Investigation Packs Tips
Group Science Activities for Kids
Getting Started
- Teacher's Guide
Investigation Packs are group science activities for kids that help them dig deeper into Science A-Z content, apply scientific practices, and develop the 21st century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. Reading resources called Investigation Files, or I.Files, feature high-interest, in-depth science content in an engaging design that includes features of informational text, such as graphs, maps, and photographs. Students do a close reading of the I.Files and then cite evidence that helps them solve the Mystery File in each pack through group discussion.
Why Use Investigation Packs
In each Investigation Pack students will practice key science and literacy skills:
- Answer text-dependent questions based on evidence and discussion
- Perform close reading and then write in response to reading
- Participate in scientific argumentation with peers and seek common answers
- Practice 21st Century Skills including critical thinking, communication, and collaboration
- Have fun learning in a group science activity
How to Use Investigation Packs
Use the Investigation Packs as interactive group activities to complement the science units or use them as stand-alone resources for independent reading practice.
Start with the Investigation Pack Teacher's Guide to get an overview, resource descriptions, instructional support, and extension ideas to use with any Investigation Pack.
Use the I.Files Teaching Tips from each pack to find answers to the Key Question and Mystery File Question. The Teaching Tips also offer background information to help you address possible misconceptions as well as science vocabulary for pre-teaching.
The Investigation Pack Process:
- Each student within a group reads a different I.File related to a central topic and Key Question and then completes the I.File Response Sheet.
- Students work as a team to analyze which details all the files they read had in common in order to answer the Key Question.
- The whole class comes to a consensus on the answer to the Key Question.
- Student groups apply what they learned by reading a Mystery File. By using evidence from the text, students determine whether the new topic belongs grouped with the I.Files, and explain why or why not.
Life
Animals
What Animals Need
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.File Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Leafcutter Ant
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Big-Belly Seahorse
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Rockhopper Penguin
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Spectacled Caiman
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Mexican Axolotl
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Bird's Nest Coral
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Living/Non-Living
Living Things
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack


Daddy Longlegs
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Giant Anteater
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Plants
What Plants Need
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Water Lily
low- Printable Resources
- Digital


Maple Tree
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Sunflower
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Pitcher Plant
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Mushroom
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Senses
Properties of Senses
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack





Inner Compass
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Earth & Space
Earth, Moon, and Sun
Life on Earth
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Gobi Desert
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Great Barrier Reef
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Greenland
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Komodo Island
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Mammoth Cave
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Mount Everest
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

The Moon
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Weather
Wind
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Santa Ana Winds
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Blizzards
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Hurricanes
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Tornadoes
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Roller Coasters
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Earth's Surface
Bodies of Water
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack





Icebergs
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Physical
Doing Work
Simple Machines
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.File Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack



Wheel and Axle
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Energy
Things That Make Heat
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.File Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack


Clothes Dryer
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Fireplace
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Hand Warmers
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Microwave Oven
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Light
Properties of Light
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Fish that Glow
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Glow Sticks
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Lighthouses
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Neon Lights
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Sports Lights
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Candlelight
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Moonlight
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Properties
Toys
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack




Jigsaw Puzzles
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Spring Toys
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Action Figures
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Magnets
Properties of Magnets
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.File Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Magnets in Recycling
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Magnets at Work
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Magnets in the Kitchen
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Weird and Wonderful Magnets
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Money and Magnets
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Things Move
People Movers
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack


Hang Glider
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Skateboard
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Video Game Car
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Life
Vertebrates
Reptiles
- I.File Response Sheet
- I. Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

King Cobra
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Flying Dragon
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Galapagos Tortoise
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Nile Crocodile
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Panther Chameleon
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Caecilian
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Invertebrates
Arthropods
- I.File Response Sheet
- I. Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Sally Lightfoot Crab
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Arizona Bark Scorpion
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Giant African Millipede
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Leaf Insect
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Mexican Redknee Tarantula
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Bombardier Beetle
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Tardigrades
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Plant Life
Properties of Plants
- I.File Response Sheet
- I. Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Horsetail
low- Printable Resources
- Digital



Watermelon
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

The Human Body
Properties of the Skeletal System
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.File Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack


Hands and Feet
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital



Cartilage
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Life Cycles
Adults
- I.File Response Sheet
- I. Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack


Elephants
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital




Barnacles
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Dragonfly Naiads
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Habitats/Environment
Animals in Their Environment
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.File Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Animals of the Florida Keys
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Animals of the Midwestern Prairie
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Animals of the Namib Desert
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Animals of Papua New Guinea
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Mammoth Hot Springs
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Earth & Space
The Solar System
Planets
- I.File Response Sheet
- I. Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack







Clouds, Wind, and Storms
Weather Instruments
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Anemometer
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Barometer
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Weather Radar
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Weather Satellite
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Balloon
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Minerals, Rocks, and Soil
Rocks
- I.File Response Sheet
- I. Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack






Conglomerate
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Physical
Machines
Complex Machines
- I.File Response Sheet
- I. Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Ferris Wheels
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Can Openers
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Sailboats
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Clocks and Watches
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Army Ants
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Heat Energy
Natural Heat Sources
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.File Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Wildfires
low- Printable Resources
- Digital


Sea Vents
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Volcanoes
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Body Heat
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Sound
Properties of Sound
- I.File Response Sheet
- I. Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Digital Music
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Echolocation
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Sonic Boom
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Ultrasonic Sound
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Live Music
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Radio Waves
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Liquids
- I.File Response Sheet
- I. Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack



Rapids and Waterfalls
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Sports Drinks
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Crude Oil
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Mercury
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Life
Food Chains
Properties of Food Chains
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Sonoran Desert
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

African Savanna
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Amazon Rainforest
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Antarctica
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Florida Everglades
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Yellowstone National Park
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Urban Habitat
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Adaptations
Structural Adaptations
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Carnivorous Plants
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Corpse Flower
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Hammerhead Shark
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Naked Mole Rat
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Horseshoe Crab
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Monarch Butterfly
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Food and Nutrition
Nutrients in Meals
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack




Kung Pao Chicken with Rice
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Multivitamins
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Inside Living Things
Movement
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Grasshopper
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Bee Hummingbird
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Sidewinder
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Sea Slug
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Earth & Space
Outside the Solar System
Properties of Stars
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Red Giant
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Blue Supergiant
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Red Dwarf
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

White Dwarf
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Yellow Dwarf
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Neutron Star
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Black Hole
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Atmosphere and Climate
Factors That Influence a Climate
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Temperate Climate Zone: New Zealand
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Polar Climate Zone: Greenland
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Tropical Climate Zone: Indonesia
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Dry Climate Zone: Egypt
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Underwater Volcanoes
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Changing Landforms
Erosion
- I.File Response Sheet
- I. Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Sea Stacks
low- Printable Resources
- Digital


Mesas and Buttes
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Sinkholes
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


The Matterhorn
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Alluvial Fans
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Water
Properties of Watersheds
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Mississippi Watershed
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Amazon Watershed
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Nile Watershed
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Yangtze Watershed
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Caspian Sea
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Physical
Force and Motion
Friction
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack





Energy Resources
Renewable Energy
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Tidal Power
low- Printable Resources
- Digital


Hydroelectric Power
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Solar Energy
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Wind Energy
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Geothermal Energy
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Muscle Power
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Light Energy
Radiant Energy
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Visible Light
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Infrared Radiation
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Radio Waves
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Gamma Rays
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Seismic Waves
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Mixing Matter
Chemical Changes
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.Files Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack

Kitchen Chemistry
low- Printable Resources
- Digital

Digestion
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Nature's Glow
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Plant Chemistry
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital


Desalination
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital
Electricity and Magnetism
Electric Motors
- I.File Response Sheet
- I.File Teaching Tips
- Complete Investigation Pack


Electric Toothbrush
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Vacuum Cleaner
mid- Printable Resources
- Digital

Toy Helicopter
high- Printable Resources
- Digital

Generators
Mystery File- Printable Resources
- Digital