Back to School Math Mystery 4th Grade Activity: ‘School Invaders’

$4.95

  • Back to School Math Mystery 4th Grade: solve the Case of the School Invaders with five math clue worksheets.
  • Key Skills: rounding to 10 or 100, place value to thousands, multiplication facts 2-12, 2- and 3-digit addition, and 2-D and 3-D shapes.
  • Print or Digital: printable PDF plus a Google Slides version.
  • Includes: optional video hook, ending video, printable awards, and a complete answer key.
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Description

Back to School Math Mystery 4th Grade: The Case of the School Invaders is a no-prep back to school math review for 4th Grade students. Kick off the new year with high engagement using this 4th Grade back to school math review! ‘The Case of the School Invaders’ is a high-engagement math review designed to act as a fun diagnostic tool, helping you assess student retention of rounding, place value, and computation skills. It’s the perfect no-prep activity for the first week of school, loaded with options, including an optional video hook and an ending video (with voiceovers!) to wrap up the case.

The Story: The Case of the School Invaders

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.

Math Skills Required to Unlock Clues

There are five clues to crack to solve the mystery:

  • Clue 1: Rounding (Rounding numbers to the nearest 10 or 100)
  • Clue 2: Place Value (Identifying the value of the underlined digit: Ones to Thousands)
  • Clue 3: Fluency (Multiplication Facts 2-12)
  • Clue 4: Addition (Standard Algorithm with 2-Digit and 3-Digit numbers)
  • Clue 5: Geometry (Identifying 2-D and 3-D Shapes)

Students must use critical thinking skills to work out what each clue is telling them to eliminate from the list of possibilities.

What is Included in this Math Mystery?

  • Optional video hook to introduce the case (watch it here).
  • Ending video (with voiceovers) to wrap up the case.
  • Printable PDF case file: the mystery story, list of possibilities, and five clue worksheets.
  • Google Slides digital version: 100% paperless. Assign it in Google Classroom. (Students must be in edit mode to type.)
  • Printable awards to celebrate your detectives.
  • Complete answer key.

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.

4th Grade Back to School Math Review: Who It Is For

This edition is written for 4th 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:

  • A fun “Ice Breaker” activity for the first week
  • A low-stress Diagnostic Assessment
  • Math centers or stations to establish routines
  • Homework or enrichment
  • A lifesaver for your sub-tub!

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.”

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Easy Grade-Level Differentiation

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.

More Back to School Math for 4th Grade

Skills and Common Core Standards

  • 3.NBT.A.1 – Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100 (rounding numbers to the nearest 10 or 100 (Clue 1))
  • 4.NBT.A.2 – Read and write multi-digit whole numbers using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form; compare two multi-digit numbers (identifying the value of the underlined digit, ones to thousands (Clue 2))
  • 3.OA.C.7 – Fluently multiply and divide within 100 (multiplication facts 2-12 (Clue 3; facts beyond 10 x 10 extend the standard))
  • 3.NBT.A.2 – Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value (addition with the standard algorithm, 2-digit and 3-digit numbers (Clue 4))
  • 2.G.A.1 – Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes; identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes (identifying 2-D and 3-D shapes (Clue 5; review))

Looking for more? The Case of the School Invaders is part of the 4th 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.

FAQ

Is this content new for 4th Graders?

No, and that is intentional! This packet reviews key 3rd Grade Standards (Rounding to 100, Multiplication Facts, Shapes) to help build confidence and allow you to see where students are starting from.

Is there Geometry?

Yes! Clue 5 reviews 2-D and 3-D Shapes. This is a great way to check if students recall their shape vocabulary (e.g., cube, sphere, quadrilateral) from previous years.

How long will this activity take?

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.

Is an answer key included?

Yes. A complete answer key is included, along with printable awards.

Can I use this with other grades?

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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