A high-engagement maths mystery for middle school. In “The Missing Inventory,” supplies are vanishing from the school store — and only confident work with the number system will track down the culprit.

Students become detectives across five evidence stations. Each station’s answers feed a self-checking decoder: wrong answers can’t spell the verdict word, so pupils know instantly if they’re on track. Crack all five and they name the guilty party. It’s escape-room engagement with the rigour of a full problem set — ideal for review, stations, early finishers, or a sub day.

THE FIVE STATIONS:

1. The Supply Room — dividing fractions
2. The Science Lab — integers & operations
3. The Computer Lab — rational & irrational numbers
4. The Maths Office — absolute value & comparing
5. The Gymnasium — synthesis

WHAT’S INCLUDED:
• Print-and-go student booklet (PDF) — 5 stations, 20 questions
• Full answer key (PDF) for instant marking
• Editable Google Slides version for digital or projected play

HOW TO USE: Print the booklet or share the Slides. Students work solo, in pairs, or in teams, solving each station and using the decoder to close in on the culprit. Fully self-checking.

PERFECT FOR: review and revision, math stations, enrichment, early finishers, substitute/cover lessons, and end-of-unit fun.

Part of the DeskMade Math Whodunnit series — classroom-ready mysteries that do the prep for you. Buy the Grades 6-8 bundle to collect every case and save.