Countries from the Western

Hemisphere

What in the
World
Mysteries

Deductive Reasoning Activities

by Patricia Potts

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 What are What in the World Mysteries?

! A What in the World Mystery is a geographical mystery problem

students must cooperatively solve using deductive reasoning skills. As
these mysteries are based on famous locales, history, or cultural practices
different countries are well known for, this activity would work best when
used as an introduction to further study. The assumption is students would
not necessarily know information specific to the country to be studied, so
answers to these mysteries are common words students would already be
familiar with.

A Little Background....!
! In my classroom, it seems social studies always falls in the afternoon
hours and runs into the challenges of being either after lunch, when the
students (and, letʼs be truthful, the teacher) are sliding into a carb-coma or
close to dismissal which has us looking at the clock, waiting for the day to
be done. It also seems to be a topic which either lends itself to fabulous
and time consuming unit prep (replica of a castle in the classroom,
anyone?) or it seems to be 45 minutes of talk, talk, talk, read the book, fill
out the worksheet tedium. But then again this just might be my
class...perhaps others just naturally pull fabulous lessons out of minimal
prep and investment in props.
! So I started looking for ways to inject a little “umph” into my lessons
without needing to install a drawbridge. Enter What in the World
Mysteries. Now these arenʼt going to be for every lesson. But on days

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

when you need to pull out something to get the class going and ready to
learn a new topic, then check these out...and the nice thing is all you have
to do is pull up this file, organize the class as per the Rules of Play on the
next page, and away you go. I found my kids loved these mysteries (they
even went so far as to request them when we were stuck inside over a
rainy day recess).
! This free sample of my work contains mysteries based upon the
countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Peru, and Chile. It also
contains mysteries from Canadaʼs Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories,
and Ontario. If you enjoy these mysteries please check out the other What
in the World Mysteries, which contain the full set of mysteries from South
America, Central America, and Canada. Also, follow me on TPT to receive
updates when more mysteries are developed.

******
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What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 Rules of Play
To Keep In Mind:

Below are two options on organizing the mystery-solving process. If you

keep in mind this is basically a version of “20 Questions” or “I Spy” you are
on the right track. If you want to bump up the cooperative aspect then go
with Option 1. If you want something a little faster and/or you are thinking
the kids might get the answer fairly quickly, then go with Option 2. Or feel
free to make up an option 3.

Option 1: Small Groups

Divide the class up as evenly as possible and have students sit with their
fellow teammates. Coming up with a catchy team name is optional.

Once everyone is settled, the teacher will read the mystery twice at the
beginning of the activity and clarify any vocabulary the students are unsure
of.

The questioning will be organized into rounds in which each team will have
a turn. During a turn the team can ask up to, but no more than, four
questions.

Questions must be phrased so the teacher can answer them with a yes or
a no. If they cannot be answered with a yes or no the teacher will ask the
student to rephrase their question correctly.

During a round there is to be no talking among the groups so they can

listen to questions other teams are asking and thus avoid asking the same
question multiple times.!

A talking time out can be called between rounds, so teams can plan their
strategy for further questioning. At this time they can also ask for the
original mystery to be reread if needed. If all teams agree, there need not
be a time out between a round.

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

Depending on the skill level of the class either have each team designate
one member to be a note taker for their group or the teacher can be the
classroom note taker by drawing a line on the board up front, labeling one
side YES and the other side NO, and summarizing in each section the facts
the students have uncovered.

If a group thinks they have uncovered the answer they must still wait until it
is their turn in the current round to voice their proposed solution.

Option 2: As a Class

The teacher will read the mystery twice at the beginning of the activity and
clarify any vocabulary the students are unsure of.

Questions must be phrased so the teacher can answer them with a yes or
a no. If they cannot be answered with a yes or no the teacher will ask the
student to rephrase their question correctly.

Draw a line down the center of the blackboard. Record facts that have
been uncovered by the class. Play continues until the answer is
discovered.

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 Showers are Forecast

In Honduras, the people in the town of Yoro

start watching the skies bet ween the months
of May thru July. For once a year, just as it has
happened for over a hundred and fifty years, a
very special storm will crash through town.
The villagers will wait for it to pass. Then they
grab baske ts and run outside. Some thing
strange has been left on the ground, and they
are eager to gather it up. What in the world
could it be?

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 Lurking in the Depths

Nicaragua has a lake so large it has its very own

volcanic islands, a history of being terrorized by
pirates, and a reputation for developing fierce
storms which can catch sailors unprepared. On
top of all of that, Lake Nicaragua has something
else lurking in its depths which might make you
think t wice before slipping in for a swim. What
in the world could it be?

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 A Heavenly Name

Venezuelaʼs Canaima National Park has

many flat-topped mountains called tepuis.
One of the most well known tepuis is Devilʼs
Mountain. Devilʼs Mountain is famous for
its Angel Falls waterfall. Dropping 3,212
feet, Angel Falls claims the record for being
the worldʼs highest uninterrupted waterfall.
By comparison, the Empire State Building
in New York City is a measly 1,473 feet.
This is one really, REALLY tall waterfall.
So, what in the world is this wonderful,
watery, world-famous waterfall named
after?

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 Buried Treasure

In 1531, Spanish conquistadores led by

Francisco Pizzaro arrived in Peru eager to
discover if the legends regarding the vast
treasure of Incan gold and silver were true.
What Pizzaro and his men failed to
recognize was the Incas had a buried
treasure of even greater worth than all their
gold and silver combined. What in the
world was that treasure?

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 Visitors

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is

unlike any other place on earth. Because
conditions on the Atacama are similar to
those on Mars, movie crews have visited to
film space movies, and NASA has visited to
run science experiments. Astronomers visit
to get a clear view of the stars at some of
the worldʼs best observatories located in the
desert. Miners visit to find copper and other
minerals. However, there is one visitor yet
to put in an appearance. What in the world
is this visitor the Atacama waits for?

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 Where Did You Get That Name?

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is just plain fun

to say. As one of the major cities in
Saskatchewan it is known as the Paris of
the Prairies because of its many beautiful
bridges. Other places were given names
like Moose Jaw, Indian Head, Eyebrow, and
Elbow. The capital of Sasketchewan is
named Regina now, but it used to be
named after a nearby landmark. What in
the world was this city originally named
after?

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 A Land of Beauty

Yellowknife is the capital city of the

Northwest Territories. Since it is so close to
the Arctic Circle, during the summer the sun
does not set until very, very late. This city is
also in a good location for people to
glimpse the beautiful lights of the Aurora
Borealis dancing in the sky. However, even
though the sun and the Aurora Borealis put
on a good show, there is something
sparkling in the ground that has also caught
many peopleʼs attention. What in the world
could it be?

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 Rare Earth

The Sudbury region of Ontario is rich in

mineral resources. The economy of this
area relies on mining these resources
which include nickel, copper, gold, and
other metals. Scientific study has
uncovered the fascinating reason why
Sudbury has such a high concentration of
valuable minerals. What in the world
caused this specific section of our planet to
be the way it is?

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

 The Answers

Showers are Forecast

Answer: Fish

It is one of those unexplained mysteries. Since the middle of the 1800s, once a year a
storm blows thru the town of Yoro and leaves scores of small, blind fish which the
villagers eagerly gather up for a meal. Some say a Spanish priest prayed for food to
feed the poor and his wish was granted. Others say it is a waterspout that picks the fish
up and deposits them around Yoro. There is also the theory the fish came from
underground rivers. No one is certain but it certainly makes for a good story.

Lurking in the Depths

Answer: Sharks

Lake Nicaraguaʼs pirates have long ceased to exist except for in the history books, but
watch out for the sharks. Originally the lakeʼs sharks were thought to be fresh-water
sharks but it turns out they are just bull sharks (with bad reputations for being some of
the worldʼs more aggressive sharks) which swim up a feeder river from the Pacific
Ocean to check out different surroundings in Nicaraguaʼs largest lake--or perhaps they
are looking for a tastier lunch.

A Heavenly Name

Answer: A pilot.

In 1937, Jimmie Angel attempted to land his plane, El Rio Caroni, at the top
Devilʼs Mountain to get a closer look at a waterfall he had spotted several
years earlier while on a natural resources scouting expedition.
Unfortunately, he crash landed his plane and had to spend 11 days hiking
back to civilization. The plane itself stayed on top of the mountain for 33
years until it was recovered and taken to Cuidad Bolivar, one of the major
cities in Venezuela. Today, you can find the plane displayed in front of the
cityʼs airport.

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

Buried Treasure

Answer: The potato.

The Peruvian Incas were the first to cultivate the potato. In fact, they grew
thousands of varieties. When the conquistadores returned to Europe they
brought potatoes back as a novelty item, but they never knew the potato
would be more valuable than all the gold and silver they had stolen from
the Incas.

Visitors

Answer: Rainfall
The Atacama Desert is known as the driest place in the world. In some
areas it is so arid no rain has fallen for as long as people have been
keeping records. Weʼre talking hundreds, thousands, or even more of
years with no rain. If you go for a visit, make sure you fill your water
bottles beforehand!

Where Did You Get That Name?

Answer: Bones

The original name of the capital of Saskatchewan was Pile Oʼ Bones.

Apparently there was a big pile of bison bones at the site where the new
capital was to be built. So that was what it was named until it got its
present name of Regina in 1882 in honor of the Queen of England.

A Land of Beauty

Answer: Diamonds

The Northwest Territories are North Americaʼs leading producer of

diamonds. Since the discovery of diamonds in the 1990s, several mines
have been established which is a good source of economic development
for the territory.

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts

Rare Earth

Answer: A meteorite

Eons ago a large meteorite slammed into Earth creating what would become known as
the Sudbury Basin. The resulting blast made a nuclear bomb seem like a firecracker.
Good thing no one was around to witness the collision or it would have been the last
thing they saw. This event enriched the surrounding area with many valuable minerals
such as nickel and copper which today provides the area with plenty of mining jobs.

What in the World Mysteries, © 2012 Patricia Potts