The Case of the Missing Lunch ─ Grades 3-4

Watch your students come alive as they work together to solve this interactive classroom mystery! The Mystery Science series for grades 3-4 was designed to meet the growing need in elementary school classrooms for hands-on, inquiry-based activities. The series combines interdisciplinary learning with field-tested, standards-based activities that encourage students to explore their surroundings, make observations, ask questions, and communicate their ideas at every step. Students will love sorting through evidence and making educated guesses as they learn to think like real forensic scientists!

The Case of the Missing Lunch challenges students to put the scientific concepts of chemical and physical change, classification, and cause and effect to practical use by solving the mystery of the missing lunch through observation, analysis, and simple chemistry experiments. Through the activity, students will gain confidence in their ability to examine evidence, synthesize information, and solve problems creatively.

The book includes detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to stage the mystery in your own classroom, as well as reproducible handouts and a rubric for assessment.