January Math Mystery 5th Grade | New Year Math Review Activity | PEMDAS Decimals

What others say

"I have many of Mrs. J's Math Mysteries. I use them for early finishers and sub plans. They are great for reviewing skills that I have taught. I love the holiday themes and my students look forward to the next one!"

Leslie F.

"Used this for "extra" activities for my gifted student and he loved it! Will be back for more of your resources!"

Kristan C.

Description

Kickstart 2026 with this Jumbled January Math Mystery! This 5th Grade Math Review is the perfect New Year activity to practice Order of Operations, Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators, Multiplying Decimals, Long Division, Powers of 10 and Patterns of Zeros after winter break. Students must fix the "Eternal Monday" and the jumble of holidays glitch to save the calendar!

JANUARY MATH MYSTERY: THE CASE OF THE JUMBLED JANUARY

(5TH GRADE EDITION)

Get your students back into the learning groove after Winter Break! "The Case of the Jumbled January" is an engaging math mystery activity where students must solve clues to fix the calendar stuck on an "Eternal Monday," and all of the famous Holiday icons are clashing in the one month, creating chaos in the New Year!

This packet is designed to review key mid-year 5th Grade math standards like Order of Operations, Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators, Multiplying Decimals, Long Division, Powers of 10 and Patterns of Zeros, making it the perfect "Welcome Back" activity.

MATH SKILLS INVOLVED:

Clue 1: Order of Operations (PEMDAS)
Clue 2: Adding & Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators
Clue 3: Multiplying Decimals
Clue 4: Long Division (No remainders) 2-Digit Divisors
Clue 5: Powers of 10 and Patterns of Zeros

HOW IT WORKS: Students read the story (or watch the video hook) of the "Case of the Jumbled January" Calendar Generator glitch in Mathhattan. They must complete five math worksheets to unlock clues. Each clue helps them eliminate suspects until they find the culprit behind the theft of critical parts of Mathhattan's Calendar Generator.

EASY TO PREP!

📄 Printable PDF: "No Prep" design—just print, copy, and distribute! You can easily project the Hook and Ending videos on your Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) to guide the class.
💻 Digital Google Slides™: Go paperless! A ready-to-go Google Slide deck is included. Simply save a copy to your drive and assign it to students via Google Classroom or your LMS.

INCLUDED IN YOUR DOWNLOAD:

Video Hook & Ending: Set the stage with an exciting video story and reward your students after solving the case with an ending video. (Voiceovers included)!
Printable PDF: Easy "Print & Go" worksheets.
Google Slides: Digital worksheets version included for 1:1 classrooms or distance learning. Please note that students must be in 'edit' mode to enter responses on the pages.
Answer Key: Detailed keys for easy grading.
Printable Awards: Celebrate your students' success.

PERFECT FOR:

First week back from Winter Break (New Year's Activity)
January Math Centers
Spiral Review / Test Prep
Fun Friday Activity
Sub Tubs (Easy Prep!)

EASY DIFFERENTIATION: This mystery is also available for other grade levels, allowing you to "Clue Swap" for differentiation.

⭐This resource is also included in the 5th Grade Complete Math Mystery Bundle

❤️Check out some other fun 5th Grade Math Mystery resources from my store:

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:

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Thank you!

Jacqui J.
Mrs. J's Resource Creations

© 2026

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.

January Math Mystery 5th Grade | New Year Math Review Activity | PEMDAS Decimals

Name: January Math Mystery 5th Grade | New Year Math Review Activity | PEMDAS Decimals
Brand: Mrs J's Resource Creations
SKU: 15202210
Price: 4.95 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (4 reviews)

Rated 5 out of 5, based on 4 reviews

5.0 (4 ratings)

Mrs J's Resource Creations

41.9k Followers

$4.95

Highlights

Digital downloads

Google Apps, PDF, Video

Grades

5th - 6th

Subjects

Arithmetic, Decimals, Fractions

Standards

CCSS5.NBT.A.2

CCSS5.NBT.B.6

CCSS5.NBT.B.7

What others say

Leslie F.

"Used this for "extra" activities for my gifted student and he loved it! Will be back for more of your resources!"

Kristan C.

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MEGA MRS. J's MATH MYSTERY BUNDLE (GRADES 1 - 6)

Mrs. J's Math Mystery collection from 1st to 6th grade.Grab all of the math mysteries to engage and motivate your students and differentiate across grade levels! FAQ: Will I be adding more math mysteries to this bundle?A: Yes, I will add new 1st-6th Grade Math Mysteries to this bundle until it reach

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Complete Math Mystery Tri-Grade Bundle for 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade Review

This Complete Math Mystery Tri-Grade Bundle contains all of my math mysteries currently in the range available for Grades 3, 4, and 5!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

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Description

JANUARY MATH MYSTERY: THE CASE OF THE JUMBLED JANUARY

(5TH GRADE EDITION)

MATH SKILLS INVOLVED:

Clue 1: Order of Operations (PEMDAS)
Clue 2: Adding & Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators
Clue 3: Multiplying Decimals
Clue 4: Long Division (No remainders) 2-Digit Divisors
Clue 5: Powers of 10 and Patterns of Zeros

EASY TO PREP!

📄 Printable PDF: "No Prep" design—just print, copy, and distribute! You can easily project the Hook and Ending videos on your Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) to guide the class.
💻 Digital Google Slides™: Go paperless! A ready-to-go Google Slide deck is included. Simply save a copy to your drive and assign it to students via Google Classroom or your LMS.

INCLUDED IN YOUR DOWNLOAD:

Video Hook & Ending: Set the stage with an exciting video story and reward your students after solving the case with an ending video. (Voiceovers included)!
Printable PDF: Easy "Print & Go" worksheets.
Google Slides: Digital worksheets version included for 1:1 classrooms or distance learning. Please note that students must be in 'edit' mode to enter responses on the pages.
Answer Key: Detailed keys for easy grading.
Printable Awards: Celebrate your students' success.

PERFECT FOR:

First week back from Winter Break (New Year's Activity)
January Math Centers
Spiral Review / Test Prep
Fun Friday Activity
Sub Tubs (Easy Prep!)

EASY DIFFERENTIATION: This mystery is also available for other grade levels, allowing you to "Clue Swap" for differentiation.

⭐This resource is also included in the 5th Grade Complete Math Mystery Bundle

❤️Check out some other fun 5th Grade Math Mystery resources from my store:

Jacqui J.
Mrs. J's Resource Creations

© 2026

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.

5.0

Rated 5 out of 5, based on 4 reviews

4
ratings

All verified TPT purchases

Amazing Resource

Rated 5 out of 5

July 8, 2026

Met expectations

Great value

Standards-aligned

My students loved this and I loved having a great resource to use after winter break

Jaci D.

846 reviews • Illinois

Grades taught: 3rd, 4th, 5th

A Fun Mystery for Enrichment

Rated 5 out of 5

April 1, 2026

Met expectations

Great value

Standards-aligned

My gifted students love solving these cases. It provides them with a great enrichment opportunity.

Gregory Hemming

(TPT Seller)

781 reviews • Florida

Grades taught: 4th, 5th

My students LOVE Math Mysteries

Rated 5 out of 5

February 28, 2026

Met expectations

Great value

Standards-aligned

I have many of Mrs. J's Math Mysteries. I use them for early finishers and sub plans. They are great for reviewing skills that I have taught. I love the holiday themes and my students look forward to the next one!

Leslie F.

186 reviews • New Jersey

Grades taught: 5th

Great fun!

Rated 5 out of 5

January 13, 2026

Used this for "extra" activities for my gifted student and he loved it! Will be back for more of your resources!

All Things Creative

(TPT Seller)

1,432 reviews • Outside the United States

Grades taught: 5th

Questions & Answers

Standards

to see state-specific standards (only available in the US).

CCSS5.NBT.A.2

Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of 10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a power of 10. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.

CCSS5.NBT.B.6

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.

CCSS5.NBT.B.7

Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used.