🔎 NFLGrade 3Reading: grades 3-4Place valueSkip countingWord problemsBar modelsMissing addends
The Championship Trophy Caper
Right before kickoff at the championship game, the golden trophy disappeared from the display case! A mysterious figure was seen dashing down the tunnel in full football gear.
Suspects
Possible suspects
Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.
21 of 21 still in play
| Name | Gear Choice | Sideline Item | Throwing Hand | Hairstyle | Distraction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CJ Stroud | Visor | Megaphone | Right-handed | Curly Hair | Yellow Flag |
| Aaron Donald | Visor | Air Horn | Left-handed | Curly Hair | Water Bucket |
| Josh Allen | Helmet | T-Shirt Cannon | Left-handed | Curly Hair | Water Bucket |
| George Kittle | Visor | Air Horn | Left-handed | Curly Hair | Yellow Flag |
| Myles Garrett | Shoulder Pads | Turf Shoes | Right-handed | Curly Hair | Water Bucket |
| Saquon Barkley | Helmet | Megaphone | Left-handed | Curly Hair | Water Bucket |
| Joe Burrow | Visor | T-Shirt Cannon | Right-handed | Long Locks | Water Bucket |
| Cooper Kupp | Shoulder Pads | Air Horn | Left-handed | Curly Hair | Loud Whistle |
| Lamar Jackson | Shoulder Pads | Foam Finger | Left-handed | Long Locks | Loud Whistle |
| Nick Bosa | Cleats | T-Shirt Cannon | Right-handed | Buzz Cut | Loud Whistle |
| Travis Kelce | Visor | Air Horn | Right-handed | Curly Hair | Water Bucket |
| Derrick Henry | Helmet | Megaphone | Left-handed | Curly Hair | Loud Whistle |
| Davante Adams | Helmet | Foam Finger | Left-handed | Curly Hair | Loud Whistle |
| TJ Watt | Shoulder Pads | Air Horn | Left-handed | Curly Hair | Water Bucket |
| Christian McCaffrey | Shoulder Pads | Turf Shoes | Left-handed | Long Locks | Water Bucket |
| JaMarr Chase | Shoulder Pads | Megaphone | Left-handed | Long Locks | Water Bucket |
| Patrick Mahomes | Cleats | Air Horn | Left-handed | Curly Hair | Water Bucket |
| Jalen Hurts | Shoulder Pads | Air Horn | Right-handed | Long Locks | Water Bucket |
| Sauce Gardner | Visor | Turf Shoes | Right-handed | Buzz Cut | Loud Whistle |
| Justin Jefferson | Visor | Air Horn | Left-handed | Curly Hair | Loud Whistle |
| Dak Prescott | Shoulder Pads | Foam Finger | Right-handed | Long Locks | Yellow Flag |
Clue 1
Place value
The digital clock in the tunnel flickers with locker numbers. You read the place value grid to clear the first clue.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
T
500
5000
300
900
100
9000
9000
40
100
700
4000
20
300
2000
700
20
T
500
7000
2000
300
40
30
300
400
40
10
5000
20
700
300
What is the value of the 5 in 1,533?T
What is the value of the 7 in 739?N
What is the value of the 4 in 437?G
What is the value of the 1 in 199?I
What is the value of the 2 in 924?O
What is the value of the 4 in 84,192?D
What is the value of the 3 in 9,379?E
What is the value of the 3 in 7,137?M
What is the value of the 5 in 5,183?H
What is the value of the 9 in 9,615?L
What is the value of the 9 in 901?V
What is the value of the 4 in 849?A
What is the value of the 1 in 616?P
What is the value of the 7 in 57,988?U
What is the value of the 2 in 72,174?S
0/15 letters found
Clue 2
Skip counting
Yard lines are painted along the field. You skip count past the ten yard markers to find where the thief stepped.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
T
130
27
40
65
25
40
60
140
90
T
130
27
20
40
120
T
130
27
45
100
30
65
30
20
T
130
27
T
130
27
40
22
40
120
T
130
27
60
25
70
Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, ___, 140, 150T
Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, ___, 70, 75S
Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, ___, 130, 140F
Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, 20, ___, 30, 35N
Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, ___, 150, 160K
Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, ___, 50, 60E
Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, ___, 22, 24I
Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, ___, 80, 90D
Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, ___, 50, 55R
Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, ___, 33, 36W
Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, ___, 24, 26L
Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, ___, 100, 110Y
Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, ___, 110, 120O
Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, ___, 30, 33H
Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, ___, 70, 80A
0/15 letters found
Clue 3
Word problems
The equipment manager needs help tallying sports gear. Solving these word problems reveals the next clue.
Solve each problem to learn its letter, then write the letters in the boxes to fill in the missing word.
Someonescaredthevillainoffwith .
W
78
23
69
7
9
47
77
C
K
7
69
There were 96 helmets. 18 were used up. How many helmets are left?W
There were 40 jerseys. 17 were used up. How many jerseys are left?A
There were 47 water bottles. 38 were used up. How many water bottles are left?R
There were 68 helmets. 21 were used up. How many helmets are left?B
Equipment manager found 53 footballs yesterday and 16 more today. How many footballs in all?T
Equipment manager found 5 playbooks yesterday and 2 more today. How many playbooks in all?E
Equipment manager lined up 11 rows of 7 playbooks. How many playbooks in all?U
0/7 letters found
Clue 4
Bar model word problems
The head coach drew play diagrams on the whiteboard. You compare the bar models to track down the suspect.
Draw a bar model to solve each word problem. Its answer reveals a letter — write the letters in the boxes to fill in the missing word.
Astrandof hairturnedupatthescene.
C
49
25
28
51
40
18
13
I
28
Equipment manager has 147 footballs, packed 3 to a bag. How many bags can be filled?
draw a bar model
Answer:→C
There were 62 footballs in all. 37 footballs were used. How many footballs are left?
draw a bar model
Answer:→U
The red team has 55 water bottles and the blue team has 15 water bottles. How many more water bottles does the red team have?
draw a bar model
Answer:→Y
Equipment manager has 9 times as many jerseys as a teammate. The teammate has 2 jerseys. How many jerseys does equipment manager have?
draw a bar model
Answer:→H
There were 19 helmets in all. 6 helmets were used. How many helmets are left?
draw a bar model
Answer:→A
Equipment manager has 102 jerseys, packed 2 to a bag. How many bags can be filled?
draw a bar model
Answer:→L
There were 55 playbooks in all. 27 playbooks were used. How many playbooks are left?
draw a bar model
Answer:→R
0/7 letters found
Clue 5
Missing addends — the last clue
The main scoreboard is missing some points on the board. Finding the missing addends unveils the final piece of evidence.
First solve each problem. Then find each answer in the list below and cross that sentence out. One sentence will be left — that's exactly what the villain did!
Step 1 — solve these
2 + ___ = 8
1 + ___ = 11
5 + ___ = 10
8 + ___ = 10
8 + ___ = 20
1 + ___ = 10
4 + ___ = 8
4 + ___ = 11
5 + ___ = 16
9 + ___ = 10
8 + ___ = 11
Step 2 — cross out the sentence with each answer
1.The villain pulled on gloves, then blared a megaphone.
2.The villain tightened shoulder pads, then blared a megaphone.
3.The villain tightened shoulder pads, then scuffed turf shoes.
4.The villain laced up cleats, then loaded a t-shirt cannon.
5.The villain adjusted a visor, then honked an air horn.
6.The villain tightened shoulder pads, then honked an air horn.
7.The villain pulled on gloves, then loaded a t-shirt cannon.
8.The villain laced up cleats, then honked an air horn.
9.The villain laced up cleats, then waved a foam finger.
10.The villain strapped on a helmet, then loaded a t-shirt cannon.
11.The villain strapped on a helmet, then waved a foam finger.
12.The villain pulled on gloves, then scuffed turf shoes.
Solve it
Name the culprit
Choose the one suspect left standing.
Answer Key — The Championship Trophy Caper
Culprit: Patrick Mahomes (Cleats · Air Horn · Left-handed · Curly Hair · Water Bucket)
- Clue 1 (Place value): "THE VILLAIN DOES NOT USE A MEGAPHONE"What is the value of the 5 in 1,533? = 500 (T) · What is the value of the 7 in 739? = 700 (N) · What is the value of the 4 in 437? = 400 (G) · What is the value of the 1 in 199? = 100 (I) · What is the value of the 2 in 924? = 20 (O) · What is the value of the 4 in 84,192? = 4000 (D) · What is the value of the 3 in 9,379? = 300 (E) · What is the value of the 3 in 7,137? = 30 (M) · What is the value of the 5 in 5,183? = 5000 (H) · What is the value of the 9 in 9,615? = 9000 (L) · What is the value of the 9 in 901? = 900 (V) · What is the value of the 4 in 849? = 40 (A) · What is the value of the 1 in 616? = 10 (P) · What is the value of the 7 in 57,988? = 7000 (U) · What is the value of the 2 in 72,174? = 2000 (S)
- Clue 2 (Skip counting): "THE SNEAKY THIEF THROWS WITH THE LEFT HAND"Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, ___, 140, 150 = 130 (T) · Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, ___, 70, 75 = 65 (S) · Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, ___, 130, 140 = 120 (F) · Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, 20, ___, 30, 35 = 25 (N) · Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, ___, 150, 160 = 140 (K) · Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, ___, 50, 60 = 40 (E) · Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, ___, 22, 24 = 20 (I) · Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, ___, 80, 90 = 70 (D) · Skip-count by 5s. Fill the blank: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, ___, 50, 55 = 45 (R) · Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, ___, 33, 36 = 30 (W) · Skip-count by 2s. Fill the blank: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, ___, 24, 26 = 22 (L) · Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, ___, 100, 110 = 90 (Y) · Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, ___, 110, 120 = 100 (O) · Skip-count by 3s. Fill the blank: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, ___, 30, 33 = 27 (H) · Skip-count by 10s. Fill the blank: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, ___, 70, 80 = 60 (A)
- Clue 3 (Word problems): "WATER BUCKET"There were 96 helmets. 18 were used up. How many helmets are left? = 78 (W) · There were 40 jerseys. 17 were used up. How many jerseys are left? = 23 (A) · There were 47 water bottles. 38 were used up. How many water bottles are left? = 9 (R) · There were 68 helmets. 21 were used up. How many helmets are left? = 47 (B) · Equipment manager found 53 footballs yesterday and 16 more today. How many footballs in all? = 69 (T) · Equipment manager found 5 playbooks yesterday and 2 more today. How many playbooks in all? = 7 (E) · Equipment manager lined up 11 rows of 7 playbooks. How many playbooks in all? = 77 (U)
- Clue 4 (Bar model word problems): "CURLY HAIR"Equipment manager has 147 footballs, packed 3 to a bag. How many bags can be filled? = 49 (C) · There were 62 footballs in all. 37 footballs were used. How many footballs are left? = 25 (U) · The red team has 55 water bottles and the blue team has 15 water bottles. How many more water bottles does the red team have? = 40 (Y) · Equipment manager has 9 times as many jerseys as a teammate. The teammate has 2 jerseys. How many jerseys does equipment manager have? = 18 (H) · There were 19 helmets in all. 6 helmets were used. How many helmets are left? = 13 (A) · Equipment manager has 102 jerseys, packed 2 to a bag. How many bags can be filled? = 51 (L) · There were 55 playbooks in all. 27 playbooks were used. How many playbooks are left? = 28 (R)
- Clue 5 (Missing addends): surviving statement (box 8) → Patrick Mahomes2 + ___ = 8 = 6 · 1 + ___ = 11 = 10 · 5 + ___ = 10 = 5 · 8 + ___ = 10 = 2 · 8 + ___ = 20 = 12 · 1 + ___ = 10 = 9 · 4 + ___ = 8 = 4 · 4 + ___ = 11 = 7 · 5 + ___ = 16 = 11 · 9 + ___ = 10 = 1 · 8 + ___ = 11 = 3
About this mystery
- Grade level
- Grade 3 math
- Math topics
- Place value, Skip counting, Word problems, Bar models, Missing addends
- Reading level
- grades 3-4
- Theme
- The Championship Trophy Caper — set in Super Bowl Stadium Locker Room
- Format
- Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
- Solution
- One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects