-order thinking processes. The levels are an adaptation of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, still a widely accepted and valued model of education. Below are the Content Levels and Indicators used in this book: Content Level 1 FINDING OUT: Recalling data, showing understanding through restating or extending ideas. Answers factual questions, interprets information, describes or illustrates events. Content Level 2 USING INFORMATION: Using information in a new situation through extending or breaking down concepts being studied. Problem solving based on knowledge gained. Making assumptions. Content Level 3 CREATING / EVALUATING: Putting together ideas to develop new products, making judgements based on new information. Puts forward theories or original ideas and designs, forms and states opinions on theories. Moving Through the Content Levels It is important that higher-order activities such as those at Content Level 3 are underpinned with a solid base of knowledge — the tasks and activities aligned with Levels 1 and 2 are designed to establish and expand this. It should never be assumed that students have the requisite content knowledge, but be prepared to advance students quickly to higher-level activities if they demonstrate a sound understanding of the facts and concepts presented in Levels 1 and 2.