Mystery Shopping List

Sarah Lemire

Tier 3

Lesson Plan

Shopping List Strategy Plan

Students will strengthen auditory working memory and organizational skills by listening to a shopping-list story, recalling items, and structuring their own lists using strategies like chunking and categorization.

Targeting executive function, this lesson builds working memory capacity and organizational habits essential for academic tasks and everyday planning.

Audience

5th Grade Individual

Time

25 minutes

Approach

Listen to a story, recall items, organize list, and self-assess.

Materials

List Listening Slides, - Mystery Shopping List Worksheet, and - List Accuracy Rubric

Prep

Teacher Preparation

5 minutes

Review the story sequence and example on List Listening Slides
Print enough copies of the Mystery Shopping List Worksheet for the session
Print or display the List Accuracy Rubric
Familiarize yourself with chunking and categorization strategies to model effectively

Step 1

Warm-Up & Strategy Introduction

3 minutes

Explain the lesson goal: improving memory recall and list organization
Introduce chunking: grouping similar items into categories
Model organizing two example items using chunking

Step 2

Listening Activity

7 minutes

Advance through the List Listening Slides, reading the shopping-list story aloud
Show one slide at a time, each naming new items in context
Instruct the student to listen carefully without taking notes

Step 3

Recall & Writing

10 minutes

Distribute the Mystery Shopping List Worksheet
Ask the student to write down all remembered items, applying their chosen organization strategy
Allow up to 10 minutes for completion without hints

Step 4

Self-Check & Scoring

3 minutes

Provide the List Accuracy Rubric
Student compares their list against the correct items and scores accuracy and organization
Discuss any missed or misplaced items and identify areas for strategy improvement

Step 5

Reflection & Strategy Reinforcement

2 minutes

Ask the student which memory strategy (e.g., chunking, visualization) was most helpful
Encourage applying this approach to homework and daily tasks
Set a brief goal for using the strategy in the next activity

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Slide Deck

A Special Party

Grandma is planning a special birthday party for you! She has a long shopping list of items she needs. Listen carefully as each group of items is named. Try to remember and organize them in your mind before you write them down.

Introduce the story and set expectations. Read slowly and clearly. Remind the student to listen without writing anything down yet.

Baking Ingredients

• Eggs
• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Unsalted butter

Read the baking items at a steady pace. Pause briefly after reading the list.

Fresh Fruit

• Apples
• Bananas
• Strawberries
• Grapes

Emphasize “fresh fruit” as a category. Keep the same tone and pace.

Vegetables & Salad

• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Cherry tomatoes
• Lettuce

Group vegetables together to reinforce categorization. Pause after reading.

Dairy & Snacks

• Cheddar cheese
• Cream cheese
• Saltine crackers
• Olives

Read dairy and snacks items. Remind student of chunking similar items.

Drinks & Extras

• Orange juice
• Sparkling water
• Vanilla ice cream
• Party candles

Finish with drinks and a few extras. Read clearly and slowly.

Time to Write Your List

Now that you’ve heard all the items, it’s time to write down everything you remember. Use categories or chunking to organize your list on the worksheet.

Prompt the student to begin writing on their worksheet and organizing items by category.

Worksheet

Mystery Shopping List Worksheet

Instructions

Listen carefully to the shopping-list story on the List Listening Slides.
Without looking at any notes, write down everything you remember in Section 1 below.
Organize your items into categories using chunking in Section 2.
Reflect on your memory strategy in Section 3.
After you finish, use the List Accuracy Rubric to check your work and then complete Section 4.

Section 1: Memory Recall

Write down every item you remember from the story. Don’t worry about order—just get as many as you can!

Section 2: Organize by Category

Create at least four categories (e.g., Baking Ingredients, Fresh Fruit). For each category, write its name and list the items under it.

Category 1 Name: __________________________

Items:

Category 2 Name: __________________________

Items:

Category 3 Name: __________________________

Items:

Category 4 Name: __________________________

Items:

(Add more categories below if you remember more!)

Section 3: Strategy Reflection

Which memory strategy helped you most (e.g., chunking, visualization)?

How did you decide on your categories?

Section 4: Self-Check & Improvement

Use the List Accuracy Rubric to score your recall and organization.

Which items did you miss or place in the wrong category?

What will you try differently next time to improve your memory or organization?

Rubric

List Accuracy Rubric

Use this rubric to score Section 4 of your Mystery Shopping List Worksheet. For each criterion, circle the level that best matches your work. Add up your points for a total out of 12.

Criterion	4 – Advanced	3 – Proficient	2 – Developing	1 – Beginning	Points Earned
Recall Accuracy	Recalled 14–16 items correctly with no errors	Recalled 10–13 items correctly; 1–2 minor errors	Recalled 7–9 items correctly; several errors	Recalled 6 or fewer items; many omissions or errors
Organization (Chunk & Category)	All items neatly grouped into ≥4 clear, logical categories with accurate labels	Most items grouped correctly into 4 categories; 1–2 misplacements	Attempted grouping; 2–3 misplacements or unclear labels	Little or no grouping; categories missing or confusing
Strategy Reflection	Clearly identifies the most helpful strategy and explains why and how it helped	Identifies a strategy and gives a basic example of use	Mentions a strategy but explanation is vague or incomplete	Strategy not identified or reflection missing
Total					/ 12

Scoring Guide:
• 10–12 points = Strong performance; you recall most items accurately and organize them effectively.
• 6–9 points = Satisfactory; you recalled many items but could improve grouping or reflection.
• 3–5 points = Needs practice; focus on memory strategies and clearer organization.
• 1–2 points = Beginning level; review chunking and categorization methods and try again.

After scoring, discuss any missed or misplaced items and set one specific goal for improving your recall or organization next time.