To culminate our study of the mystery genre, fourth-grade students in Ms. Ignatz’s class enjoyed a special visit from Colonie Police Department officer Tracy Burns and investigators Nick Burns and Jim Splonskowski.
“The students were so excited to welcome our guests to the classroom,” said Veeder Elementary teacher Kristin Ignatz.”Our special guests helped us make real-world connections with the mystery vocabulary and concepts that the students have been exploring throughout our genre study. They even came with a forensics kit and set up a crime scene in our room.”
During the visit, investigator Burns used dusting powder to lift fingerprints from the glass in our room and investigator Splonskowski taught the students about new technology that they use to solve a case.
“The students were thrilled to participate in several interactive stations,” added Ignatz. “The stations included fingerprinting, cracking a secret code, playing the game of Clue, sharpening our detective skills on the CIA website for kids, and writing messages in invisible ink.”
Mystery Day is just one of the culminating activities for the student’s unit of study. The students are also asked to complete a final reflection in their case file after completing their individual book of choice.
“We want to thank the Colonie PD for spending the afternoon with us,” said Ignatz. “Having
this hands-on experience shows the students how topics in the classroom are applied in real life. This visit also introduced students to jobs in the ever-growing investigative field.”