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Shark Week reading comprehension mystery titled “The Mystery of the Vanishing Great White” for grades 3–6 with nonfiction science content.
Reading Mystery

Shark Week

Reading Mystery Worksheets · Grades 3–6 · The Vanishing Great White

3rd Grade4th Grade5th GradeGrade 3Grade 4Grade 5Grade 6Answer keys included

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Inside the case file

Hook your students during Shark Week. This printable Shark Week Reading Mystery turns a nonfiction passage — based on the true story of a tagged great white that vanished off the coast of Australia — into a reading-detective investigation for Grades 3–6 classroom teachers, homeschoolers, and tutors. It drops straight into a Shark Week, ocean science, or nonfiction reading lesson and gets students reading carefully to solve it.

It all comes down to the text: students read, answer, and eliminate suspects until one remains. No devices, no prep, no setup.

Quick Details

Grade Levels: Grades 3–6
Format: Printable PDF
Resource Type: Reading Mystery worksheets
Reading Skills: Nonfiction comprehension, text evidence, inference, cause and effect, and close reading
Tech Needed: None — no apps, locks, passwords, or student logins required

The Case

A tagged great white shark has vanished off the coast of Australia, and its satellite signal has gone quiet. Your students must think like scientists — reading the tag data, weighing predator-prey relationships, and using text evidence to work out what happened to the missing great white.

How the Reading Mystery Works

Students investigate as Reading Detectives, reading about the vanishing great white and clearing suspects with text evidence until the culprit is caught.

What's Included

  • A "You are a detective" case-file page with instructions and the suspect/case file
  • An engaging 2-page nonfiction passage based on a real event
  • 15 multiple-choice comprehension questions (all answers found in the text)
  • 12 open-ended response questions
  • Science and writing extension activities
  • A shark-themed word search and a printable shark outline for display or coloring
  • Print-and-go PDF format

Skills Covered

  • Reading and understanding nonfiction informational text
  • Finding and using text evidence
  • Drawing inferences and conclusions
  • Cause and effect and close reading
  • Vocabulary in context
  • Logic, reasoning, and critical thinking

Best Used For

  • Shark Week and ocean science units
  • Nonfiction reading comprehension practice
  • Integrating science and ELA
  • Reading and science centers, early finishers, sub plans, and small groups
  • Homeschool reading and summer enrichment
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