The Great Aether-Compass Heist
An elite sky-pirate has stolen the legendary Aether-Compass from the Royal Observatory of Zephyrus! If they unlock its power, they can command the trade winds and rule the floating islands forever. As the Lead Detective of the Sky Patrol, you must analyze the clues, track down the culprit, and recover the compass before they vanish into the Endless Maelstrom.
Possible suspects
Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.
| Name | Specialty | Auxiliary Gear | Eyepatch Side | Hairstyle | Vulnerability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Pan | Engine-boosting | Double jumping | Right eye patch | Neon green dreads | Sneeze powder |
| Phileas Fogg | Engine-boosting | Map decoding | Left eye patch | Bright blue dye | Sneeze powder |
| Nellie Bly | Grapple-hooking | Propeller boots | Right eye patch | Neon green dreads | Glow-in-the-dark paint |
| Alan Quatermain | Storm-calling | Map decoding | Left eye patch | Bright blue dye | Glow-in-the-dark paint |
| James Hook | Cloud-cloaking | Spyglass sight | Right eye patch | Bright blue dye | Sneeze powder |
| Will Turner | Storm-calling | Double jumping | Left eye patch | Neon green dreads | Sneeze powder |
| Hector Barbossa | Engine-boosting | Double jumping | Left eye patch | Sizzling orange spikes | Sticky sap bomb |
| Edward Kenway | Cloud-cloaking | Propeller boots | Right eye patch | Neon green dreads | Sneeze powder |
| Long John | Grapple-hooking | Propeller boots | Left eye patch | Sizzling orange spikes | Sneeze powder |
| Guybrush Threepwood | Grapple-hooking | Spyglass sight | Right eye patch | Bright blue dye | Sneeze powder |
| Lara Croft | Storm-calling | Map decoding | Left eye patch | Bright blue dye | Sneeze powder |
| Jim Hawkins | Grapple-hooking | Double jumping | Left eye patch | Sizzling orange spikes | Sticky sap bomb |
| Amelia Earhart | Engine-boosting | Magnetic gloves | Left eye patch | Sizzling orange spikes | Sneeze powder |
| Nathan Drake | Grapple-hooking | Spyglass sight | Left eye patch | Bright blue dye | Sneeze powder |
| Robin Hood | Cloud-cloaking | Propeller boots | Left eye patch | Bright blue dye | Sneeze powder |
| Evie Carnahan | Cloud-cloaking | Propeller boots | Right eye patch | Sizzling orange spikes | Glow-in-the-dark paint |
| Marco Polo | Engine-boosting | Magnetic gloves | Left eye patch | Bright blue dye | Sticky sap bomb |
| Wendy Darling | Engine-boosting | Map decoding | Left eye patch | Neon green dreads | Sneeze powder |
| Jack Aubrey | Engine-boosting | Spyglass sight | Right eye patch | Sizzling orange spikes | Sneeze powder |
| Indiana Jones | Wind-bending | Double jumping | Left eye patch | Bright blue dye | Sneeze powder |
| Rick OConnell | Wind-bending | Map decoding | Right eye patch | Bright blue dye | Sneeze powder |
Rounding
Our navigator scans the sky-radar for the villain's getaway ship. The signal is weak, so the compass readout automatically rounds the heading to the nearest ten to keep the needle steady.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Addition
We investigate the abandoned sky-dock where the pirate ship loaded supplies. The dockmaster tallies up the total weight of the fuel crates to see how far the ship can fly.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Subtraction
A sudden hiss reveals a leak in our airship's steam valve. We must quickly subtract the lost pressure from our reserve tanks to ensure we do not crash into the floating reefs.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Multiplication facts (1-12)
To navigate the treacherous sky-maze, we need to calculate our speed. We look at the grid of engine gears, multiplying the rows of rotating teeth to determine our velocity.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
Division facts (1-12) — the last clue
We find a stash of coded cipher keys left behind by the fleeing crew. Splitting the total number of keys evenly among our landing party helps us unlock the security vaults.
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!
Name the culprit
Choose the one suspect left standing.
Answer Key — The Great Aether-Compass Heist
- Clue 1 (Rounding): "THE ROGUE DOES NOT USE PROPELLER BOOTS"Round 2,701 to the nearest thousand = 3000 (T) · Round 290 to the nearest ten = 290 (D) · Round 1,276 to the nearest hundred = 1300 (O) · Round 34 to the nearest ten = 30 (U) · Round 4,306 to the nearest hundred = 4300 (H) · Round 2,152 to the nearest thousand = 2000 (P) · Round 2,261 to the nearest hundred = 2300 (B) · Round 4,576 to the nearest thousand = 5000 (S) · Round 66 to the nearest ten = 70 (N) · Round 132 to the nearest ten = 130 (E) · Round 455 to the nearest hundred = 500 (L) · Round 52 to the nearest ten = 50 (R) · Round 3,716 to the nearest hundred = 3700 (G)
- Clue 2 (Addition): "THE VILLAIN WEARS THE LEFT EYE PATCH"5878 + 2975 = 8853 (T) · 4784 + 4096 = 8880 (N) · 3794 + 2409 = 6203 (C) · 3043 + 4582 = 7625 (P) · 3997 + 1949 = 5946 (F) · 3092 + 5864 = 8956 (V) · 4976 + 4135 = 9111 (Y) · 1102 + 986 = 2088 (H) · 2949 + 3133 = 6082 (L) · 2130 + 3868 = 5998 (W) · 3204 + 2659 = 5863 (E) · 1296 + 2830 = 4126 (I) · 2153 + 1333 = 3486 (R) · 4020 + 3871 = 7891 (A) · 1343 + 1289 = 2632 (S)
- Clue 3 (Subtraction): "USE SNEEZE POWDER TO STOP THE FOE"11644 - 4906 = 6738 (U) · 7378 - 4558 = 2820 (E) · 8752 - 1754 = 6998 (W) · 6565 - 4112 = 2453 (O) · 7073 - 1691 = 5382 (T) · 2404 - 269 = 2135 (R) · 6082 - 2446 = 3636 (P) · 7548 - 4000 = 3548 (F) · 5495 - 197 = 5298 (N) · 7064 - 3647 = 3417 (Z) · 8426 - 1853 = 6573 (S) · 7367 - 301 = 7066 (D) · 10198 - 4074 = 6124 (H)
- Clue 4 (Multiplication facts (1-12)): "LEFT BEHIND BRIGHT BLUE DYE STRANDS"10 × 9 = 90 (L) · 7 × 8 = 56 (B) · 2 × 12 = 24 (R) · 3 × 11 = 33 (H) · 9 × 9 = 81 (I) · 12 × 12 = 144 (E) · 9 × 7 = 63 (T) · 11 × 7 = 77 (D) · 11 × 6 = 66 (Y) · 4 × 7 = 28 (N) · 8 × 8 = 64 (U) · 5 × 11 = 55 (S) · 10 × 10 = 100 (F) · 12 × 11 = 132 (A) · 9 × 11 = 99 (G)
- Clue 5 (Division facts (1-12)): surviving statement (box 8) → Phileas Fogg63 ÷ 9 = 7 · 80 ÷ 8 = 10 · 22 ÷ 2 = 11 · 18 ÷ 3 = 6 · 108 ÷ 9 = 12 · 50 ÷ 10 = 5 · 6 ÷ 2 = 3 · 6 ÷ 6 = 1 · 9 ÷ 1 = 9 · 16 ÷ 8 = 2 · 8 ÷ 2 = 4
About this mystery
- Grade level
- Grade 4 math
- Math topics
- Rounding, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
- Reading level
- grades 7-9
- Theme
- The Great Aether-Compass Heist — set in The floating islands of Zephyrus, where majestic airships navigate oceans of clouds
- Format
- Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
- Solution
- One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects