Mystery Skype (Dressel 3rd Grade)

Short intro video of what Mystery Skype could be like.

What is Mystery Skype?
I like to think of it as a modern version of twenty questions. One group of people ask another yes or no questions in an attempt to guess some unknown answer. The twist Mystery Skype takes is the two groups are geographically located in different places and each is trying to guess the other's location.
One more layer to add is a little share time at the end of the game. Each group generally takes time to share a few facts and answer questions about their location and school.

First Steps
Create a Skype account.
It is critical that you make at least one test call to someone else to check your microphone and speakers. This might be the most important step of all, nothing is worst than making a call and no one can hear you on the other end.
Either join the Skype community or Twitter. I feel that Twitter is the easiest place to find and connect with other classes using the #mysteryskype hashtag.

Next Steps
This might be a totally new experience for many in your class so start small. It might be a good idea to run a traditional twenty questions game in your room to help the kids shape how they ask yes or no questions. This would also be time to guide them to write down the questions they ask in a public place, like a Google Doc.
I would recommend reading this post about how to set up your classroom for your first Mystery Skype. One of the most critical steps is to make sure every student has a job to do and they stick with it.
It might also be a good idea to do a run through with the students doing their jobs before you Skype with your first class. A tiny bit of time dedicated rehearsal will absolutely pay off.

Adaptations
Mystery Animal - Same idea as the geography-based game but each side picks an animal.
Mystery Number - Replace animal with a number.
Mystery Book, Color, Food...

After Action
Reflect, reflect, reflect.
How did it go and what do we change for next time?
What do you now know about the other location that you didn't just an hour ago?
There are a ton of questions you can ask, just take a few minutes to get them to reflect. It would be a great idea to write them down so you can start to build on from your successes.

Resources
The links below were used to help create this post.
Mystery Skype - The site lists a few guest speakers that might be useful in some way.
What's going on in Mr. Solarz' Class? What is Mystery Skype? - This post has a great rundown of getting your experience up and running.
What is Mystery Skype? a 2018 update! - He lists his 2014 and 2016 Skype posts near the top of the page as a reference.
Getting Started with Mystery Skype - a ten-minute video tutorial.

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