The Story Elements Detective Game That Makes RL.3 Review Actually Fun
Let’s be real—state testing season can feel like a drag. Everyone’s stressed, energy is low, and the last thing your students want is another worksheet. But what if you could turn that pressure into play? What if you could sneak in meaningful review… and actually make it fun?
Let me introduce you to one of my favorite ways to review story elements (RL.3) with upper elementary and middle school students: The Detective Game.
Yes, it’s review.
Yes, it’s aligned to standards.
And yes—it feels like a crime-solving mystery that kids get totally invested in.
What Makes This RL.3 Game So Engaging?
Here’s the setup:
Your students become detectives trying to solve the mystery of… the missing principal. 🕵️♂️
Instead of a worksheet that asks students to identify characters, setting, and plot, they’re reading a fictional case file. They analyze clues. They interrogate suspects. They work together to solve the mystery—using the story elements as their tools.
They don’t even realize how much reading and thinking they’re doing because they’re in it. They’re collaborating, they’re debating, and they’re engaged the whole time.
Let’s break it down challenge by challenge.
Challenge 1: Analyze the Setting
In the first part of the game, students dive into setting. Not just identifying it, but analyzing how the setting impacts the investigation.
They’re given multiple possible locations—like the gym, the cafeteria, the main office—and they must decide:
Where did the “crime” take place?
How does the setting affect the way we interpret what happened?
What clues might the setting reveal?
This goes deeper than just “where and when.” You’re pushing them to think about why the setting matters, how it shapes the tone, and how it influences the plot—exactly what the RL.3 standard asks for.
Challenge 2: Investigate the Suspects (Character Analysis)
Next, your students meet the suspects—aka the characters. Each suspect has a short description, kind of like a little dossier or witness report.
Students then:
Analyze each character’s motives, traits, and behavior
Use textual evidence to support their thinking
Rule out or include suspects based on their analysis
And here’s what I love about this part: students have to do real character analysis. They’re inferring. They’re drawing conclusions. They’re not just naming a character trait—they’re explaining why they believe it based on what’s in the “case file.”
This is the kind of higher-level thinking that’s hard to get from a worksheet but comes naturally in a game like this.
Challenge 3: Identify the Most Important Event
In the final challenge, students read a full narrative that explains what happened—how the principal went missing and what led to the resolution.
Then, they have to decide:
What was the most important event that helped solve the case?
Why was that moment pivotal?
How did it affect the outcome of the story?
This part ties together plot, events, and cause and effect in a way that feels purposeful. They’re not just retelling the story—they’re evaluating the significance of what happened.
You’re hitting all the key parts of RL.3:
Setting
Characters
Plot and events
How each element works together to develop the story
And you’re doing it in a way that feels like a real-world challenge—not a test prep grind.
Why It Works (Especially During Test Prep)
You already know this, but it’s worth saying: students learn better when they’re engaged.
Here’s what this game brings to your classroom:
✅ Collaboration: Students work together, bounce ideas off each other, and share thinking
✅ Critical thinking: They're not just regurgitating answers—they’re analyzing, defending, and explaining
✅ Movement: This isn’t sit-and-get; students are up, moving, discussing, and solving problems
✅ Joy: Yes, joy! Even during state testing season. That’s the magic.
You could assign a worksheet to review RL.3…
Or you could turn your classroom into a detective agency.
Which one are your students going to remember?
What Standard Does This Game Cover?
This activity is aligned to RL.3, which typically asks students to:
Describe how a particular story’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
The detective game hits all those elements. Students must:
Understand and analyze the sequence of events
Make inferences about characters
Examine how setting influences plot
Determine how specific events drive the story forward
And since this game is flexible, it can be used across multiple grade levels—just adjust the complexity of the text and depth of analysis.
Everything You Need Is Already Done
I know how hectic this season is. That’s why I created the full Story Elements Detective Game for you. It includes:
Detective-themed challenge stations
Pre-written character profiles and suspect cards
Printable case report (aka the story text)
Student-friendly recording sheets
Clear teacher instructions to make setup easy
Optional hints and red herrings to increase difficulty
You can use it:
During your RL.3 review week
In literacy centers
As a station during an ELA review day
For sub plans that still align with your standards
🛒 Grab the full resource here → Story Elements Detective Game on TPT
Review Can Be Rigorous and Fun
Just because state testing is around the corner doesn’t mean your classroom has to feel like a pressure cooker.
When we make learning playful and purposeful, we help students actually remember what they’ve learned. Games like this one don’t water down the standard—they bring it to life.
And if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself pulling out this activity year after year. Because it works.
So go ahead—turn your students into story detectives. Let them uncover clues, interrogate suspects, and piece together the puzzle of narrative elements.
You’ve already done the hard work of teaching. Let this game help your students show what they know—without the stress.
You got this, teacher 💛
