The Mystery of the Missing Mascot
The Mystery of the Missing Mascot
The Northwood Elementary Eagles were buzzing with excitement. It was the day of the big championship game against their rivals, the Southwood Sharks. But something was terribly wrong. Egbert, the beloved school mascot â a giant, fluffy eagle â was missing!
Lily, a fifth-grader with a knack for solving puzzles, overheard Coach Thompson frantically talking on his phone. "He was right here in the storage closet after practice yesterday," the coach said, his voice filled with worry. "Now, he's just⊠gone!"
Lily decided to take matters into her own hands. This was a job for the Northwood Elementary Detective Agency (NEDA), which consisted solely of her and her best friend, Sam. "This is a crisis!" Lily declared to Sam during lunch. "Egbertâs disappearance could jeopardize the whole game!"
The Investigation Begins
Their first stop was the storage closet. Sam, ever the meticulous observer, noticed something immediately. "Look! The lock wasn't broken. The door was locked, but the hinges are loose. Someone could have taken Egbert without breaking in."
- Crisis:
- A very difficult or dangerous situation.
- Jeopardize:
- To put something in danger.
- Meticulous:
- Very careful and precise.
- Hinges:
- The metal pieces that allow a door to swing open and closed.
- Dejected:
- Sad and disappointed.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts â all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Vocabulary
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Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What was missing from Northwood Elementary?
- 2Why was Coach Thompson worried?
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About this short story passage for 5th Grade
âThe Mystery of the Missing Mascotâ is a short story reading passage about Mystery, written for 5th Grade. It takes about 3 minutes to read (421 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.