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Back to School Math Mystery Activity - 4th Grade Beginning of the Year Game
Back to School Math Mystery Activity - 4th Grade Beginning of the Year Game
Back to School Math Mystery Activity - 4th Grade Beginning of the Year Game
Back to School Math Mystery Activity - 4th Grade Beginning of the Year Game
Back to School Math Mystery Activity - 4th Grade Beginning of the Year Game
Back to School Math Mystery Activity - 4th Grade Beginning of the Year Game
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Back to School Math Mystery Activity - 4th Grade Beginning of the Year Game
Back to School Math Mystery Activity - 4th Grade Beginning of the Year Game
Back to School Math Mystery Activity - 4th Grade Beginning of the Year Game
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What others say

"This is an engaging activity to get students working together in small groups. It challenges them and encourages them to think critically in order to solve the mystery."
star
Emily A.
"Once my students learned how to complete these math mystery assignments, they are eager for more and can complete them independently. "
star
Cynthia B.

Description

Back to School Math Mystery: the Case of The School Invaders - 4th Grade Edition.

Students must review math skills from the previous grade to help get rid of the stinky, slimy Geometron aliens invading Mathhattan Elementary School!



Easy prep!

  • Printable PDF - print, copy, solve!
  • Digital worksheets with Google Slides or EASEL


Optional video hook included for introducing the case!

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO HOOK! or check out in the preview section.

⭐Due to several requests, now there is the option to use a video hook that says TARGET: 'Your School' instead of TARGET: Mathhattan Elementary. I've added an editable story page for you to add your school's name in the reading section too.

Ending Video Clip also included to wrap up the mystery!

>> UPDATE: The videos now come with voiceovers to narrate the text


Students must use their math skills to unlock clues. The clues will help them eliminate locations to find where the aliens' transponder is!

Math Skills Required to Unlock Clues

There are five clues to crack to solve the mystery:

  • Clue 1: Rounding (To the nearest 10 or 100)
  • Clue 2: Place Value of the Underlined Digit (Ones, Tens, Hundreds, Thousands)
  • Clue 3: Multiplication Facts (mix between 2-12)
  • Clue 4: Addition Algorithms (2-Digit and 3-Digit Numbers)
  • Clue 5: Identify 2-D and 3-D Shapes

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Multiple Uses

- Consolidation

- Practice and Review

- Math Centers

- Early Finishers

- Substitute Teachers

- Assessment for learning

- Homework

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


How long will this activity take?

Time to complete varies depending on your student's familiarity with the math mystery format and the skills required to unlock clues. You can pace it out by completing one clue a day --> there are five clues!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- If you would like more challenging math skills, select a higher grade level version of this mystery.

- If you would like a set of easier math skills, select a lower grade level version of this mystery.

This Back to School Math Mystery activity is also available for the other grade levels listed below:

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 1

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 2

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 3

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 4

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 5

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 6

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Add extra motivation with this Detective Rank Chart Download the Mystery Record & Rank Chart FREEBIE HERE

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bundle and Save!

COMPLETE Math Mystery Bundle for GRADE 4

Holiday Math Mystery Bundle {GRADE 4}

Seasons Math Mystery Bundle Pack (GRADE 4)

SKILLS Math Mystery Bundle (4th Grade)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not sure what a math mystery is? CLICK HERE to watch a video about Math Mysteries

TRY A FULL FREE MATH MYSTERY HERE (GRADES 1 - 6 DIFFERENTIATED BUNDLE)

Browse the 4th Grade Range:

>>Download the FREE 4th Grade Math Mystery Checklist here<<

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more ideas, activities, and resources, follow my store (by clicking the little green star) to stay updated on new releases. We can also stay connected via:

Blog

Pinterest

Facebook

Instagram @mrsjsresourcecreations

__________________________________________________________________

>>CLICK HERE to follow my store <<

_________________________________________________________________

Thank you!

Mrs. J.

© 2018

Report this resource to TPT
Reported resources will be reviewed by our team. Report this resource to let us know if this resource violates TPT's content guidelines.

Back to School Math Mystery Activity - 4th Grade Beginning of the Year Game

Mrs J's Resource Creations
41.6k Followers
$4.95

Highlights

Digital downloads
Grades icon
Grades
Standards icon
Standards
Pages
16
Answer Key
Included

What others say

"This is an engaging activity to get students working together in small groups. It challenges them and encourages them to think critically in order to solve the mystery."
star
Emily A.
"Once my students learned how to complete these math mystery assignments, they are eager for more and can complete them independently. "
star
Cynthia B.

Save even more with bundles

This Complete Math Mystery Tri-Grade Bundle contains all of my math mysteries currently in the range available for Grades 4, 5, and 6!Make math fun and exciting by adding a mystery twist to your worksheets. Your students will gain lots of math practice while also developing their critical thinking a
Price $626.63Original Price $895.20Save $268.57
189
Math Mysteries for the HOLIDAYS bundle! 4th Grade Edition. These fun math mystery activities will excite your students about doing math reviews! Save time and money with this Math Mystery HOLIDAY bundle for Grade 4!Easy prep! Just Print &amp; Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Docs option pr
Price $96.39Original Price $137.70Save $41.31
28
Math Mysteries, the COMPLETE collection for 4th Grade. This complete math mystery bundle contains all of my math mysteries for Grade 4 up to date! Make math fun and exciting with these engaging activities that will motivate even some of your most reluctant learners.Easy prep! Just Print &amp; Solve!
Price $235.43Original Price $336.35Save $100.92
72

Description

Back to School Math Mystery: the Case of The School Invaders - 4th Grade Edition.

Students must review math skills from the previous grade to help get rid of the stinky, slimy Geometron aliens invading Mathhattan Elementary School!



Easy prep!

  • Printable PDF - print, copy, solve!
  • Digital worksheets with Google Slides or EASEL


Optional video hook included for introducing the case!

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO HOOK! or check out in the preview section.

⭐Due to several requests, now there is the option to use a video hook that says TARGET: 'Your School' instead of TARGET: Mathhattan Elementary. I've added an editable story page for you to add your school's name in the reading section too.

Ending Video Clip also included to wrap up the mystery!

>> UPDATE: The videos now come with voiceovers to narrate the text


Students must use their math skills to unlock clues. The clues will help them eliminate locations to find where the aliens' transponder is!

Math Skills Required to Unlock Clues

There are five clues to crack to solve the mystery:

  • Clue 1: Rounding (To the nearest 10 or 100)
  • Clue 2: Place Value of the Underlined Digit (Ones, Tens, Hundreds, Thousands)
  • Clue 3: Multiplication Facts (mix between 2-12)
  • Clue 4: Addition Algorithms (2-Digit and 3-Digit Numbers)
  • Clue 5: Identify 2-D and 3-D Shapes

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Multiple Uses

- Consolidation

- Practice and Review

- Math Centers

- Early Finishers

- Substitute Teachers

- Assessment for learning

- Homework

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


How long will this activity take?

Time to complete varies depending on your student's familiarity with the math mystery format and the skills required to unlock clues. You can pace it out by completing one clue a day --> there are five clues!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- If you would like more challenging math skills, select a higher grade level version of this mystery.

- If you would like a set of easier math skills, select a lower grade level version of this mystery.

This Back to School Math Mystery activity is also available for the other grade levels listed below:

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 1

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 2

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 3

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 4

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 5

Case of the School Invaders - Grade 6

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Add extra motivation with this Detective Rank Chart Download the Mystery Record & Rank Chart FREEBIE HERE

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bundle and Save!

COMPLETE Math Mystery Bundle for GRADE 4

Holiday Math Mystery Bundle {GRADE 4}

Seasons Math Mystery Bundle Pack (GRADE 4)

SKILLS Math Mystery Bundle (4th Grade)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not sure what a math mystery is? CLICK HERE to watch a video about Math Mysteries

TRY A FULL FREE MATH MYSTERY HERE (GRADES 1 - 6 DIFFERENTIATED BUNDLE)

Browse the 4th Grade Range:

>>Download the FREE 4th Grade Math Mystery Checklist here<<

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more ideas, activities, and resources, follow my store (by clicking the little green star) to stay updated on new releases. We can also stay connected via:

Blog

Pinterest

Facebook

Instagram @mrsjsresourcecreations

__________________________________________________________________

>>CLICK HERE to follow my store <<

_________________________________________________________________

Thank you!

Mrs. J.

© 2018

Report this resource to TPT
Reported resources will be reviewed by our team. Report this resource to let us know if this resource violates TPT's content guidelines.

Reviews

4.9
Rated 4.87 out of 5, based on 1334 reviews
1334
ratings
5
1,218
4
112
3
3
2
1
1
0
Mostly used with 4th grade
Reviews
9
97
505
109
25
6
3
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
What customers are saying
Met expectations
100%
Is a great value
100%
Is standards-aligned
100%
All verified TPT purchases
Great Resource
Rated 5 out of 5
May 16, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
This is an engaging activity to get students working together in small groups. It challenges them and encourages them to think critically in order to solve the mystery.
Emily A.
275 reviews • Utah
Grades taught: 4th
Super Fun Activity
Rated 5 out of 5
May 5, 2026
This is a great resource! Students found the activities super fun! Great to leave for supplies.
Nicole M.
271 reviews • Outside the United States
Grades taught: 4th
My students love this!
Rated 5 out of 5
April 26, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
This is a really great resource! Thank you so much!
Jeana Riley
(TPT Seller)
96 reviews • Oklahoma
Grades taught: 4th
My students look forward to this!
Rated 5 out of 5
April 21, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
Once my students learned how to complete these math mystery assignments, they are eager for more and can complete them independently.
Just the Good Stuff
(TPT Seller)
188 reviews • Oregon
Grades taught: 4th, 5th
Student populations: Autism, Learning difficulties
Math Mystery Activity
Rated 5 out of 5
January 7, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
This resource was exactly what I needed! It was well-organized, aligned to standards, and easy to implement. My students stayed engaged and showed strong understanding.
Sarah T.
204 reviews • Arkansas
Grades taught: 2nd, 3rd
Start of the Year
Rated 5 out of 5
December 4, 2025
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
This was a great way to start the school year. I was able to get a true grasp on where my students were in math.
Samantha P.
291 reviews • Kansas
Grades taught: 3rd
Fantastic Resource
Rated 5 out of 5
November 23, 2025
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
My students had so much fun with this and it was a great way to start the year!
Nathalie L.
67 reviews • Outside the United States
Grades taught: 4th
Great resource
Rated 5 out of 5
November 19, 2025
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
This was an awesome start of the year activity for my students.
Averie M.
63 reviews • Wisconsin
Grades taught: 4th

Questions & Answers

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Standards

to see state-specific standards (only available in the US).
Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.
Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division (e.g., knowing that 8 × 5 = 40, one knows 40 ÷ 5 = 8) or properties of operations. By the end of Grade 3, know from memory all products of two one-digit numbers.
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