Students will enter the budget mystery through a staged evidence reveal, generate an initial theory using early decimal reasoning, and document the first questions and revisions they will carry into the investigation.

Students will refine an investigable math question about the missing money, test possible methods for organizing evidence, and commit to a team investigation plan with a clear hypothesis, record-keeping system, and revision moves based on peer critique.

Students will verify budget evidence with decimal calculations and ratio comparisons, test whether their current theory fits all clues, critique the strength of one another’s reasoning, and prepare a concise case explanation that compares their first guess to their revised conclusion.

Students will present and defend their final explanation of the missing $500 to an authentic audience, compare their first theory to their final verdict, and reflect on how math evidence and teamwork shaped their investigation.