3rd Grade October Reading Adventure- Mystery of the Fossil Site

The Learning League overhears the History Hacker bragging on the radio that his house is on the site where the first preserved skeleton fossil was found. But the kids know better than to believe anything the Hacker says. In order to figure out where that fossil was actually found, the League will need your help! Fortunately, there are clues that will lead you to discover the answer. Solve these clues by answering reading questions, and find that fossil site! This reading Adventure will keep your classroom explorers engaged and working hard on reading skills, while learning some science!
 
Also available for 4th and 5th grade.
 
WHO is this mystery for?
Students on the 3rd grade level who are practicing these reading skills: 
Match Problems with Solutions
Match Verb to Picture 
Identify the Noun
Choose the Best Conjunction
ABC Order (to the second letter)
 
Teachers looking for a quick-prep, rigorous but differentiated, interdisciplinary activity that showcases topics that are often ignored or unexplored within social studies and science curriculum. 
 
WHAT is included?
This adventure is an hour-long activity that can be completed in 3 Tracks:
 
Track 1: ORIGINAL
Students read the mystery on a printed booklet, and they solve the clues by answering questions on Google Slides, which they can access with a QR code or link on a computer, tablet, or phone.
Track 2: ANALOG
Students read the mystery on a printed booklet, and they solve the clues by answering questions on printed task cards.
Track 3: DIGITAL
Students read the mystery in one browser window of Google Slides, and they solve the clues by toggling between another browser window of Google Slides to answer questions. This method works great for laptops, but is not recommended for tablets. 
 
No matter which track you take, the core of the activity is the same. Students always have access to the mystery story, 41 reading problems, 5 Science Exploration posters, a Writing Challenge, and an integral poster about:
 
Anacleto Formation, Hell Creek, Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Jurassic Coast, & Stevns Klint
 
Students will walk away from this lesson knowing these science concepts:
How fossils are formed and what we can learn from them
What paleontologists do and why they find fossils all over the world
Whether or not we have discovered all the dinosaurs
and more!!
 
WHEN is it designed to be completed?
These skills are best practiced during Earth Science Week in October each year. The Wednesday of this week is always Fossil Day!
 
WHERE can students solve this mystery?
Students can complete this activity in your classroom with pen and paper or technology, and even from home, thanks to the Digital Track!
 
HOW can this activity be differentiated?
Using either of these methods, you can scaffold these activities to meet each of your students, exactly where they’re at.
 
CUSTOMIZATION: great for students above and below grade level
Each math problem can be edited to whatever you please! Hypothetically, you could buy this mystery for the framework it provides, and change every single question. 
AUDIO SUPPORTS: great for multilingual students
For the tracks including technology, your students have access to a read-aloud of not just the story, but each word written on Google Slides. 
 
WHY should your students adventure with the Learning League?
 
Low teacher prep/High student engagement
Anti-racist curriculum that uplifts women and Black and Indigenous people of color
Three activity tracks with DISTANCE LEARNING OPTION
Audio scaffolding and editable problems
 
TRY OUT A MYSTERY FOR FREE!
Download The Oil Spill Mystery for math and The Case of the Absent Abolitionist for reading.
 
Adventure also available on TeachersPayTeachers!