Combining Like Terms | Math Mystery Worksheets | Grades 6–8 | Distributive Property

Ten detective cases take students from their first like terms to distributing twice — they simplify each expression, write it in the answer box, match it to a suspect, and cross suspects off until one is left standing. This no-prep, printable, self-checking Math Mystery keeps 6th, 7th and 8th graders engaged and works for math centers, morning work, homework, early finishers, substitute/relief days, spiral review, and test prep. The cases run in four labelled difficulty levels, so one file differentiates across the whole unit.

Quick Details

Skill: Combining like terms and the distributive property · Grades: 6–8 · Format: 10 mysteries across 4 difficulty levels + full answer keys (printable PDF) · Theme: School detective

The 10 Mysteries

Level 1 — No negatives. The Missing Locker Tag — locker 214 has lost its name tag and nobody on the corridor saw a thing. The Vanished Hall Pass — gone from its hook, with a blank sign-out sheet. The Empty Supply Closet — the art room shelves were cleared overnight through a locked door.

Level 2 — With negatives. The Lost Trip Forms — the signed permission slips have gone from the bus and the trip cannot leave. The Broken Scoreboard — the gym board froze at zero with two minutes left and nobody will say who was at the panel.

Level 3 — Combine like terms. The Yearbook Proofs — the only printed proofs vanished two days before deadline. The Swapped Lunches — every order came out on the wrong tray. The Silent School Bell — the bell has not rung all day and the wiring cupboard was unlocked.

Level 4 — Distribute twice. The Lost Show Tickets — every ticket is gone from the box under the stage, three hours before curtain. The Sabotaged Fair — half the projects were unplugged the night before judging, in a sealed hall.

Why Teachers Love It

Zero prep — print and teach. The built-in answer keys make every case self-checking, so students get instant feedback and stay motivated. The four labelled levels mean one file spans the whole unit: hand Level 1 to a student meeting variables for the first time and Level 4 to one who has finished early, in the same lesson.

Skills Covered

Identifying like terms, combining terms with the same variable, adding and subtracting negative coefficients, applying the distributive property, distributing across two brackets and simplifying the result, and writing a simplified algebraic expression correctly — plus logical reasoning and deductive elimination as students rule suspects out clue by clue.

What's Included

Printable one-page mystery worksheets in four labelled levels, suspect line-ups, complete answer keys with the villain marked, and student instructions — all in one PDF.

Best Used For

Simplifying expressions practice in math centers, morning work, homework, early finishers, substitute/relief days, spiral review, and test prep for grades 6–8.

More From This Line

Browse every Math Mystery pack, or keep the algebra unit going with Solving Quadratic Equations by Factoring and Finding Slope.