Grade 5Reading: grades 5-6Fractions of a numberOrder of operationsMultiplicationRounding

The Golden Compass Heist

A rogue cadet has taken the Golden Compass from the Headmaster's study and hidden it somewhere in the floating academy! As a junior detective, you must track down the culprit before they escape on an airship.

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	Primary Gear	Specialty Skill	Signature Tell	Hair Color	Weakness
Cadet Roy	Grappling Hook	Animal Charming	Right Handed	Silver Hair	SQUEAKY TOYS
Cadet Pip	Magnetic Boots	Pocket Telescope	Right Handed	Orange Hair	Shiny Coins
Cadet Dan	Grappling Hook	Codebreaking	Left Handed	Orange Hair	Shiny Coins
Cadet Ned	Magnetic Boots	Mapmaking	Left Handed	Orange Hair	Shiny Coins
Cadet Wes	Glider Cape	Lockpicking	Left Handed	Silver Hair	Lemon Juice
Cadet Amy	Magnetic Boots	Mapmaking	Right Handed	Blue Hair	Shiny Coins
Cadet Eli	Smoke Bombs	Mapmaking	Right Handed	Orange Hair	Shiny Coins
Cadet Kit	Grappling Hook	Lockpicking	Right Handed	Blue Hair	Shiny Coins
Cadet Leo	Grappling Hook	Codebreaking	Left Handed	Blue Hair	SQUEAKY TOYS
Cadet Toby	Glider Cape	Pocket Telescope	Right Handed	Blue Hair	Shiny Coins
Cadet Guy	Magnetic Boots	Animal Charming	Right Handed	Orange Hair	Shiny Coins
Cadet Rex	Smoke Bombs	Lockpicking	Left Handed	Blue Hair	Lemon Juice
Cadet Eva	Glider Cape	Mapmaking	Right Handed	Silver Hair	Lemon Juice
Cadet Ben	Magnetic Boots	Lockpicking	Left Handed	Blue Hair	Shiny Coins
Cadet Fay	Grappling Hook	Codebreaking	Right Handed	Blue Hair	SQUEAKY TOYS
Cadet Zoe	Grappling Hook	Animal Charming	Right Handed	Orange Hair	Shiny Coins
Cadet Mia	Glider Cape	Lockpicking	Right Handed	Orange Hair	SQUEAKY TOYS
Cadet Ivy	Glider Cape	Codebreaking	Left Handed	Orange Hair	Lemon Juice
Cadet Sam	Grappling Hook	Pocket Telescope	Right Handed	Blue Hair	Lemon Juice
Cadet Max	Grappling Hook	Codebreaking	Right Handed	Orange Hair	SQUEAKY TOYS
Cadet Jax	Smoke Bombs	Codebreaking	Right Handed	Orange Hair	Shiny Coins

Clue 1

Fractions of a number

We found a torn list of the culprit's gear, but several sections are missing. If we can calculate the fraction of the supplies that remain, we can identify their gear.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

2/4 of 34 =T

1/5 of 115 =H

3/4 of 8 =N

2/3 of 33 =D

1/2 of 78 =L

3/6 of 20 =P

3/4 of 44 =A

3/6 of 22 =G

1/2 of 52 =U

1/2 of 6 =E

3/6 of 62 =C

5/10 of 10 =M

3/4 of 28 =I

4/10 of 10 =K

2/6 of 84 =S

4/5 of 45 =O

3/6 of 36 =R

0/17 letters found

Clue 2

Order of operations

To bypass the locked laboratory door, you must crack the multi-step keypad code. Solve this sequence of calculations in the exact correct order to step inside.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

50 + 6 × 3 =W

66 + 2 × 4 =N

13 + 2 × 6 =S

8 × 6 - 5 =O

10 × 7 - 19 =T

10 × 3 - 7 =G

43 + 9 × 3 =A

10 × 8 - 11 =R

3 × 10 - 22 =U

6 × 10 - 24 =F

27 + 9 × 2 =E

17 + 7 × 3 =H

8 × 8 - 5 =D

10 × 8 - 25 =K

7 + 2 × 5 =I

0/15 letters found

Clue 3

Multiplication facts (1-12)

A witness saw the suspect carrying several identical crates of gear away from the docks. Multiply the number of rows by the boxes in each row to find the total cargo weight.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

100

132

100

6 × 10 =T

10 × 10 =W

10 × 7 =F

10 × 5 =H

9 × 11 =E

2 × 1 =A

9 × 6 =I

11 × 12 =L

1 × 6 =Y

7 × 2 =O

7 × 4 =R

5 × 5 =S

7 × 12 =C

2 × 6 =N

4 × 5 =P

0/15 letters found

Clue 4

Rounding

The steam pressure gauge on the escape airship is blurry, and the dial only points to the nearest tens place. Round the measurement to find the exact pressure.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

7000

1100

900

700

1300

430

170

1700

7000

700

430

3000

7000

900

1700

500

7000

1100

1300

430

200

130

4300

430

3000

900

Round 7,024 to the nearest thousandA

Round 1,131 to the nearest hundredS

Round 503 to the nearest hundredW

Round 912 to the nearest hundredI

Round 4,283 to the nearest hundredB

Round 1,263 to the nearest hundredL

Round 166 to the nearest tenO

Round 2,592 to the nearest thousandH

Round 725 to the nearest hundredG

Round 49 to the nearest tenN

Round 89 to the nearest tenD

Round 433 to the nearest tenE

Round 133 to the nearest tenT

Round 164 to the nearest hundredF

Round 1,688 to the nearest hundredR

0/15 letters found

Clue 5

Fractions of a number — the last clue

The security robot needs a specific fraction of its battery level recharged to scan for the suspect's final clue. Calculate the exact remaining energy portion.

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

2/10 of 35 = ?

3/4 of 16 = ?

1/2 of 2 = ?

3/6 of 8 = ?

1/5 of 55 = ?

4/6 of 3 = ?

3/10 of 10 = ?

1/4 of 36 = ?

1/8 of 40 = ?

1/4 of 32 = ?

1/2 of 20 = ?

Step 2 — cross out the sentence with each answer

1.The villain vanishes inside smoke bombs, then cracks the safe using codebreaking.

2.The villain swings on a grappling hook, then scouts the horizon with a pocket telescope.

3.The villain blasts off with a steam jetpack, then plots an escape route with mapmaking.

4.The villain vanishes inside smoke bombs, then plots an escape route with mapmaking.

5.The villain swings on a grappling hook, then plots an escape route with mapmaking.

6.The villain climbs the hull with magnetic boots, then scouts the horizon with a pocket telescope.

7.The villain climbs the hull with magnetic boots, then distracts the guard owl with animal charming.

8.The villain vanishes inside smoke bombs, then scouts the horizon with a pocket telescope.

9.The villain vanishes inside smoke bombs, then distracts the guard owl with animal charming.

10.The villain soars down with a glider cape, then bypasses the vault by lockpicking.

11.The villain vanishes inside smoke bombs, then bypasses the vault by lockpicking.

12.The villain swings on a grappling hook, then distracts the guard owl with animal charming.

Solve it

Name the culprit

Choose the one suspect left standing.

Answer Key — The Golden Compass Heist

Culprit: Cadet Pip (Magnetic Boots · Pocket Telescope · Right Handed · Orange Hair · Shiny Coins)

Clue 1 (Fractions of a number): "THE CULPRIT DOES NOT USE MAPMAKING"
2/4 of 34 = 17 (T) · 1/5 of 115 = 23 (H) · 3/4 of 8 = 6 (N) · 2/3 of 33 = 22 (D) · 1/2 of 78 = 39 (L) · 3/6 of 20 = 10 (P) · 3/4 of 44 = 33 (A) · 3/6 of 22 = 11 (G) · 1/2 of 52 = 26 (U) · 1/2 of 6 = 3 (E) · 3/6 of 62 = 31 (C) · 5/10 of 10 = 5 (M) · 3/4 of 28 = 21 (I) · 4/10 of 10 = 4 (K) · 2/6 of 84 = 28 (S) · 4/5 of 45 = 36 (O) · 3/6 of 36 = 18 (R)
Clue 2 (Order of operations): "WE FOUND INK STAINS ON THE RIGHT SIDE"
50 + 6 × 3 = 68 (W) · 66 + 2 × 4 = 74 (N) · 13 + 2 × 6 = 25 (S) · 8 × 6 - 5 = 43 (O) · 10 × 7 - 19 = 51 (T) · 10 × 3 - 7 = 23 (G) · 43 + 9 × 3 = 70 (A) · 10 × 8 - 11 = 69 (R) · 3 × 10 - 22 = 8 (U) · 6 × 10 - 24 = 36 (F) · 27 + 9 × 2 = 45 (E) · 17 + 7 × 3 = 38 (H) · 8 × 8 - 5 = 59 (D) · 10 × 8 - 25 = 55 (K) · 7 + 2 × 5 = 17 (I)
Clue 3 (Multiplication facts (1-12)): "THEY WILL ALWAYS STOP FOR SHINY COINS"
6 × 10 = 60 (T) · 10 × 10 = 100 (W) · 10 × 7 = 70 (F) · 10 × 5 = 50 (H) · 9 × 11 = 99 (E) · 2 × 1 = 2 (A) · 9 × 6 = 54 (I) · 11 × 12 = 132 (L) · 1 × 6 = 6 (Y) · 7 × 2 = 14 (O) · 7 × 4 = 28 (R) · 5 × 5 = 25 (S) · 7 × 12 = 84 (C) · 2 × 6 = 12 (N) · 4 × 5 = 20 (P)
Clue 4 (Rounding): "A SINGLE ORANGE HAIR WAS LEFT BEHIND"
Round 7,024 to the nearest thousand = 7000 (A) · Round 1,131 to the nearest hundred = 1100 (S) · Round 503 to the nearest hundred = 500 (W) · Round 912 to the nearest hundred = 900 (I) · Round 4,283 to the nearest hundred = 4300 (B) · Round 1,263 to the nearest hundred = 1300 (L) · Round 166 to the nearest ten = 170 (O) · Round 2,592 to the nearest thousand = 3000 (H) · Round 725 to the nearest hundred = 700 (G) · Round 49 to the nearest ten = 50 (N) · Round 89 to the nearest ten = 90 (D) · Round 433 to the nearest ten = 430 (E) · Round 133 to the nearest ten = 130 (T) · Round 164 to the nearest hundred = 200 (F) · Round 1,688 to the nearest hundred = 1700 (R)
Clue 5 (Fractions of a number): surviving statement (box 6) → Cadet Pip
2/10 of 35 = 7 · 3/4 of 16 = 12 · 1/2 of 2 = 1 · 3/6 of 8 = 4 · 1/5 of 55 = 11 · 4/6 of 3 = 2 · 3/10 of 10 = 3 · 1/4 of 36 = 9 · 1/8 of 40 = 5 · 1/4 of 32 = 8 · 1/2 of 20 = 10

About this mystery

Grade level: Grade 5 math
Math topics: Fractions of a number, Order of operations, Multiplication, Rounding
Reading level: grades 5-6
Theme: The Golden Compass Heist — set in the floating sky-docks of Zephyr Academy
Format: Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
Solution: One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects

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