150 New Esti-Mysteries
This school year, I’m creating 150 brand new Esti-Mysteries. I’ll be posting a new one nearly every day for the rest of the school year – just like last year. This is my way of sharing math joy with you all year long! Prepare for math joy and rich math talk in your classroom as your students work with many concepts, estimation, and a sense of mystery!
For more information, see the FAQs at the bottom of this post.
Esti-Mystery – and Estimation Clipboard – Posting Schedule
Mondays
- Estimation Clipboard (All Grade Levels) will be posted here.
Tuesdays
- Esti-Mystery (Kindergarten)
- Esti-Mystery – Level 100 – (Grades 1-2)
- Esti-Mystery – Level 300 – (Grades 3-8)
Wednesdays
- Esti-Mystery Level 200 – (Grades 1-3)
Thursdays
- Esti-Mystery – Level 400 – (Grades 4-12)
NEW THIS WEEK!
Monday, May 23
New Estimation Clipboards can be found here. (All Grade Levels)
Tuesday, May 24
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 57 – “Blue and White Discs”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 174 – “Disc-a-Mystery”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 373 – “One Number is One-Fourth of Another”
Wednesday, May 25
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 268 – “The Vase of Discs”
Thursday, May 26
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 437 UPDATED – “Five and a Half Times Greater”
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Download the Esti-Mysteries
Q: How do I get the Esti-Mysteries?
A: Simply click on the BLUE download link that is the name of the Esti-Mystery.
The Google Slides Question
Q: These are PowerPoint files, but I use Google Slides. Can I use them?
A: Yes! I use them in both PowerPoint and Google Slides. After you download the PowerPoint file, make a new folder in google drive and save it into that folder. Then click on the file (I usually right-click it) and the choose “open with” and then Google Slides. Then just click Present.
To Receive Notifications
Q: How can I find out when new Esti-Mysteries are posted?
A: Simply sign-up for the mailing list on the blog, and I’ll let you know when new ones are posted.
The Clues / The Reveal
Q: How to I get the clues to appear one by one?
Q: How do I get the reveal to appear?
A: Make sure the slide show is playing. In PowerPoint, click on View Show. In Google Slides, click on Present. When it’s playing the clues will appear one at a time, and when you reach the reveal it will appear when you click.
The Embedded Charts
Q: I see that some of these have charts. Which one do I use?
A: Each Esti-Mystery comes with 3 versions (3 options) so you can choose the one you want to use. The first one has no chart. The second one has a chart that is show so that you can write on it. The third one has an animated chart that will shade in numbers that have been eliminated by the clues. Use the one that works best for you.
More Esti-Mysteries…
November 1-5, 2021
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 29 – “Pile of Beads”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 146 – “Cup of Beads”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 240 – “Vase of Beads”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 345 – “Multiple Beads”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 409 – “The Bead Sequence”
November 8-12, 2021
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 30 – “Fruit”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 147 – “Fruit Cup”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 241 – “Fruit Glass”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 346 – “So Many Bananas”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 410 – “When the Number 29 Meets Some Fruit”
November 15-19, 2021
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 31 – “You Can’t See All the Cherries”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 148 – “Cherry Patterns”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 347 – “Cherries and Products”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 242 – “Reach Up High to the Cherries”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 411 – “Cherry Squared”
November 22-26, 2021
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 32 – “Fancy Beads”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 149 – “The Bead Discussion”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 348 – “What do you call the dots on the die?”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 243 – “So Many Bead Patterns”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 412 – “When Pairs Fade Away”
November 29 – December 3, 2021
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 33 – “Plaid Beads”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 150 – “The Hidden Die Your Chart Will Turn Plaid”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 349 – “That’s the Difference”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 244 – “Did You Just Round the Round Beads?”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 413 – “One-Seventh”
December 6-10, 2021
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 34 – “Dice More or Less”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 151 – “The White Die Counts and Its Holding a Clue”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 350 – “Dice Don’t Show Multiples of 9”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 245 – “The Green Die with 2 Clues”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 414 – “The Dice Composition”
December 13-17, 2021
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 35 – “Bouncy Balls”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 152 – “Above the Rim”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 351 – “Bouncing Through Multiples”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 246 – “Not Tens”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 415 – “One Less Than a Multiple of 100”
January 3-7, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 36 – “Shy Ducks”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 153 – “Duck Duo”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 352 – “Swimmers”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 247 – “Duck Pond”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 416 – “Triple Ducks”
January 10-14, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 37 – “Bowling Pins”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 154 – “Strike”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 353 – “Sixty Seems Important”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 248 – “The 7-10 Split”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 417 – “Pinning Down the Clues”
January 17-21, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 38 – “Erase-Stars”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 155 – “Erase the Place”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mysery 354 – “Erasers are Erasing”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 249 – “Erase the Five”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 418 – “What are the Multiples of 23?”
January 24-28, 2022
Kindergarten: EM 39 – “Why Do Those Wrap Around Spools?”
Grades 1-2: EM156 – “Hold the Spool”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 355 – “Spirals Ready for Spools”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 250 – “When the Sun Came to Visit an Esti-Mystery”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 419 – “Spool Holder Factor-Y”
January 31 – February 4, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 40 – “Practice Golf Balls”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 157 – “Golfing”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 356 – “The Colors in the Vase”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 251 – “Many, Many Clues”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 420 – “Two Container Esti-Mystery”
February 7-11, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 41 – “The Red Bingo Ball”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 158 – “The Blue Bingo Clue”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 357 – “Doubles and Halves”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 252 – “N49 the next number is N49”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 421 – “The Bingo Rounds”
February 14-18, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 42 – “Shiny Rocks More or Less”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 159 – “The Digit Clue”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 358 – “However…”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 253 – “Counting Back”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 422 – “So, 9 Is Out?”
February 21-25, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 43 – “Gears”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 160 – “Gearing Up”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 359 – “The Number Pattern Machine and Its Gears”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 254 – “The Difference Between the Gears”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 423 – “Gear Suspense”
February 28 – March 4, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 44 – “Capsules”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 161 – “Lids on the Capsules”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 360 – “Times Capsules”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 255 – “Capsule Patterns”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 424 – “Capsules and Clues”
March 7-11, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 45 – “Whistles”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 162 – “Blow the Whistle”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 361 – “Whistling”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 256 – “Whistle Differences”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 425 – “Multiple Whistles”
March 14-18, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 46 – “Translucent”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 163 – “Sum of the Bouncy Balls”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 362 – “What Happens When You Reverse Digits and Add Numbers Together?”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 257 – “Hiding on Top of the Die”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 426 – “An AVERAGE Esti-Mystery”
March 21-25, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 47 – “Bright Beads”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 164 – “One of a Kind”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 363 – “You Might Hear 3 2 1”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 258 – “Count by 5 Count by 10”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 427 – “Some Esti-Mysteries Have a Surprise Bonus Question”
March 28 – April 1, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 48 – “Bowl of Pegs”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 165 – “Clues on Pegs”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 364 – “The Red Peg Has a Three”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mysery 259 – “Vase of Pegs”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 428 – “A Square Peg”
April 4-8, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 49 – “Bright Pompoms”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 166 – “Don’t Put Soup in That Bowl”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 365 – “Clues on the Die”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 260 – “Bright and Fuzzy”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 429 – “The Two Numbers With Matching Digits”
April 11-15, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 50 – “Tiny Dice”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 167 – “Tiny Jar of Tiny Dice”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 366 – “I’ve Never Seen Dice That Small!”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 261 – “Wow! Those Dice are Tiny!”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 430 – “The Shrink Ray and The Dice”
April 18-22, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 51 – “Bits of the Sky”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 168 – “Let’s Count to 120!”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 367 – “Sky Beads in Two Containers”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 262 – “The Digit Eliminator”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 431 – “Prime Time for Sky Beads”
April 25-29, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 52 – “Peeking Penguins”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 169 – “Penguins Love Dice”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 368 – “Three Consecutive Penguins”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 263 – “The Penguin’s Favorite Number”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 432 – “The Penguin Likes the 3 and the 5”
May 2-6, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 53 – “Bolts”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 170 – “Colorful Bolts”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 369 – “Four Colors of Bolts”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 264 – “Bolts of 5 Colors”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 433 – “One Less Than a Multiple of Three”
May 9-13, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 55 – “Return of the Lacing Beads”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 172 – “Bowl of Beads”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 371 – “The Product of the Clues”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 266 – “Clues and Beads”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 435 – “A Number Halfway Between”
May 16-20, 2022
Kindergarten: Esti-Mystery 56 – “Magnifying Glasses”
Grades 1-2: Esti-Mystery 173 – “Magnifying the Clues”
Grades 3-8: Esti-Mystery 372 – “Multiple Magnifying Glasses”
Grades 1-3: Esti-Mystery 267 – “Double Magnification”
Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 436 – “The Magnifying Glass Colors are Part of the Clue”
I would love to hear your experiences and thoughts! Just leave a comment below!
Enjoy!
Steve
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Are these actually the correct amounts of items in these containers? My students are suspicious of the answers provided.
Hi! Yes, it’s always the exact number. My rule is to triple count everything so I’m absolutely sure. Sometimes students are surprised at how high the number is. One tip is to try picture what it might look like from the back and to visualize how many might be there. However, the best tip I can offer is for students to make their own to share with each other. That can be an illuminating experience. Thanks for the comment!
How do I sign up to receive your resources? What you have created is amazing and the kids love your activities.
Hi, Julie. There is a “sign me up” box on this page: https://stevewyborney.com/subscribe/
Thanks,
Steve
Hello Steve,
I have been using your esti-mysteries in my classroom for just over a year now. I have a mixed group of students in my 5th-grade classroom and my students love when they come in and see your slide on my whiteboard. The students get into lively debates and they all like to make their educated guesses as they work their way to their guesses. I appreciate the many items that you have available to us for free! Your hard work and attention to detail make our class time more enjoyable and help us progress through the challenges so much more smoothly. Thank you for creating such wonderful activities!
Beth
Thank you, Beth! I really appreciate this!
On #427, all the numbers seemed to be eliminated but it seems clue 4 would also eliminate 32 and 64 from consideration.
You found a mistake that I made. Thank you so much! I am so grateful. I’ve now updated clue #4 (which is where my mistake was) so that it doesn’t accidentally eliminate the answer. I’ve posted the new version on my blog. Again, thank you so much for letting me know.
Steve! Thanks so much for the work you put into these. My math class uses these as a warmup every day! We found a mistake in Thursday, May 26 Grades 4-12: Esti-Mystery 437 – “Five and a Half Times Greater” — Clue #4 says “One is half of another, eliminate both.” The remaining numbers at this point are 32, 40, 56, 64, and 80. This clue would eliminate 32/64 as well as 40/80, only leaving 56 (and clue #5 eliminates 56).
Thanks again for all you do! Appreciate you!
You are absolutely correct. Nice catch! Thank you for letting me know. Thanks to your feedback, I realized that clue #4 eliminated more numbers than I intended. I rewrote clue #4 and posted the new, updated version. I’m so very grateful for this feedback. Great work in finding this! I hope you have a wonderful day!
My middle school students love these! We use them weekly! We are curious…how to determine the significance of the die/dice…sometimes we get it and sometimes…we’re blank!
Hi! Sometimes the die (or dice when there are multiple ones in the picture) are part of a clue and other times they are not tied in to any clue at all. It’s fun to see if the die weaves into a clue or not. There are times it doesn’t. I will often put the die in the picture as a size reference even when it’s not tied in to a clue.
Hello,
First, thanks a lot for sharing all this…
A question about the Esti-Mystery-51.307-Blue-Rocks the result is 65, It’s a number one less than a multiple of 3 (66) ???? So it doesn’t work…
Hi, Caroline. Thank you for the comment – and also thank you for sharing the specific file number. That is very helpful. You’ve dialed in on exactly the correct 2 numbers. Since 66 is a multiple of 3, 65 is one less than a multiple of 3, and 65 is the correct answer on that one. One bonus note on that one: I took that picture in the evening after school and the sun was starting to go down in the window behind me. I was worried that the picture wouldn’t come out clearly, but it was just fine. However, if you look closely you’ll see that the sun isn’t hitting the bottom of the board, but that there is still light on the back of the picture. It’s also on the rocks. If I took it about 10 minutes later, it probably would have been too dark to get a clear photo. Thanks again for the comment.
Hi I don’t totally understand these. We tried a couple in 3rd grade and we didn’t get just one answer. Am I missing something? Thanks
Hi. Thanks for the question. The design of Esti-Mysteries is that after the final clue there are 2 (sometimes 3, but usually just 2) reasonable answers remaining. If it came down to only 1 number after the final clue then there would be no estimation – and also no mystery – at the end. At the beginning of the Esti-Mystery (before any clues are revealed) the students start with their first estimate. Then after each clue is revealed they can eliminate some numbers based on the clue and then estimate again. After the final clue they will be considering 2 numbers and having a rich discussion those two numbers. After their discussion will be the final reveal and it will show which of those 2 numbers is the actual number of objects in the container.
Steve,
Thank you so much for creating the esti-mysteries and estimation clipboards. I started using them last year and my students love them. My fourth graders tell me we haven’t had math if we don’t do an esti-activity! Please keep them coming!
Tracy
Thank you for sharing this, Tracy. I will certainly keep them coming!