Duration: 20-25 minutes
SPIRIT Skills:
- Flexibility
- Connectedness
- Curiosity
- Problem-solving
Brief Description:
Teams wrap the bags in towels and play musical statues: shake → freeze → pass. They observe changes and adjust strategy (spreading mixture thin, steadier shaking, switching roles) to freeze more evenly
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
- Builds flexibility as teams adjust their method when freezing is uneven (spread thinner, change shaking style, switch roles)
- Strengthens connectedness through fair turn-taking, encouragement, and shared rhythm during the shake–freeze–pass routine
- Sparks curiosity/sense of wonder as students watch the mixture change step-by-step and ask “What’s happening now?”
- Develops problem-solving by identifying what isn’t working and choosing one improvement to test next.
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
As a result of this activity, students will be able to:
- Flexibility: try a new strategy when the first approach doesn’t work well (spread the bag, shake steadier, rotate turns faster).
- Connectedness: take turns fairly, encourage teammates, and follow shared game rules without conflict.
- Curiosity / wonder: describe at least one observed change inside the bag over time (thicker edges, icy bits, softer middle).
- Problem-solving: name one problem (too runny, too cold hands, uneven freezing) and choose one solution to test.
Academic/Curriculum Objective connection
Experience state change and connect it to temperature, movement, and time.
Materials and tools needed for implementation
Prepared bags, towels, music player.
Preparation notes
Practice one round without bags; short music bursts; “gentle scientist shake” demo.
Guided Questions
- “What do you notice changing inside the bag?”
- “What is one small change your team can try next?”
- “How can you make sure everyone gets a turn?”
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- “What strategy helped your team most, and why?”
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- Challenge: Too wild shaking. Tip: model gentle shaking; assign a safety monitor.
- Challenge: Cold discomfort. Tip: thicker towels, faster rotation, optional observer turn.