Truth really IS stranger than fiction! Behind every Mini-Mystery Progressive Puzzle is an actual criminal case or mystery. When students find out that the puzzle stories are based on true stories, they get a kick out of hearing about the real cases.
So, I’ve begun creating story pages, one for each mystery puzzle, ready to share with students after they’ve completed a set. Note: You won’t find any murder mysteries here. I purposely choose benign crimes and mysteries.
I’m always looking for ways to extend thinking, too, and these real-life cases can be springboards for critical thinking and extended learning. So, I’m also creating teacher pages with questions for discussion. The questions vary depending on the type of crime or mystery. Some will engage students in thinking like lawyers, and others will spark conversation about topics related to the mysteries. I’ve also included facts about the laws that would apply in each case.
ENJOY THE FREE EXTENSIONS TO THE PUZZLES FOUND BELOW!
The story in this puzzle is way more believable than the real crime! It happened near Valencia, Spain, in 2020. A woman’s handbag was stolen from the back of her chair in a restaurant. Inside was a lottery ticket, and the thief not only cashed in the ticket but then bought a HOUSE with the winnings! You can read an original news article here.
EXTENSION PDF [Teacher Page + Student Handout]
RANSOMED RUBY in the RATATOUILLE
You may have noticed I love to use alliteration in these puzzle titles, and I also like to integrate a new vocabulary word or two. This puzzle is about a stolen ruby hidden in ratatouille, a type of stew. This idea was inspired by the story of an eccentric jewel thief who is said to have once hidden stolen diamonds in his soup as police searched his house. Another jewel heist inspired the idea of a ransomed ruby. You can find the stories here and here.
EXTENSION PDF [Teacher Page + Student Handout]
VENGEANCE for VICTIMS of a VALENTINE VANDAL
The crime that inspired this puzzle took place in 2014 in Lubbock, Texas. Two perpetrators, referred to as “Valentine vandals,” were caught on security cameras, spraying red hearts on windows and walls in the downtown area. When first discovered, one business owner thought the hearts were rather “happy,” but she had a tough time removing the paint from her store windows. It seems the suspects have never been found. Read the true story here.
EXTENSION PDF [Teacher Page + Student Handout]
CASE of a CONNIVING COIN COLLECTOR
There are many conniving coin collectors out there! Serious and scholarly coin collectors and traders are called numismatists, and they often gather at conventions to buy and sell. This puzzle is based on several crimes, many surrounding coin shows and events sponsored by the American Numismatic Assocation, one collector stopped at a convenience store to pick up a snack and left almost his entire collection in his truck. That’s when the conniving thieves decided to “collect” his bags and take off with them! The puzzle plot was largely inspired by this story. You can read more about the increase in numismatic crime here.
EXTENSION PDF [Teacher Page + Student Handout]
A FOREST FORAGER FINDS a FABULOUS FORTUNE
The newest puzzle in this series is not based on a crime, but on a real-life mystery. A millionaire art dealer and author named Forrest Fenn hid a chest of gold and other valuables in the Rocky Mountains, then left clues as to its location in a poem! Many fortune seekers endeavored to “crack the code” in the poem, but it was over a decade before a medical student figured it out and uncovered the treasure. The true story is detailed here and here.
EXTENSION PDF [Teacher Page + Student Handout]
If your students are like mine, they love mysteries of all kinds. You can scroll through the results of a site search using the keyword “mystery” here.
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Will you be making these for 2nd-3rd graders or would these work for an advanced 2nd grader?
That’s a great question, Amanda. The puzzle sets are designed for 4th grade and up. I think an advanced 3rd grader might be able to complete the puzzle sets and benefit from the extensions and true story pages, but I don’t see it working well with a 2nd grader, even an advanced one. I do have PRIMARY PATH PUZZLES which are designed for advanced 1st and 2nd graders. You can find those in my TPT store (look for the link under EXTRAS in the site menu.