Kindergarten and 1st Grade Mystery Math: Case of the Graduation Gremlins

Oh no!! Something strange is going on at Mathhattan Elementary on graduation day! Students and teachers have reported that a group of Gremlins have been vandalizing the school and taking all sorts of important items required for the graduation celebrations! Teachers and students of Mathhattan Elementary need our Math Detectives help!! In this super fun mystery, students must use their math skills to discover five very important clues about the case: What did the gremlins use to carry all of the graduation items? When did the gremlins take the graduation items? Why did the gremlins take the graduation items? Who left the school hall unlocked? Where are the gremlins hiding with the graduation items? This fun detective story has students read simple words and phrases to match information given with a picture to present on their case file. 

Students will practice counting balloons in ten frames and comparing numbers (1-30), adding numbers (1-20), subtracting numbers (1-20), mix of addition and subtraction (1-20), and complete a number maze while putting numbers in the correct numerical order as they work through all of the clues for the case. As students answer the questions for the clues, they will cut out their picture answer and paste it to their mystery case file until all five have been completed. 

At the beginning of class, we will have introductions before getting started with the mystery. Then, students will watch a short video intro about the background story of what is going on at Mathhattan Elementary on graduation day, and we will discuss the case file worksheet that should be printed before class (along with the 5 clues worksheets) for each student to work on. For each clue, I will read the directions, project the math problems onto the classroom screen, and let our Math Detectives get to work! We will work together as a whole group to answer the math problems. Students will be called on or asked to raise their hand to answer math equations. Please be sure that your learner brings some scratch paper and a pencil or a dry erase board and marker to work out their problems. As students answer the problems and clues, they will need to cut out their answers from the bottom of the sheet and paste onto their case file. At the end of class, we will go over the correct answers and discuss the 5 W's about the graduation day fiasco. 

After class, I will send an award to each student for solving the case and to celebrate what great Math Detectives they were! Now, let's have some FUN learning math!! I look forward to seeing your learners in the classroom!!