Mix them up and set them out at several different locations around the room. The students will have to move from station to station and try to identify their organisms using their notes. Make sure that the students do not know about the identification part of the activity. This will prevent students from marking their objects during the first part of the activity beforehand. Divide class into small groups.
Many biologists identify organisms within ecosystems using field guides.
As a researcher, you need to correctly describe the community of organisms in your bag. Each group should collect a bag and a data sheet from the teacher. They should spend one minute observing and describing the object on the data sheet. It is a good idea for them to make a quick sketch of each organism to capture its details. Continue this process with the second and third organisms.