Garden City High School students solve a mystery on Collaborative Community Friday
On March 20, Garden City High School students in Ms. Bridget Kelly’s and Mr. Travis Kalberer’s classes worked together to solve a mystery during a hands-on Collaborative Community Friday. The activity is part of an ongoing initiative that creates meaningful learning experiences by combining classroom concepts with teamwork and collaborative problem solving.
Developed by Ms. Kelly, Collaborative Community Fridays bring students together through interdisciplinary lessons. With Mr. Kalberer’s science class studying genetics and DNA, the teachers designed a lesson that reinforced key scientific concepts while supporting the learning needs of all students.
During the session, students were divided into four “detective squads” and tasked with solving the case of the missing school mascot uniform. Each group analyzed clues from the scene and compared them to mock DNA and RNA samples, as well as gel electrophoresis results from eight different teacher “suspects.” By the end of the lesson, each group successfully identified the culprit and shared their findings.
“It was incredible to watch students come together and tackle such a challenging topic with confidence,” said Ms. Kelly. “The materials were designed to meet each student where they are, and everyone was able to contribute, support one another and take an active role in the process. This is the second year we’ve done this lesson, and it has been a great success both times. It’s amazing to see the students’ collaboration and excitement as they work toward a common goal.”
Collaborative Community Fridays are held monthly in different classrooms, providing students with opportunities to participate in engaging, cross-curricular activities that build both academic skills and meaningful connections.