MYSTERY MATH LESSON
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WHO STOLE THE 2ND QUARTER REPORT CARDS????

Introduction:
    This lesson is one of my favorites, and my students love it, too.  I am a big fan of problem solving activities in math, and this activity incorporates solving equations and a school-wide mystery.  I use this activity after we have studied all kinds of equations, one- and two-step equations, equations involving fractions and decimals, equations with variables on both sides, etc., to reinforce their ability to solve them.  Students must solve an equation, and that equation leads them to a clue about the mystery (Who stole the report cards from the office?).  The clues are hidden all over the school--in other teachers' rooms, in the office, in the cafeteria, etc.  Students keep a "detective's notebooks" containing their equations and solutions and the clues, and after all the equations are solved and the clues gathered, students have to use deductive reasoning to figure out the culprit.

Setup:
    Before this activity can begin, there is a lot of preparation to do.  I videotape a police officer in full uniform recounting the crime.  (He is a spouse of one of our teachers.)  I use this videotape to introduce the lesson to the students.  I usually write thirty-five clues about the mystery on index cards, and I hide these clues in various locations around the school.  Each clue is numbered, and it corresponds to one of the equations the students must solve.  Writing the clues is the hardest part about the lesson.  Because every school is different, it would be impossible for me to write clues and post them here as they apply to your particular situation.   They should be written so that there is a definite link to one or more "suspects," but a more definitive link to only one of the suspects.  I photograph my "suspects," who are other teachers, the counselor, the principal, or even the janitor.  I place these photos on a "suspect board," and place it at the front of the room on the day the mystery begins.  I prepare little memo-sized notebooks for the kids to use as their detective notebooks, and inside these I make out a school "pass" so that they can go around the building when they are looking for clues. I also write 35 equations all over a sheet of paper for the students to solve, and copy them for the kids.  Students can work alone or with a partner on the activity, and we usually work on the mystery on Mondays and Fridays only.  The entire process takes about 4 weeks--three weeks to work on clues, and the last week to put the clues together and work on a "presentation" where students present who they think did it, why, and how.  With everything in place, we are ready to begin!

Activity:
    1.  I show the students the videotape of the officer explaining the crime, and how he needs their help solving it.
    2.  Students are given all the materials they will need:  their detective notebooks, a copy of the equations sheet, their presentation worksheet, and the rubric for each part of the activity (See assessment section at the end.)
    3.  Students then work in my room on an equation that they choose from the sheet of equations.  It doesn't matter which one they do because each equation corresponds to a different clue and its location in the building.  The students receive full points if their solution is correct the first time they present it to me, and I deduct a point each time it is not. (These points go into their grade for their notebooks.)  Each equation, its solution, and the clue in their notebook is worth 5 points. (35 clues X 5 points = 175 points for the notebook grade.)
    4.  Students are given the location of the clue that corresponds to the equation they have solved, and they leave my room to go find it.  They locate the clue, write it down in their notebook, and replace it for the next team to find.  They return to my room to do another equation and repeat the process until all clues are found and all equations are solved.

Assessment:
    Notebook Grade:  As mentioned above, 175 total points possible.  Usually, I have them put one equation, its solution, and the clue on one page of the notebook so it is much easier to grade.
    Presentation Grade:  Students must present who they think committed the crime, when they think it happened, why the culprit did it, any suspects they could eliminate, and whether or not there were any accomplices.  (All of these things should be addressed in the clues.)  Presentations are worth 100 points, and I don't necessarily look at who they chose, but how well they can back up what they think by referring to specific clues they gathered.
I give prizes to the person or team who does solve it accurately, and other prizes to those who come close.  I also give prizes to the best presentation, and to the neatest detective's notebook.  (You can decide how you want to do this.)

QUESTIONS????  PLEASE EMAIL ME.  THIS ACTIVITY TAKES A LOT OF WORK, BUT I LOVE IT, THE KIDS ENJOY IT, AND THEY CAN HARDLY WAIT TO FIND OUT WHO DID IT.  I HAVE THE CULPRIT COME INTO MY ROOM AT THE END AND EXPLAIN ALL THE DETAILS, AND THE QUESTIONS THE STUDENTS ASK ARE INCREDIBLE.  TRY THIS ACTIVITY--ONCE YOU DO IT, YOU CAN CHANGE IT EACH YEAR TO SUIT YOUR SITUATION WITH LITTLE EFFORT, AND THE WORK IS DEFINITELY WORTH IT!
(Please see the standards page for the Colorado Standards this lesson utilizes.)