3rd Grade September Reading Adventure- National Video Games Day Mystery

The History Hacker has hacked a retro video game console, claiming he created it!! But the Learning League knows this isn’t true and is on a mission to prove it! It’s up to your class and the League to solve the clues by solving reading problems and narrow down which video game console has been hacked. 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: 
Spelling Patterns
Identify Descriptive Words
Fill in Parts of Speech
Match Adjectives to Nouns
Identify the Correct Category
 
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, 47 reading problems, 5 Science Exploration posters, a Writing Challenge, and an integral poster about:
 
Atari Pong, Magnavox Odyssey, Nintendo 64, Playstation, & Sega Genesis
 
Students will walk away from this lesson knowing these science concepts:
The science that makes video games possible
STEM jobs that play a role in video game creation
The history of video game development
and more!!
 
WHEN is it designed to be completed?
These skills are best practiced at the beginning of the year, and September 12th happens to be National Video Games 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!