Fractions CSI Mystery Worksheets

Inside the case file

CSI Mystery Detective work on fractions: equivalent fractions, ordering fractions, simplest form and improper fractions to mixed numbers, as jungle-themed CSI math worksheets for 4th grade, 5th grade and 6th grade in November. Deep in the jungle sits a ruined temple full of forks, drops and traps, and everyone who went for the treasure is still in there, because every turn is decided by a fraction. Students compare fractions to send the pulley lift up or down, order fractions to find the safe route, and convert an improper fraction to settle the final distance, crossing a suspect off at every stage. Print in color or black and white and go, with answer keys for the whole mystery.

The Case: The Jungle Quest

Deep in the jungle your students find a ruined temple that has been standing since long before anyone kept records. The local tribe know about it, and they know about the treasure inside, but none of them will go near it. Everyone who has tried is still in there. The temple is full of forks, drops and traps, and every one of them is decided by a fraction.

What's Inside

• Equivalent fractions used to decide which way to turn at a statue
• Comparing fractions to work out whether to ascend or descend a pulley lift
• Converting fractions to their simplest form to get past an obstacle
• Ordering fractions to find the safe route through
• Converting improper fractions to mixed numbers to settle the final distance
• Full color and black-and-white versions of every page
• Answer keys for the whole case

What Is a CSI Mystery Detective Case?

A CSI Mystery Detective case is math practice with a culprit at the end of it. Students work the page, each correct answer rules a suspect out, and the case closes when one name is left. It runs like a math escape room stripped of the props - no locks, no app, no prep - and it is much harder to coast through than ordinary math worksheets, because the arithmetic has to hold or nothing lines up. Run it as a math activity, in math centers, or as detective activities for early finishers.

When to Use This Resource

• Fraction review before or after a unit test
• Math centers, early finishers and independent work
• Emergency sub plans that run themselves
• End of year review, when attention is thin and the work still has to happen
• Whole-class detective sessions, small groups or partner work

Grade Levels

Built for 5th grade, and it works across 4th grade and 6th grade depending on where your class is with fractions. Fourth graders usually need support on the improper fraction pages and pair up for them; sixth graders finish it inside a lesson and treat it as revision.

Why Teachers Love CSI Mystery Detective Cases

• Zero prep - print and hand out
• Self-checking by design, because a wrong answer breaks the deduction
• Fraction practice students will actually finish
• Works as a whole lesson, a center, or a filler for an awkward afternoon

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