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      • Case of The Graduation Gremlins
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      • Case of The Kidnapped Groundhog
      • Case of The Litterbug
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      • Case of the Magnificent Growth Mindset
      • Case of The Mathattan Meltdown
      • Case of Mean Mountain
      • Case of The Millennium Bug
      • Case of the Mirror Madness
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      • Case of the Never-Ending Rain
      • Case of the Outback Outlaw
      • Case of The Phantom Phoenix
      • Case of the Pickpocketing Pirate
      • Case of The Poisonous Pizzas
      • Case of The Puzzled Pirate
      • Case of The Robot Robbery
      • Case of The Rogue Runner
      • Case Of The Rotten Eggs
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      • Case of The Selfish Elf
      • Case of The Shogun's Sword
      • Case of The Snowman Army
      • Case of The Sticky Bank Burglary
      • Case of The Super Bad Superhero
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      • Poisoned Valentine
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Balance is Key, Worksheets don't need to be seen as the enemy!

11/5/2019

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Classrooms need to incorporate a range of methods to teach students a variety of skills. I'd like to point out that yes, hands-on and active learning experiences are still by far some of the best teaching strategies! However, there doesn't need to be a total ban (like I am seeing in some schools) on the traditional worksheet either. This post will outline the various reasons why balance is key and worksheets are not a total enemy!
Much has been said about using worksheets in class. I can hear the groans and grumbles now from both students and ivory tower academics. Oh no worksheets! Many perceive worksheets to be pointless, boring, busywork, that are made to save teachers time and energy. I am sure you’ve heard it all before. While yes, I agree with the fact that a classroom shouldn't be run on worksheets only, I don't think we need to label worksheets as an 'enemy' either - as with everything in life, balance is key!
So what benefits do worksheets provide in your classroom?
  • Worksheets are great for consolidation and review.
  • Worksheets can help with providing new ways of accessing information. 
  • Worksheets can be used to help prepare students for tests and other major assignments that often tend to be in worksheet form anyway. It's confusing to never use worksheets when we teach students but then to turn around and test them with a worksheet format. We either need to change the way we test and assess students (to match our teaching methods), or keep them exposed to the same format of testing at some points in the classroom. 
  • Worksheets can easily be differentiated.
  • Worksheets can give students brief glimpses into subject areas and concepts and then immediately follow this up with questions, ideas for assignment building, and tools and tips for student-led discussion.
  • Worksheets are more affordable then always purchasing lots of materials for a large class too and can be readily available if there is an unexpected gap in the day. 

Worksheets have always been with us as educators and students and the key is to use the proper worksheets in balanced and meaningful ways. 
 
We don’t feel bad about story time, art, music, using beads or cubes for math, so why should we feel bad about using the occasional and well-crafted worksheet? 

Too much of anything can be a bad thing. Moderation is key in all things, teaching and learning are no exception. Students thrive in an environment where mixed methods and a variety of resources are used to explain concepts, spark creativity, and ensure learning. 

Worksheets do not have to be boring either. These days you can find many worksheet activities that are engaging and detailed. They can address a variety of subjects from math to reading to art to history.
 
Worksheets do not have to be for busy work or for little kids. They can be made to reach students of any age group or grade. Furthermore, they can serve the purpose of any needs students might have, from helping students with learning disabilities, to existing as fun and non- threatening ways to help students improve their reading comprehension and math skills.
 
Worksheets do not have to be mindless. There are worksheets that can create mindfulness, utilize critical thinking skills, and provide students with tools and time for calm reflection. So, choosing quality worksheets over meaningless ones is important if you are going to include it in your classroom.  

Carefully pick high-quality worksheets that will provide numerous benefits over simple ones that can easily be labeled as just 'busy work'.

Students can read a mystery story on a worksheet, individually or as a group, and then discuss this story with each other. They can be prompted to answer reading comprehension questions or given tools to write their own mystery stories. The Math Mysteries and Reading Mysteries that I designed incorporate critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills within to extend the benefits of the worksheets. Picking quality worksheets that provide students with a challenge in a meaningful way are far better than a regular and boring 'drill to kill' type of worksheet.
 
Worksheets do not have to be overly simple. In fact, there are worksheets that can translate difficult or challenging concepts in ways that are clear, brief, and full of imagery and description.
 
And of course, worksheets do not have to be and are not a symptom or crutch of bad teaching. Worksheets are a tool that any instructor should feel good about using - as long as it's in moderation of course! 

If you are looking for some fun and unique ways to incorporate worksheets and learning in your classroom, you might want to try out one of my Math Mysteries. 

Here's a FREE differentiated Math Mystery Bundle available in my TpT shop (also available on my website shop too.)

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The Case of the Super Bad Superhero Math Mystery - Kindergarten Edition

$0.00

A Fun Math Review Activity. This FREE Math Mystery will engage and motivate your students during math time. 5'Ws Structured Mystery -- In Case of The Super Bad Superhero, students must use their math skills to discover five important clues about the case: who, where, when, what and why. Students will need to cut out the picture answer on their clue sheet and paste to their Mystery Case file until all five have been completed.


Easy prep! Just Print & Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Docs option provided within your download.


NEW - Distance Learning Update: I've added a Word Document within the folder that contains a Google Doc link to share this resource with your students via Google Classroom or Drive. Parts of the pages are editable so that your students can complete without having to print the pages. Please note, you will need to make a copy of the Google Slides to your drive before you can edit.

Shop

FREE Spiral Review Math Mystery: Case of the Super bad Superhero - 1st Grade Edition

$0.00

FREE Spiral Review Math Mystery: the Case of the Super Bad Superhero -1st Grade Edition. This math activity is a fun way to review and practice mathematical skills in the classroom or at home. Ideal for spiral review, consolidation, math centers, homework, enrichment, early-finisher or the sub-tub.


Easy prep! Just Print & Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Docs option provided within your download.


NEW - Distance Learning Update: I've added a Word Document within the folder that contains a Google Doc link to share this resource with your students via Google Classroom or Drive. Parts of the pages are editable so that your students can complete without having to print the pages. Please note, you will need to make a copy of the Google Slides to your drive before you can edit.


Students must complete math worksheets to unlock clues. Then, use their powers of deduction to narrow down the list of possibilities to solve the mystery case!

Shop

FREE Math Mystery: Case of the Super Bad Superhero - 2nd Grade Edition

$0.00

FREE Math Mystery: the Case of the Super Bad Superhero This math activity is a fun way to review and practice mathematical skills in the classroom or at home. Ideal for spiral review, consolidation, math centers, homework, enrichment, early-finisher or the sub-tub.


Easy prep! Just Print & Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Docs option provided within your download.


NEW - Distance Learning Update: I've added a Word Document within the folder that contains a Google Doc link to share this resource with your students via Google Classroom or Drive. Parts of the pages are editable so that your students can complete without having to print the pages. Please note, you will need to make a copy of the Google Slides to your drive before you can edit.


Students must complete math worksheets to unlock clues. Then, use their powers of deduction to narrow down the list of possibilities to solve the mystery case!

Shop

FREE Math Mystery: Case of the Super Bad Superhero - 3rd Grade Edition

$0.00

FREE Math Mystery: the Case of the Super Bad Superhero. This math activity is a fun way to review and practice mathematical skills in the classroom or at home. Ideal for spiral review, consolidation, math centers, homework, enrichment, early-finisher or the sub-tub.


Easy prep! Just Print & Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Docs option provided within your download.


NEW - Distance Learning Update: I've added a Word Document within the folder that contains a Google Doc link to share this resource with your students via Google Classroom or Drive. Parts of the pages are editable so that your students can complete without having to print the pages. Please note, you will need to make a copy of the Google Slides to your drive before you can edit.


Students must complete math worksheets to unlock clues. Then, use their powers of deduction to narrow down the list of possibilities to solve the mystery case!

Shop

Free Math Mystery: Case of the Super Bad Superhero - 4th Grade Edition

$0.00

Free Math Mystery: the Case of the Super Bad Superhero. This math activity is a fun way to review and practice mathematical skills in the classroom or at home. Ideal for spiral review, consolidation, math centers, homework, enrichment, early-finisher or the sub-tub.


Easy prep! Just Print & Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Docs option provided within your download.


NEW - Distance Learning Update: I've added a Word Document within the folder that contains a Google Doc link to share this resource with your students via Google Classroom or Drive. Parts of the pages are editable so that your students can complete without having to print the pages. Please note, you will need to make a copy of the Google Slides to your drive before you can edit.


Students must complete math worksheets to unlock clues. Then, use their powers of deduction to narrow down the list of possibilities to solve the mystery case!

Shop

Free Math Mystery: Case of the Super Bad Superhero - 5th Grade Edition

$0.00

Free Math Mystery: the Case of the Super Bad Superhero. This math activity is a fun way to review and practice mathematical skills in the classroom or at home. Ideal for spiral review, consolidation, math centers, homework, enrichment, early-finisher or the sub-tub.


Easy prep! Just Print & Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Docs option provided within your download.


NEW - Distance Learning Update: I've added a Word Document within the folder that contains a Google Doc link to share this resource with your students via Google Classroom or Drive. Parts of the pages are editable so that your students can complete without having to print the pages. Please note, you will need to make a copy of the Google Slides to your drive before you can edit.


Students must complete math worksheets to unlock clues. Then, use their powers of deduction to narrow down the list of possibilities to solve the mystery case!

Shop

Free Math Mystery: Case of the Super Bad Superhero - 6th Grade Edition

$0.00

Free Math Mystery: the Case of the Super and Superhero. This math activity is a fun way to review and practice mathematical skills in the classroom or at home. Ideal for spiral review, consolidation, math centers, homework, enrichment, early-finisher or the sub-tub.


Easy prep! Just Print & Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Docs option provided within your download.

NEW - Distance Learning Update: I've added a Word Document within the folder that contains a Google Doc link to share this resource with your students via Google Classroom or Drive. Parts of the pages are editable so that your students can complete without having to print the pages. Please note, you will need to make a copy of the Google Slides to your drive before you can edit.



Students must complete math worksheets to unlock clues. Then, use their powers of deduction to narrow down the list of possibilities to solve the mystery case!

Shop
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    • Math Mystery Video Hooks >
      • Case of the 100 Missing Treats
      • Case of The Abducted Alien
      • Case of The Alien Apocalypse
      • Case of The Angry Adder
      • Case of The Bee Bandits
      • Case of the Christmas Chaos
      • Case of the Cursed Classrooms
      • Case of The Disappearing Donuts
      • Case of The Divided Dragon's Division Review
      • Case of The Dream Snatcher
      • Case of The Egg Thief
      • Case of The Forgetful Pharaoh
      • Case of The Furious Falls Winds
      • Case of the Giant Goblin
      • Case of The Gobbler's Curse
      • Case of The Graduation Gremlins
      • Case of the Great Zoo Escape
      • Case of The Greedy Gnome
      • Case of the Halloween Heist
      • Case of the Heartbroken Heroes
      • Case of the Invisible Illusionist - Integers Math Mystery Activity
      • Case of the Jumpy Jack-O-Lanterns Halloween Math Mystery
      • Case of The Jungle Joker
      • Case of The Kidnapped Groundhog
      • Case of The Litterbug
      • Case of the Lost Leprechaun
      • Case of the Magnificent Growth Mindset
      • Case of The Mathattan Meltdown
      • Case of Mean Mountain
      • Case of The Millennium Bug
      • Case of the Mirror Madness
      • Case of The Misplaced Pot of Gold
      • Case of the Missing Campers
      • Case of the Missing Macaw
      • Case of The Monster Mix-Up
      • Case of the Never-Ending Rain
      • Case of the Outback Outlaw
      • Case of The Phantom Phoenix
      • Case of the Pickpocketing Pirate
      • Case of The Poisonous Pizzas
      • Case of The Puzzled Pirate
      • Case of The Robot Robbery
      • Case of The Rogue Runner
      • Case Of The Rotten Eggs
      • Case of The School Invaders
      • Case of The Selfish Elf
      • Case of The Shogun's Sword
      • Case of The Snowman Army
      • Case of The Sticky Bank Burglary
      • Case of The Super Bad Superhero
      • Case of the Thanksgiving Thief
      • Case of The Thankless Turkey
      • Case of The Time Traveling Troll
      • Case of The Tricking Treat
      • Case of The Valentine Villain
      • Case of The Vengeful Vampire
      • Case of The Zombie Elves
    • Junior Reading Mysteries >
      • Bo-Peep's Stolen Sheep
      • Broken Beanstalk
      • Miss Muffet's Missing Muffins
      • Mother Hubbard's Robbed Cupboard
      • Poisoned Porridge
      • Ruined Ruby Slippers
      • Spooky Singer
      • The Ever After Emerald
      • The Greedy Guest
    • Reading Mystery Video Hooks >
      • Burrow Slime
      • EGGpocalypse
      • Fool's Gold Read Mystery
      • Forest Grime - Reading Mystery
      • Haunting Hat - Reading Mystery
      • Humpty's Fall Reading Mystery
      • Knight's Tail
      • Poisoned Valentine
      • Rescue Rudolph
      • Stolen Time
      • Teacher Toads - Reading Mystery
      • Turkey Trouble!
      • Twinkle's Lost Shine
      • Which Witch? - Reading Mystery
      • Wizard Blizzard
    • Math Quest Video Hooks >
      • Escape Monster Mansion
      • Over The Rainbow Math Quest
      • Raiders of The Lost Egg
      • Redbeard's Rebellion
      • Reindeer Roundup
      • School Jungle Jam
      • The Heartless Queen
      • The Terrible Turkey Takeover
    • A-Z Letter Detectives Video Hook >
      • The Case of the Alien's Apples
      • The Case of the Banana Bandit
      • The Case of the Cat's Cookies
      • The Case of the Dragon's Diamonds
      • The Case of the Eagle's Eggs
      • The Case of the Frog's Flowers
      • The Case of the Ghost's Gumballs
      • The Case of the Hippo's Hat
      • The Case of the Iguana's Ice Cream
      • The Case of the Jaguar's Jellybeans
      • The Case of the Kangaroo's Kite
      • The Case of the Lion's Lollipops
      • The Case of the Monster's Map
      • The Case of the Ninja's Necklace
      • The Case of the Octopus's Oar
      • The Case of the Pirate's Pizza
      • The Case of the Queen's Quiver
      • The Case of the Robot's Rocket
      • The Case of the Sloth's Skateboard
      • The Case of the Turtle's Toys
      • The Case of the Unicorn's Umbrella
      • The Case of the Vampire's Violin
      • The Case of the Wizard's Wand
      • The Case of the X-Hero's X-Ray
      • The Case of the Yeti's Yo-Yo
      • The Case of the Zebra's Zucchinnis
    • Background Music >
      • Back to School Mystery Detective Music
      • Christmas Mystery Music
      • Easter Mystery Spy Background Music
      • Halloween Background Music
      • St Patrick's Day Background Music for the Classroom
      • Thanksgiving Mystery Background Music
      • Valentine's Day Mystery Spy Music
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