Math Detectives

Here is one of my favorite activities. I do this for a math review, but it can be done for any type of review. Not only do the kids like it, it involves other members of the school community. For this activity, I call my classroom “Problem Solving – SMU (Special Math Unit)” The day prior to the kids coming in, I write different word problems and put them in envelopes. I then go around the school and ask staff members if they would be willing to hand an envelope over to my detectives when they ask for it. I tell them that they should be dramatic when they hand over the envelope – showing some kind of concern. The envelopes are handed out to the custodian, cook, secretaries, classroom teachers, librarian. Really, anyone who wants to participate.
When the students arrive the next day, they walk in to the room and on their desk is their math detective notebook, a detective hat, some old suits and ties, a coffee mug, and a doughnut. The COPS theme song is playing and I am dressed as the old school detective who didn’t play by the rules and is now on desk duty.Once they sit down, I explain (in my worst Brooklyn accent) that various crimes have taken place that we will need to solve. At that moment, my phone will ring (via my cell phone calling my classroom. I pick it up (talking to no one of course) and get all dramatic about how a crime has taken place in, say, the cafeteria and Detectives Smith and Detective Jones (student last names) need to go to the scene of the crime and bring back evidence. So my two detectives head to the cafeteria. The other students get their notebooks ready, eat a little of their doughnut, and sip their “coffee”. When the detectives return with the envelope, we open it up and attempt to solve the word problem. Once the detectives discuss the different ways they solved it, we consider the case closed. Right when that case is solved, the classroom phone rings again and we are back at it.

I love to hear from the school staff about the different interactions they have with the detectives when they go pick up their envelope.