Mystery tubes
Adapted from two versions of this activity:
The Mystery Tube — Author: Aaron Debbink, Partners Investigating Our Environment
Tube Hypothesis and the Nature of Science — Author: Kirk Brown, science teacher, Tracy High
School
A version of this activity also appeared in the National Academy of Science's publication
Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science.
Overview: This lesson serves as a good introduction to the nature of scientific inquiry. Students
are asked to determine what the interior construction of a mystery tube looks like. Working in
small groups, students pose explanations (hypotheses) for what they are observing and are asked
to test their hypotheses.
Lesson concepts:
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The process of science involves testing ideas about the natural world with data from the
natural world.
The process of science involves observation, exploration, discovery, testing,
communication, and application.
Scientists try to come up with many different natural explanations (i.e., multiple
hypotheses) for the patterns they observe.
Scientists test their ideas using multiple lines of evidence.
Test results sometimes cause scientists to revise their hypotheses.
Scientists are creative and curious.
Scientists work together and share their ideas.
Grade span: 6-16
Materials:
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One Mystery Tube per two students — diagram and supply list below
Paper for drawing diagrams
Advance preparation: Make Mystery Tubes as shown below.
For best results, make sure that the two pieces of ropes are of slightly different lengths. It is best
to burn the ends of the rope to prevent the knots from coming loose. To cap the ends, use nontransparent tape, so that you can replace worn parts over time.
Time: One class period
Procedure:
1. Provide a mystery tube for each pair (or small group) of students. Explain to them that
their goal is to determine what the interior construction of the tube looks like. Remind
them that they cannot open the tube to look inside.
2. Allow sufficient time for groups to work with the mystery tubes. Provide paper on which
students can draw all of their ideas as to what the interior of the tube looks like.
Walk around and encourage students to test their ideas and ask how they might do so?
3. Once all students feel that they have a "solution," have each group share their findings
with the rest of the class. You may have them post their drawings for others to view.
Class discussion
4. Have students reflect on what they were doing that scientists do. This could be prompted
by the question: "Were you doing science?" Discussion should reflect the concepts listed
above. Ask students how confident they feel about their drawings and what makes them
feel that way.
5. Collect the tubes. Do not reveal how the ropes are actually connected!
Extensions:
1. For younger students, provide materials such as cardboard toilet paper tubes, scissors,
and string so that students can test their hypotheses by making a mechanical model that
mimics the behavior of the Mystery Tube.
2. Have students read stories about scientists and their discoveries and make comparisons to
the approaches that they used in "solving" the mystery tube. E.g., Asteroids and
dinosaurs: Unexpected twists and an unfinished story.
An Understanding Science lesson
© 2010 The University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, and The Regents of the
University of California