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5th Grade Christmas Activity: Christmas Math Mystery - Selfish Elf - CSI
5th Grade Christmas Activity: Christmas Math Mystery - Selfish Elf - CSI
5th Grade Christmas Activity: Christmas Math Mystery - Selfish Elf - CSI
5th Grade Christmas Activity: Christmas Math Mystery - Selfish Elf - CSI
5th Grade Christmas Activity: Christmas Math Mystery - Selfish Elf - CSI
5th Grade Christmas Activity: Christmas Math Mystery - Selfish Elf - CSI
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5th Grade Christmas Activity: Christmas Math Mystery - Selfish Elf - CSI
5th Grade Christmas Activity: Christmas Math Mystery - Selfish Elf - CSI
5th Grade Christmas Activity: Christmas Math Mystery - Selfish Elf - CSI
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What others say

"My students love these as a review of our learning before a test. They are engaged the entire time and especially love the videos that are included."
star
Melissa M.
"This was a great wait to review before break. The kids love being able to review in a fun way before break. I love these math mysteries."
star
Kendra C.

Description

This Christmas Math Mystery, the 'Case of the Selfish Elf' (5th Grade Edition) will add an exciting twist to your math sessions. Easy prep! Just Print & Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Slides option provided within your download.

Distance Learning Update: I've added a Word Document within the folder that contains a Google Slides 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 them 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.

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

There is an optional Video Hook available to introduce this activity to your students in a fun way

>> CLICK HERE TO VIEW BONUS VIDEO HOOK <<

Includes a Bonus ending video clip to wrap up the case after solving the mystery!

Students must use their math skills to eliminate suspects so they can find out who is the Selfish Elf?

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

Preparation

- No Prep required! Print the student pages, staple or place

in a folder, and your students are set to go.

- Have the video hook ready for viewing at the start of the

lesson on an IWB, iPad or computer monitor screen.

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

Math Skills Required to Unlock Clues

There are five clues to crack to solve the mystery:

Clue 1: Place Value with Decimals (tenths, hundredths, thousandths)

Clue 2: Adding Decimals (tenths, hundredths)

Clue 3: Multiplying Fractions (No simplifying required)

Clue 4: Convert metric units of volume (ml, L)

Clue 5: Dividing Numbers Ending in Zeroes by 1-digit numbers (no remainders)

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

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

Multiple Uses

- Suitable for independent, pairs, or group work.

- Use as part of your math centers, add to your sub tubs, make it part of your early finisher tasks, give for homework, or make it part of your classroom practice/review sessions.

I recommend pacing this activity by giving students one clue at a time. Once the whole class has completed a clue, then move on to the next clue either within the same lesson or 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."

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

How long will this activity take?

Time to complete will vary anywhere between 30mins - 2 hours or more! It mainly depends on how familiar your students are with the math mystery format, as well as how difficult they find math skills covered in the particular mystery. Please check the math skills outlined in the clues above to help determine suitability for your class.

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

Want different math skills?

The Case of the Selfish Elf is available in the other Grade editions listed below. Click to check out the math skills covered in each packet.

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 1)

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 2)

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 3)

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 4)

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 5)

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 6)

Differentiation and Important Note about the other Grade Editions when the Mystery is the SAME Story Title:

The clues are the same in the other grades if the mystery story is the same. The math is what is different between the grade packs. I designed the mysteries this way to enable differentiating the task within your classroom (without your kids knowing that they might have an easier or harder version than their peers.) You can also 'clue swap' across grades (except for the Kindergarten & 1st grade version) as long as the clue number is the same if you find that you'd prefer the math skill for a particular clue from a different grade edition. For example, swap clue 3 from the 4th grade edition with clue 3 in the 5th grade edition and it will still work the same (just the math will be different). I've added an alternative suspect list to the pack to change the mystery outcome, including two pre-made lists for you to swap out if you want a different mystery solution.

There are many different mystery titles in my store available if you'd like more Math Mysteries with different clues and solutions.

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

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

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

You may also like:

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of the Zombie Elves (GRADE 5)

Christmas Literacy Mystery: Case of the Reckless Reindeer

New Year Math Mystery: Case of The Millennium Bug (GRADE 5)

Bundle and Save!

COMPLETE Math Mystery Bundle for GRADE 5

Holiday Math Mystery Bundle {GRADE 5}

Seasons Math Mystery Bundle Pack (GRADE 5)

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

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 5th Grade Range:

>>Download the FREE 5th 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

___________________________________________________________________

>> CLICK HERE to follow my store <<

Thank you!

Mrs. J.

© 2015

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.

5th Grade Christmas Activity: Christmas Math Mystery - Selfish Elf - CSI

Mrs J's Resource Creations
41.6k Followers
$4.95

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Digital downloads
Grades icon
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Answer Key
Included

What others say

"My students love these as a review of our learning before a test. They are engaged the entire time and especially love the videos that are included."
star
Melissa M.
"This was a great wait to review before break. The kids love being able to review in a fun way before break. I love these math mysteries."
star
Kendra C.

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 $623.17Original Price $890.25Save $267.08
188
Math Mysteries for the HOLIDAYS collection! 5th Grade Edition. These fun math mystery activities will get your students excited about doing math review! Save time and money with this Math Mystery HOLIDAY bundle for Grade 5!Easy prep! Just Print &amp; Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Docs o
Price $92.62Original Price $132.30Save $39.68
27
Math Mystery COMPLETE 5th Grade Edition collection! This complete math mystery bundle contains all of my math mysteries for Grade 5 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! Or
Price $217.81Original Price $311.15Save $93.34
67

Description

This Christmas Math Mystery, the 'Case of the Selfish Elf' (5th Grade Edition) will add an exciting twist to your math sessions. Easy prep! Just Print & Solve! Or go paperless with the new Google Slides option provided within your download.

Distance Learning Update: I've added a Word Document within the folder that contains a Google Slides 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 them 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.

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

There is an optional Video Hook available to introduce this activity to your students in a fun way

>> CLICK HERE TO VIEW BONUS VIDEO HOOK <<

Includes a Bonus ending video clip to wrap up the case after solving the mystery!

Students must use their math skills to eliminate suspects so they can find out who is the Selfish Elf?

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

Preparation

- No Prep required! Print the student pages, staple or place

in a folder, and your students are set to go.

- Have the video hook ready for viewing at the start of the

lesson on an IWB, iPad or computer monitor screen.

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

Math Skills Required to Unlock Clues

There are five clues to crack to solve the mystery:

Clue 1: Place Value with Decimals (tenths, hundredths, thousandths)

Clue 2: Adding Decimals (tenths, hundredths)

Clue 3: Multiplying Fractions (No simplifying required)

Clue 4: Convert metric units of volume (ml, L)

Clue 5: Dividing Numbers Ending in Zeroes by 1-digit numbers (no remainders)

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

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

Multiple Uses

- Suitable for independent, pairs, or group work.

- Use as part of your math centers, add to your sub tubs, make it part of your early finisher tasks, give for homework, or make it part of your classroom practice/review sessions.

I recommend pacing this activity by giving students one clue at a time. Once the whole class has completed a clue, then move on to the next clue either within the same lesson or 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."

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

How long will this activity take?

Time to complete will vary anywhere between 30mins - 2 hours or more! It mainly depends on how familiar your students are with the math mystery format, as well as how difficult they find math skills covered in the particular mystery. Please check the math skills outlined in the clues above to help determine suitability for your class.

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

Want different math skills?

The Case of the Selfish Elf is available in the other Grade editions listed below. Click to check out the math skills covered in each packet.

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 1)

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 2)

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 3)

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 4)

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 5)

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of The Selfish Elf (GRADE 6)

Differentiation and Important Note about the other Grade Editions when the Mystery is the SAME Story Title:

The clues are the same in the other grades if the mystery story is the same. The math is what is different between the grade packs. I designed the mysteries this way to enable differentiating the task within your classroom (without your kids knowing that they might have an easier or harder version than their peers.) You can also 'clue swap' across grades (except for the Kindergarten & 1st grade version) as long as the clue number is the same if you find that you'd prefer the math skill for a particular clue from a different grade edition. For example, swap clue 3 from the 4th grade edition with clue 3 in the 5th grade edition and it will still work the same (just the math will be different). I've added an alternative suspect list to the pack to change the mystery outcome, including two pre-made lists for you to swap out if you want a different mystery solution.

There are many different mystery titles in my store available if you'd like more Math Mysteries with different clues and solutions.

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

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

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

You may also like:

Christmas Math Mystery: Case of the Zombie Elves (GRADE 5)

Christmas Literacy Mystery: Case of the Reckless Reindeer

New Year Math Mystery: Case of The Millennium Bug (GRADE 5)

Bundle and Save!

COMPLETE Math Mystery Bundle for GRADE 5

Holiday Math Mystery Bundle {GRADE 5}

Seasons Math Mystery Bundle Pack (GRADE 5)

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

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 5th Grade Range:

>>Download the FREE 5th 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

___________________________________________________________________

>> CLICK HERE to follow my store <<

Thank you!

Mrs. J.

© 2015

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 4.89 out of 5, based on 505 reviews
505
ratings
5
470
4
35
3
0
2
0
1
0
Mostly used with 5th grade
Reviews
4
17
173
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1
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4th
5th
6th
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What customers are saying
Met expectations
92%
Is a great value
100%
Is standards-aligned
100%
All verified TPT purchases
Fun and engaging activity
Rated 5 out of 5
June 2, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
We really enjoy these activity packets. It is a great way to review skills. It keeps students engaged while practicing previously taught skills.
Tabatha L.
122 reviews • Tennessee
Grades taught: 3rd, 4th, 5th
Love for Review!
Rated 5 out of 5
May 6, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
My students love these as a review of our learning before a test. They are engaged the entire time and especially love the videos that are included.
Melissa M.
65 reviews
Grades taught: 5th
Fun activity
Rated 4 out of 5
April 10, 2026
Great value
Standards-aligned
I purchased this for enrichment for some students that needed to be pushed harder than what our curriculum provides. It was a little bit easy for them. This would be good for your average fifth grader but my advanced students did not feel very challenged.
Jennifer H.
179 reviews • Tennessee
Grades taught: 5th
Great Resource
Rated 5 out of 5
March 17, 2026
This resource was well-organized and easy to implement. My students were engaged the entire time!
Marlee M.
300 reviews • South Dakota
Grades taught: 3rd, 4th, 5th
Great, no-prep resource!
Rated 5 out of 5
February 6, 2026
My students love these mystery activities! They are so easy to get together, and keep them engaged!
194 reviews • Rhode Island
Grades taught: 5th
Thumbs up!
Rated 4 out of 5
January 23, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
This is a great resource to use with my struggling learners.
843 reviews • Virginia
Grades taught: 6th, 7th, 8th
Student populations: Learning difficulties
Made Math FUN!
Rated 5 out of 5
January 8, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
My students had so much fun with math, their most hated subject, with this resource! Well done!
Deborah H.
40 reviews
Grades taught: 5th
Student populations: Learning difficulties
Great Resource Before Break
Rated 5 out of 5
January 6, 2026
Met expectations
Great value
Standards-aligned
This was a great wait to review before break. The kids love being able to review in a fun way before break. I love these math mysteries.
870 reviews • Nevada
Grades taught: 3rd, 4th, 5th

Questions & Answers

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Standards

to see state-specific standards (only available in the US).
Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.
Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left.
Find whole-number quotients of whole numbers with up to four-digit dividends and two-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.
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