What can it be? Mystery objects with must, might and can't
Students use clues to work out what a mystery object is, learn how must, might, could and can't show how sure we are, and run their own mystery object game.
At a glance
- From
- Level 3, Bridge English: Week 29, Media and advertising
- Grammar
- modals of deduction: must, might, can't
- Key language
- It must be... (almost sure) / It might / could / may be... (not sure) / It can't be... (sure it is not) / It looks like..., made of..., used for..., because...
- Children make
- Six sentences of deduction about a mystery object, using three different modal verbs.
- Class size
- Works with 10 to 50 children; pair and group steps say how to scale.
Objective
Students use modal verbs to show degrees of certainty when guessing. This links to UK Year 5/6 grammar: modal verbs to indicate degrees of possibility.
Success criteria for children
- I can say how sure I am with must, might and can't.
- I can give a reason with because.
- I can describe an object so a partner can guess it.
Timing: 60 minutes
| Minutes | Stage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 6 | Warm-up: the mystery bag | Students feel an object in a bag and guess. |
| 6 to 16 | Teach: how sure are you? | A certainty line from impossible to certain. |
| 16 to 26 | Read: found in the attic | Read the dialogue; underline the modal verbs; guess before the end. |
| 26 to 34 | Practice: must, might or can't | Worksheet task 1. |
| 34 to 48 | Game: mystery clues | Read the clue card and deduce; then make a new clue card. |
| 48 to 56 | Write: deductions | Task 3: six sentences. |
| 56 to 60 | Exit ticket | Write what you think the mystery object is. |
Materials
- A bag or box with three ordinary objects (a spoon, a sponge, a whisk) that students cannot see
- Worksheet, pencils
- Modals of deduction (free, linked from Week 29)
- Breaking News English (free, linked from Week 29)
Step by step, with teacher talk
0 to 6 minWarm-up: the mystery bag
- Pass a volunteer's hand into the bag. They describe by feel: "It's hard, it's long." The class guesses with any language they know.
6 to 16 minTeach: how sure are you?
- Draw a line: can't (0%) ... might, may, could (50%) ... must (95%).
- Use examples: "Ali's coat is on the chair, so he must be nearby." "That can't be Mia, she's in Spain." "It might rain."
- Point out: can't is the opposite of must for deduction. We do not say mustn't for this.
- "It must be Tom's phone." Are you almost sure or not sure? (Almost sure.)
- "It could be a spoon." Are you sure? (No.)
- "That can't be a fish." Is it possible? (No, we are sure it is not.)
16 to 26 minRead: found in the attic
- Read the dialogue up to Grandma's answer. Students guess the object before reading on.
- Pairs read the full dialogue and underline all modal verbs. Answer the questions.
26 to 34 minPractice: must, might or can't
- Students complete task 1 alone, then compare reasons with a partner.
34 to 48 minGame: mystery clues
- Read the clues for object A on the worksheet one at a time. After each, groups say a sentence with must, might or can't.
- Groups write clues for their own object, then swap with another group.
48 to 56 minWrite: deductions
- Students write six sentences about their object using must, might and can't at least twice each.
56 to 60 minExit ticket
- See below.
Differentiation
Support
- Give sentence starters: "It might be... / It can't be... because... / It must be... because..."
- Give a picture bank of eight objects to choose from.
Stretch
- Use "could have been" and "must have been" for the past: "It must have been very cold."
- Add adverbs of possibility: "perhaps", "probably", "definitely".
- Make a mystery museum: write a label for an object that does not tell what it is.
Dialogue
An original dialogue. A bed warmer (warming pan) was a brass pan with a long handle that people filled with hot coals and moved between the sheets before the days of central heating.
Kofi: Look what I found in Grandma's attic!
Leo: It's made of brass, and it's got a long wooden handle. It might be a frying pan.
Kofi: It can't be a frying pan. Look, the lid has lots of tiny holes.
Leo: Then it must be for something hot, because the metal is dark inside. Maybe it's a lamp?
Kofi: It could be, but a lamp wouldn't have such a long handle. It might be for carrying coal.
Leo: Let's ask your grandma.
Grandma: Ah! That's a bed warmer. People put hot coals inside, closed the lid and moved it between the sheets to warm the bed.
Kofi: So it must have been very cold in the old days!
Grandma: It was, in winter. Our house had no central heating.
Questions
- What is the object made of?
- Why can't it be a frying pan, according to Kofi?
- What does Kofi think the object might be for?
- What is the object really?
- How did people use it?
Printable worksheet
Prints on its own A4 page. Use Print the worksheet above, or print the whole plan and the worksheet starts on a new page. One copy per child, or one per pair to save paper.
Mystery objects
1. Choose must, might or can't.
- Ali's coat is on the chair and his bag is here. He be far away.
- Sara is in Spain this week. That be her on the bus. It's impossible.
- I'm not sure who is at the door. It be the postman, or it be Gran.
- The ice cream is melting. It be very hot outside.
- She is only ten, so she be in Year 11.
2. Read the clues for object A. After each clue write a sentence with must, might or can't. Clues: (1) It is long, thin and made of plastic. (2) It has a small hole at one end. (3) It has seven small holes along the top and one at the back. (4) It is smooth and hollow. (5) You hold it with both hands.
3. Write clues for your own mystery object (do not say what it is). Then write three sentences about your partner's object.
Answer key
Dialogue questions
- Brass, with a wooden handle.
- The lid has lots of tiny holes.
- Carrying coal.
- A bed warmer.
- They put hot coals inside, closed the lid and moved it between the sheets.
Worksheet
- 1: must; can't; might, might; must; can't.
- 2: Object A is a recorder (a musical instrument). Sample answers: It might be a pen. / It can't be a spoon because it is hollow. / It might be a flute or a recorder. / It must be a musical instrument because it has holes you cover with your fingers.
- 3: answers will vary. Check that must, might and can't are used with a reason.
Exit ticket
Describe an object in your bag without naming it, in two sentences. Then write one sentence about what your partner's object must be, might be or can't be.
Homework
Find a strange object at home (with permission). Draw it, write three clues, and ask someone to guess with might, must and can't.
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Start free with LitlingsMore lesson plans
- Level 3, Week 29: Media and advertising (the curriculum week this plan comes from)
- National curriculum in England: English programmes of study (Years 5 and 6 spelling, grammar and punctuation) (Department for Education)
- All reading texts, dialogues, scripts, worksheets and answer keys on this page are original to Litlings and free to copy for classroom use.