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"Great resource, low prep, easy to use, and fun! Thank you for sharing this! Highly recommend to other teachers!"

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"My students loved this resource! They were engaged and were able to complete the tasks with ease."

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Kiwiland Education

Fall Addition & Subtraction CSI Mystery Worksheets | Grades 2–5 | Who Stole the Colors?

$4.50 USD

Fall CSI math worksheets, fall addition and subtraction practice, and a Halloween-friendly monster line-up for 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 4th grade - all in one printable Mystery Detective pack. Built for September, October and November: the first cool weeks of fall, the run-up to Halloween, and Thanksgiving week before the break. Completely no prep - just print and go.

The Case: Who Stole the Colors?

The leaves around school are turning from green to yellow to orange to brown, and then falling off the trees. Someone is stealing the color. Your class takes the case, works the clues, and crosses suspects off the chart until one name is left standing. Every clue answers a different question about the culprit, so the list narrows a little further with each page they finish.

What's Inside

  • 3-digit addition with regrouping
  • Adding 1-digit numbers to 3-digit numbers along a leaf-trail path
  • Addition and subtraction word problems, including money and change
  • Deciding whether a given equation is right or wrong - error spotting, not just answering
  • Odd and even numbers as a way of narrowing the suspects
  • Reading a suspect chart and matching your answers against it
  • Answer keys included
  • Color and black-and-white versions, so it prints clean on any copier

What Is a Mystery Detective Case?

A Mystery Detective case is a printable escape room with no locks and no boxes. Students solve a page of math, use what the answer tells them to rule suspects out, and keep going until one suspect is left. The pages check themselves - a wrong answer stops the case in its tracks, so students go back and find their own slip before it ever reaches your marking pile.

When to Use This Resource

  • Fall math centers
  • The lead-up to Halloween, and Halloween week itself
  • Thanksgiving week and the days before the break
  • September, October and November math review
  • Sub plans and emergency cover
  • Early finishers and morning work
  • Homework, small groups and partner work

Grade Levels

Designed for 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 4th grade, where 3-digit addition and regrouping sit right on the standards. It also works as review for a 5th grader who still needs practice carrying across columns, and as an extension for a confident 1st grader who is ready to be stretched.

Why Teachers Love Mystery Detective Cases

  • No prep at all - print it and hand it out
  • Self-checking, so you are not hunting through thirty pages for one slipped digit
  • The suspect chart gives every student a reason to go back and check their own working
  • Every clue uses a different puzzle shape, so the pack holds attention to the last page
  • Quiet, focused engagement in a week when the classroom is anything but

Love this resource?

Follow Kiwiland Education to discover more Mystery Detective cases, seasonal math activities, and detective-themed printables for elementary classrooms.

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  • Thank you from Kiwiland Education

"Great resource, low prep, easy to use, and fun! Thank you for sharing this! Highly recommend to other teachers!"

Brandie K.

Verified buyer

"My students loved this resource! They were engaged and were able to complete the tasks with ease."

Gina H.

Verified buyer

"I have enjoyed every purchase I've made from your store. The students are always so engaged!"

Karen C.

Verified buyer

How CSI Math Mysteries Work

CSI Math Mysteries turn regular math practice into a clue-based investigation. Students solve problems, use their answers as evidence, and eliminate suspects until the case is solved.

1

Read the Case

Students begin with a short mystery scenario and find out what needs to be solved.

2

Solve the Clues

Each clue gives students focused math practice using the target skill for that resource.

3

Eliminate Suspects

Students use their answers to remove suspects from the investigation one clue at a time.

4

Crack the Case

By the end, only one suspect remains and students can reveal the answer to the mystery.

No apps, locks, passwords, or student logins are required. Just print and go.

New to the format? Read What Is a Math Mystery? for how they work and how to run one in class.

Why Teachers Use CSI Math Mysteries

CSI Math Mysteries turn skill practice into a clue-based investigation students want to solve. They are easy to prep, flexible for different classroom routines, and help students practice math skills while using logic, reasoning, and careful problem solving.

Teacher-Friendly Review

Practice that feels like a mystery, not another worksheet.

CSI Math Mysteries help students stay focused by turning skill practice into a clue-based case. They are easy to prep, simple to use, and flexible enough for busy classroom routines.

No-Prep and Print-and-Go

Use the pages right away for review, math centers, sub plans, small groups, early finishers, or homeschool math.

Encourages Careful Thinking

Students need accurate answers to eliminate suspects, which encourages checking, reasoning, and attention to detail.

Easy to Fit Into Lessons

Use a full mystery in one session or split the clues across centers, partner work, intervention, or review rotations.

Builds Student Confidence

The mystery format gives students a clear purpose for practicing math skills and helps make review feel more rewarding.

CSI Math Mysteries combine focused math practice with problem solving, logic, and a detective-style task that students can complete independently or with support.

More like this

From Thanksgiving and Fall Activities

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Frequently Asked Questions For CSI Math Mysteries

Printable CSI Math Mystery worksheets that turn math practice into clue-based detective investigations.

Is this CSI Math Mystery a digital activity?

No. This is a printable PDF resource. Students complete the CSI Math Mystery on paper. No physical item will be shipped.

Do students need apps, locks, passwords, or logins?

No. Students do not need apps, locks, passwords, or logins. Teachers can print the pages and use the CSI Math Mystery straight away.

How do students solve the CSI Math Mystery?

Students solve math clues and use their answers to eliminate suspects. Each correct answer helps them narrow down the case until only one suspect remains.

Can this CSI Math Mystery be used for sub plans?

Yes. CSI Math Mysteries work well for sub plans because students can work through the clues independently, with a partner, or in small groups.

Can this CSI Math Mystery be used for homeschool?

Yes. This printable CSI Math Mystery can be used for homeschool lessons, tutoring, review practice, enrichment, or extra math support.

Will this work for early finishers or math centers?

Yes. CSI Math Mysteries are a good fit for early finishers, math centers, small groups, independent work, review lessons, and extra practice activities.

Fall mystery detective 1

Fall Addition & Subtraction CSI Mystery Worksheets | Grades 2–5 | Who Stole the Colors?

$4.50

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