Back to School Math Mystery 6th Grade: The Case of the School Invaders is a no-prep back to school math review for 6th Grade students. Kick off the new school year with this 6th Grade back to school math review! ‘The Case of the School Invaders’ is a high-engagement first week of school math activity that turns a 6th Grade review into an exciting case-solving mission. It’s ideal for assessing what students remember from 5th Grade, and it’s the perfect no-prep activity, loaded with options, including an optional video hook to set the stage.
The stinky, slimy Geometron aliens are invading Mathhattan Elementary School and wreaking havoc all over the school! Students must review math skills from the previous grade to unlock the clues, then use their powers of deduction to narrow down the list of locations, find the aliens’ transponder device, and get rid of the invaders.
Set the scene with the optional video hook for the Case of the School Invaders on your whiteboard or screen, then wrap up the case with the ending video. Students solve the math worksheets to unlock clues and eliminate possibilities after each clue to crack the case.
There are five clues to crack to solve the mystery:
Students must use critical thinking skills to work out what each clue is telling them to eliminate from the list of possibilities.
Easy prep: Print the student pages, staple or place them in a folder, and your students are ready to start. Or assign the digital version for a paperless option.
This edition is written for 6th Grade students and works in the first weeks of the new school year, as a review of the previous grade, or any time of year. Use it for:
Pacing and Timing: Time to complete will vary anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours or more. It mainly depends on how familiar your students are with the math mystery format, and how difficult they find the math skills covered in the clues. Please check the skills above to help determine suitability for your class.
I recommend pacing this activity by giving students one clue at a time. Once the whole class has completed a clue, move on to the next clue, either within the same lesson or in the next math session. New math content presented? Make a lesson out of it by modeling the math before diving into the clue. I like to say, “We must learn something new before attempting the next clue.”
Two different 6th Grade Back to School mysteries: this School Invaders mystery is one of TWO different Back to School cases for 6th Grade. Each features a unique case and a different set of math skills. ‘Cursed Classrooms’ 6th Grade Mystery reviews fractions, multiplying decimals, and more.
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The Case of the School Invaders is available in 6 grade editions. The story is the same; the math is different, so you can match each group to its level:
The 2nd-6th Grade editions can “clue swap” between editions to differentiate within one class. Grade 1 Math Mysteries are formatted for early learners and cannot be clue-swapped with the other grade versions. Read more: How to differentiate using Math Mysteries.
Looking for more? The Case of the School Invaders is part of the 6th Grade Math Mystery Bundle, if you’d like a full set of resources in one place.
Not sure what a math mystery is? Read What is a Math Mystery? on my blog, or watch a short video about Math Mysteries.
Add extra motivation with the free Detective Rank Chart and Mystery Record. New to math mysteries? Try the free Case of the Super Bad Superhero first.
Yes! This has a fun “school invaders” theme, making it the perfect 6th Grade math review printable. It’s ideal for assessing what students remember from 5th Grade.
This is a comprehensive review of key skills. Students will practice order of operations, adding and subtracting decimals, comparing fractions, and graphing on a coordinate plane.
Time to complete varies between 30 minutes and 2 hours or more, depending on how familiar your students are with the math mystery format and how difficult they find the math skills. I recommend giving students one clue at a time.
Yes. A complete answer key is included, along with printable awards.
Yes. The Case of the School Invaders comes in 6 grade editions with the same story and different math, so you can match the edition to your students.
Technical issues? See my Troubleshooting Tips and FAQ page, or email me at jjresourcecreations@gmail.com.
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Thank you!
Jacqui J.
Mrs. J’s Resource Creations
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