problem solving prompts for middle school

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30 Problem Solving Scenarios for Speech Therapy Practice

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Problem solving scenarios.

• Your friends came over to your house for a movie night. One of your friends brought another friend so there are more people than you planned for. You want to pass out the drinks but you only have five cans of soda and you need 6 for everyone to have one. What could you do?
• After basketball practice you go back to the locker room with your team to shower and change. When you are done dressing, you can't find your shoes. What could you do?
• You have been waiting all day for lunch to come because you are starving. Finally class gets over and you get to go to lunch. Except when you go to get to your lunch, it's not there. You probably left it at home. What could you do?
• There is a guy in your class who is always mean to you. He always bumps you when he walks by and he calls you names. He knocks stuff out of your hands and makes you feel stupid. You don't think you can take it anymore. What could you do?
• You really want to invite this new girl/guy to come to your birthday party, but you have never talked to them before. You are worried they will say no. What could you do?
• You rode the bus to school today and on the way in people are pointing and laughing at you. You go in the bathroom and see that you have pink gum all over the back of your pants. What could you do?
• You wake up and see that your alarm never went off. So you are starting your morning 15 minutes later than you planned. It is a really important day at school and you cannot be late. What could you do?
• You are giving a group presentation in front of class and it's your turn to talk. All of the sudden you sneeze. You cover it with your hand, but now your hand is full of stuff you sneezed out. What could you do?
• You are eating dinner at a fancy restaurant with your parents and their friends. You have a really messy dinner and accidentally flip a noodle into the lady's lap. They are busy talking and don't notice it. What could you do?
• You are taking a test and there is no talking allowed. You are writing your answers on the paper and your pencil breaks. What could you do?
• You are taking a test and the guy behind you asks you for help. He wants to know what you put for question number two. What could you do?
• You are at a birthday party and you have waited in line for a long time for your turn to hit the pinata. It is finally going to be your turn and it looks like the next hit will break the pinata. But you suddenly have to go to the bathroom. What could you do?
• You are hanging outside with your friend and she decides to pick your neighbor's flowers. She gives you the pretty handful of flowers and right then your neighbor opens the door. She asks you why you picked her flowers. What could you do?
• You borrowed your sister's skates one day without asking and they broke while you were using them. What could you do?
• You are eating at a friend's house and the mom piles your plate full of food. It looks really good and you want to eat it all but you can't because you just ate a snack. What could you do so you don't hurt her feelings?

SEE ALSO:   The Best Free App for Speech Therapy

• Your teacher was working at her desk.  You wanted to ask her a question, but she didn't see your hand raised. What should you do?
• You started to do your work, but you weren't sure if you were doing it right. What should you do?
• You were playing tether-ball and were the champion so far.  In the next game, you slightly touched the rope.  Only one student saw you touch the rope. What will you do?
• The teacher is giving directions, but your friend sitting next to you keeps talking.  You can't hear the directions. What should you do?
• You didn't do your homework.  Your teacher was upset with you. What should you do?
• You finished eating and felt a burp coming. What are you going to do?
• You were waiting to swing.  When it was your turn, another boy jumped in front of you and took the swing. What would you do?
• You waited a long time, but your mom didn't come to pick you up after school. What should you do?
• A bully threatened to beat you up after school. What should you do?
• A boy on the playground keeps pushing you and making you mad. What would you do?
• You were sitting in class doing your work and you hear the fire alarm. What should you do?
• An adult you didn't know came on to the playground and asked if you would help look for his lost dog. What would you do?
• You forgot your lunch at home. What would you do?
• The person sitting behind you keeps tapping your chair with his foot. What should you do?
• You finished your work early. What should you do?

This list of functional words was professionally selected to be the most useful for a child or adult who has difficulty with problem solving scenarios.

We encourage you to use this list when practicing at home.

Home practice will make progress toward meeting individual language goals much faster.

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are only able to see students/clients 30-60 mins (or less) per week. This is not enough time or practice for someone to handle Problem solving scenarios.

Every day that your loved one goes without practice it becomes more difficult to help them. 

SEE ALSO:   The Best Books for Speech Therapy Practice

We know life is busy , but if you're reading this you're probably someone who cares about helping their loved one as much as you can.

Practice 5-10 minutes whenever you can, but try to do it on a consistent basis (daily).

Please, please, please use this list to practice.

It will be a great benefit to you and your loved one's progress.

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Critical Thinking Activities For Middle Schoolers: PBL, Outdoor Ideas, Discussions, Games, And More

January 17, 2024 //  by  Lesa M.K. Bullins, EdS

Critical thinking is the process of using higher-order thinking skills in which students observe, conceptualize, apply, evaluate, and synthesize information that they learn in order to solve problems and make decisions effectively. Critical thinking is crucial for middle school students to be equipped to respond to academic, social, and emotional challenges successfully.

As an educator, developing critical thinking in students is paramount. Critical thinking skills are built through exploration, inquiry, questioning, discussion, and collaboration. Below are my top 20 classroom activities to transform your middle school students into critical thinkers!

1. Service Projects

Service projects support the development of global-mindedness in addition to building creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Service projects allow students the opportunity to engage their interests, apply learning to real-world situations, and actively problem-solve. Service projects could relate to classroom topics, holidays, or community areas in which students have concerns.

Learn More: Kid Activities

2. Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning builds creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving while creating opportunities for student motivation and engagement. You can learn about how to execute project-based learning here.

Learn More: PBL Works

3. Problem-Based Learning

The other “PBL” of education is problem-based learning. Problem-based learning activities are critical to the development of problem-solving skills. You can learn how to implement problem-based learning approaches here.

Learn More: Educators for Social Change

4. Get Outside the Classroom

Take learning outside the classroom. Applying learning to the world around them will support students in making crucial connections that build critical thinking. Check this video for ways to bring the outdoors to your classroom!

Learn More: Edutopia

5. Promote Inquiry

Inquiry-based learning is a cornerstone of critical thinking skills that creates in students an avid thinker of creative solutions. Instead of giving students the questions and then the answer, flip it! Give students information and have them build questions from their own thinking, or give students questions then allow them the space needed to find comprehensive solutions. Inquiry builds analytical skills.

Learn More: Taylor & Francis Online

6. Incorporate Turn and Talks

Turn and talks allow students to briefly share, review, and make connections to things they are learning. It is one of the top critical thinking resources when executed effectively in the classroom. Turn and talks allow for the exploration of an array of topics.

Learn More: Smekens Education and The Thinker Builder

7. Group Work Galore

While group work teaches cooperation, it also provides an opportunity for building critical thinking attributes like task deconstruction, planning, and explanation of thinking.

Learn More: Mrs. Spangler in the Middle

8. Bring Centers Back

Centers are not just for elementary students. Centers create a diverse learning interaction that allows opportunities for students to be more expressive in the learning process. Critical thinking skills come out of such active learning. It is also a great way to leverage resources, especially teacher one-on-one time!

Learn More: Rachel Mccollum

9. Revive Reader’s Theatre

Using a reader’s theatre gives students a more enriching reading comprehension experience due to the highly engaging and interactive approach. Read more here about why you should use this reading approach to support critical thinking.

Learn More: Mrs. Beers

10. Hold Debates

Debate is an opportunity for individuals to consider, discuss, and analyze a controversial topic. Middle school students have ideas that they want to express and discuss. Giving them healthy opportunities for expression not only builds their critical thinking but also their confidence and sense of self.

11. Provide Creative Choices

Choice prompts critical thinking because it allows students to practice in a safe learning environment. Student choice can enhance the learning environment through deeper interest and engagement as well. Providing choice is a very effective opportunity for differentiation, and can even support metacognitive development.

Learn More: The Modern Classrooms Project

12. Promote Invention and Innovation 

Creating inventions and innovations involved analyzing situations, considering outcomes, developing processes, and making connections to prior and related knowledge. Innovation and invention are essentially complete critical thinking activities.

Learn More: Invention and Education

13. Make Opportunities for Students to Teach

The deepest learning occurs when we teach others. Your kids will really be able to tap into their critical thinking skills in this exercise where you’ll invite them to play teacher! It’s a fantastic way to deepen their understanding of concepts as you’ll encourage them to reteach learning material to their peers.

Learn More: ASCD

14. Always Make Time for Reflection

Reflection is indispensable to the critical thinking process. Reflection empowers students as learners and prompts deeper thinking. Reflection allows students to tackle higher levels of thinking resulting in better consciousness of self and learning. You can provide opportunities for silent reflection, exit tickets, journals, etc.

Learn More: Responsive Classroom

15. Create Mysteries

Critical thinking hinges significantly on students interpreting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions. Mystery activities are exciting ways to engage these elements of critical thinking in a variety of subjects! Check out the example of a classroom mystery lesson here to inspire the use of mysteries in your own classroom subjects.

Learn More: Engaging Effective Teaching

16. Create Escape Rooms

It is not just mysteries that present logical thinking challenges and encompass the elements of critical thinking for practice in the classroom! Escape rooms are exceptional critical thinking activities. For some ideas on how to create escape rooms for different subjects in your class, check here.

Learn More: 23 Escape Room Games for Kids of All Ages

17. Prompt Class Discussions

Class discussions are the most naturally occurring critical thinking resources, so just harness the power by guiding and building skills for class discussion processes in your classroom. Class discussion fosters enhanced articulation, deep thinking, stronger connections to prior knowledge, deeper connections across content, and much more!

Learn More: University of Waterloo

18. Create a Job Board

Application of critical thinking skills in real-life scenarios like work is essential. Having classroom jobs is a practical way to put skills into practice. Classroom jobs can build a sense of community and responsibility in the classroom culture. I suggest using a job board approach and incentives for taking jobs such as free choice activities, extra time, etc. instead of assigned jobs. You can also make the job board a game similar to the popular Among Us game (minus the killing of course), to grab student interest.

Learn More: The Literary Maven

19. Encourage Habits of Mind

Habits of Mind are the same skills that make up the critical thinking concepts. Habits of Mind prompt analytical thinking, build strong learning habits, and sufficiently change patterns of thinking for students to truly become critical thinkers.

Learn More: Increasing Autonomy with Habits of Mind

20. Push a Growth Mindset

In conjunction with the skills of habits of mind, a growth mindset also presents students with an avenue to build lasting change in thinking patterns to become skillful critical thinkers. Students with a strong growth mindset have the power of resiliency.  Resilience is a crucial aspect of critical thinking as it helps us to manage stress and adapt to change. Analyzing and solving problems requires adaptability.

Learn More: In Control Middle School SEL

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20 Critical Thinking Activities for Middle Schoolers

• Middle School Education

Introduction:

  Critical thinking is vital for middle school students, as it helps them develop problem-solving skills, make informed decisions, and understand different perspectives. Integrating critical thinking activities into classroom learning experiences can greatly enhance students’ cognitive abilities. The following are 20 engaging critical thinking activities designed for middle school students.

1. Brain Teasers: Use age-appropriate puzzles to challenge students’ cognitive abilities and encourage them to find creative solutions.

2. Socratic Circles: Divide the class into groups and encourage them to participate in a philosophical discussion on a given topic, asking questions that stimulate critical thinking and deeper understanding.

3. Compare and Contrast: Assign two similar but different texts for students to compare and contrast, analyzing similarities and differences between each author’s perspective.

4. What-If Questions: Encourage children to think critically about hypothetical scenarios by asking what-if questions, such as “What if the internet didn’t exist?”

5. Debate Club: Organize a debate club where students are encouraged to research and defend differing viewpoints on a topic.

6. Mind Mapping: Teach students how to create a mind map – a visual representation of their thoughts – to help them brainstorm complex issues effectively.

7. Mystery Bag: In small groups, give students a bag containing several random objects and ask them to invent an innovative product or story using all items in the bag.

8. Critical Thinking Journal: Have students maintain journals where they analyze their thought processes after completing activities, promoting self-reflection and metacognition.

9. Moral Dilemmas: Present students with moral dilemmas, requiring them to weigh pros and cons before making ethical decisions.

10. Fact or Opinion?: Give students various statements and ask them to differentiate between fact or opinion, helping them build critical thinking skills when handling information.

11. Research Projects: Assign project topics that require deep research from multiple sources, developing students’ abilities to sift through information and synthesize their findings.

12. Think-Pair-Share: Have students think individually about a complex question, then pair up to discuss their thoughts, and finally share with the class.

13. Art Interpretation: Display an artwork and ask students to interpret its meaning, theme, or message, pushing them to look beyond the surface.

14. Reverse Role Play: Assign roles for a scenario where students exchange positions (e.g., teacher-student, parent-child), fostering empathetic understanding and critical thinking skills.

15. Critical Evaluation of Media: Analyze news articles, commercials, or social media posts by asking questions about their purpose, target audience, and accuracy.

16. Six Thinking Hats: Teach students Edward de Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats” technique to improve critical thinking by exploring diverse perspectives when solving problems.

17. Analogy Building: Encourage students to create analogies from one concept to another, enhancing abstract thinking and problem-solving abilities.

18. Current Events Analysis: Keep track of current events and have students critically evaluate news stories or blog posts to encourage informed decision-making in real-world contexts.

19. Brainstorming Sessions: Hold group brainstorming sessions where students invent solutions for complex problems while practicing active listening and critical thinking.

20. Reflection Activities: Use reflective writing prompts at the end of lessons or activities to foster metacognition, self-awareness, and the development of critical thinking skills.

Conclusion:

Critical thinking activities are vital for middle schoolers as they foster intellectual growth and prepare them for future learning experiences. By incorporating these 20 activities into your classroom curriculum, you can help students develop essential critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their academic careers and beyond.

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15 Problem solving activities for students

In this guide

• 1. The detective game
• 2. Help ‘em out
• 3. What if…
• 4. Move IT!
• 5. The build
• 6. Just survive
• 7. Good old scavenger hunt maybe with a twist
• 9. Tower of terror
• 10. Community problem solving
• 11. Community problem solving documentary
• 12. Digital storytelling
• 13. Minefield/Lead the blind
• 14. Design sprints
• 15. Debates

Problem solving entails identifying, analyzing, and addressing challenges or obstacles using critical thinking, creativity, analytical skills, and reasoning. The World Economic Forum consistently ranks critical thinking and problem solving as top skills for the future in their list of essential abilities. 

Why is problem solving an important skill for students?

In a 2020 report, the World Economic Forum emphasized the growing significance of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the upcoming years ( Whiting, 2020 ). These skills are vital not only for academic success but also for navigating challenges beyond the classroom. Let’s explore four key benefits of problem-solving skills for students.

• Student centered learning: Problem solving encourages student engagement by encouraging hands-on exploration and discovery. Students fully engage with a topic, they are not expected to simply absorb and memorize information. It recognizes and honors students’ individual learning pace, as well as their unique strengths, interests, and motivations. 
• Enhanced critical thinking: By tackling problems from diverse perspectives and evaluating information from various sources and viewing the problem from various angles, students are able to develop improved critical thinking skills.  Problem solving also cultivates systems thinking, enabling students to grasp the interconnectedness of systems, complex issues, and devise holistic solutions. 
• Confidence building: Through regular practice, students gain confidence in their problem solving skills, equipping them to address challenges across a wide variety of subject areas and real-life scenarios. “The goal in teaching problem-solving is for it to become second nature, and for students to routinely express their curiosity, explore innovative solutions, and analyze the world around them to draw their own conclusions.” (Marshall, 2022)
• Teamwork and communication: Engaging in problem solving activities nurtures essential teamwork skills such as communication and collaboration. Students learn to actively listen, respect diverse perspectives, and resolve conflicts in a constructive manner. Moreover, they develop goal setting abilities, organization, and build a sense of personal accountability within a team environment. 

Problem solving activities for elementary

Problem solving activities can range from simple to complex and short to long.

1) The detective game

• Gather 5-10 clues about a person, place, historical event, pop culture phenomenon, animal, etc. these can be physical clues or images of clues. 
• Place the clues to a bag and have students draw one clue at a time. 
• Encourage students to work in small groups to solve the mystery. 
• Require a minimum number of clues to be drawn (2-3) before attempting their first guess. 

2) Help ‘em out

• Engage students in brainstorming sessions while reading about historical events or fictional characters.
• Encourage small group discussion and decision making. 
• Students can work at desks or on whiteboards. 
• Challenge the students to identify the problems faced and devise creative solutions to alter the outcomes. 

3) What if…

• Create a list of moral dilemmas for students to ponder, ChatGPT would be perfect for this.
• Cut them up and put them in a bag for students to pull out of or use an online randomizing tool like WheelPicker to make the selection. 
• Students then have to share how they would handle the situation using ethical reasoning and decision making skills.

Here are the prompts I used on ChatGPT:

I am looking for a list of 15 moral dilemmas for elementary students to try and solve.

And a follow-up prompt:

Could you give 10 more that are based around honesty, fairness, respect, and peer pressure?

And here are 10 dilemmas ChatGPT came up with in seconds: 

• Truth dilemma: Your friend breaks something and asks you not to tell anyone. Should you keep their secret or tell an adult what happened?
• Fairness dilemma: You’re playing a game and your friend keeps losing. Do you let them win to make them feel better or play your best?
• Respecting property dilemma: You find money on the ground. Do you keep it, try to find the owner, or turn it into a teacher?
• Honesty dilemma: You accidentally take something that belongs to someone else. Do you return it, keep it, or ignore what happened?
• Respect dilemma: Your friend likes a certain game, but you don’t. They invite you to play. Do you decline and risk hurting their feelings, or play to make them happy?
• Cheating dilemma: You notice someone cheating during a class assignment. Should you tell the teacher or keep quiet?
• Environment dilemma: You see someone littering in the park. Do you pick up the trash, ignore it, or say something to the person?
• Privacy dilemma: You find a diary belonging to your sibling or friend. Should you read it or respect their privacy?
• Homework dilemma: You finish your homework but notice that your friend forgot to complete theirs. They ask to copy your work. What do you do?
• Peer pressure dilemma: Your friends want to gossip about another classmate. Do you join in, stay silent, or change the subject?

4) Move IT!

In this activity students are required to move an object across the classroom while navigating various constraints. 

• Introduce limitations such as restrictions on carrying the object, it can’t touch the floor, limited steps, use of specific body parts, or communication limitations with team members. 
• Encourage collaborative problem solving and creative thinking to overcome the obstacles.

5) The build

Provide students with materials like straws, marshmallows, paper cups, etc. and challenge them to build. Challenges can be the tallest freestanding tower, a bridge that can hold a certain weight, or other structures following specific rules. Students must learn to think creatively, collaborate, and iterate. 

Problem solving activities for middle school

Middle school problem solving can also utilize those activities mentioned for elementary school with some slight tweaks. But, here are some more middle school style activities.

6) Just survive

Use survival scenarios to encourage small groups to employ critical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem solving skills. These scenarios immerse students in real-world situations and foster resilience and adaptability. 

Many scenarios can be found online. Here are a few:

• Survival Island (complete with Google Slides)
• Plane Crash (survival game with a Hatchet by Gary Paulsen feel)
• Moon Landing (space survival game)

7) Good old scavenger hunt maybe with a twist

Scavenger hunts require problem solving skills to solve clues, think critically, and collaborate to complete the hunt. A fun and innovative way to do this was created by a friend named Kathi Kersznowski, co-author of Sail the 7Cs with Microsoft Education, called FlipHunt: 

A Fliphunt is a video-based scavenger hunt that is completely organized and run in the AMAZING Flip (formerly Flipgrid) environment. It is a wonderfully fun way to get students up and moving while exploring new learning or documenting understanding using the most beloved edtech site for amplifying student voice and student engagement in ways never known before! https://kerszi.com

Escape rooms are an amazing way to promote problem solving and critical thinking with middle school students. Students are presented with a scenario or challenge within a controlled environment, such as a themed classroom or designated area, where they must work together to decipher puzzles, uncover clues, and solve challenges within a set time limit. Escape rooms provide immersive and engaging problem-solving experiences.

There are a number of places teachers can go to find escape rooms, some paid, some free or freemium, and some physical with locked boxes or digital using Google Sites or Google Forms.

• BreakoutEDU – Standards aligned Escape Room games.
• Digital Escape Rooms from Ditch That Textbook
• How to make your own digital escape room with Google Forms

9) Tower of terror

This is a “Red Solo Cup” cup stacking game. 

• Students are given 3 cups and 2 large index cards. 
• Cups are stacked with a card in between each cup. 
• Student teams have 3-10 minutes (be fluid with your time depending on the class) to pull the cards and get the cups to nest on top of each other, earning a point for each successful attempt. Check out this X (Twitter post) by Jonathan Alsheimer , Tower Of Terror . This quick, simple game encourages teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration in a fun fast paced way.

10) Community problem solving

Empower students to address real-world problems from the local community or your school community. Maybe it’s a dangerous intersection, food waste with school lunches, or single-use plastics in the cafeteria. Students can research, analyze data, and propose solutions, fostering civic engagement and social responsibility. This is an activity that can also be used for high school students. 

Problem solving activities for high school

High school problem-solving activities build on foundational skills while providing opportunities for deeper exploration and application. Here are some elevated ideas tailored to high school students:

11) Community problem solving documentary

Challenge students to create short documentaries using their phones as cameras about solving problems they see in the community, in school, or in the world. Students can edit directly on their phones, on sites like Canva , WeVideo , or Capcut . 

12) Digital storytelling

Encourage students to harness the power of Digital storytelling to promote problem solving. Whether through videos, graphics, podcasts, or interactive presentations, data visualization, or digital books ( BookCreator ), students can craft compelling narratives that inspire action and promote a problem-solving mindset.

Check out Michael Hernandez’s book Storytelling with Purpose Digital Projects to Ignite Student Curiosity and you can listen to Michael on the TeacherNerdz Podcast .

13) Minefield/Lead the blind

This is an outstanding activity created by Dr. Krista Welz & Melissa Welz which involves communication, collaboration, and planning. The “Minefield” activity is  where one student navigates through a “Minefield” guided only by verbal commands from their peers. This hands-on exercise promotes teamwork, planning, and effective communication skills. Here is a detailed Google Slides explanation by the creators.

14) Design sprints

Introduce students to the concept of design sprints, a structured process for solving complex problems through rapid prototyping and user feedback.  Small teams collaborate intensely over a short period, usually five days (can be shorter a class period or a few days), to ideate, prototype, and validate solutions. Here is a famous design sprint from IDEO shown on ABC’s Nightline, the shopping cart design sprint:

Here are a few ideas:

• Redesigning the school cafeteria menu: Students work collaboratively to identify issues with the current cafeteria menu, brainstorm innovative solutions, create prototypes of redesigned menus, and gather feedback through testing sessions to ultimately present improved menu designs to school administrators.
• Redesigning classroom layouts for enhanced learning: This sprint focuses on reimagining classroom setups to optimize student learning experiences. Students research, ideate, prototype, test, and present innovative classroom layouts designed to foster a more engaging and effective learning environment.
• Creating solutions for reducing school waste: Students address sustainability concerns by identifying sources of waste within the school, brainstorming eco-friendly solutions, prototyping waste reduction strategies, testing their effectiveness, and pitching refined solutions aimed at minimizing waste and promoting environmental stewardship.
• 11 Activities from IDEO’s d.school for educators: Link

15) Debates

Facilitate lively debates on contemporary issues to stimulate critical thinking and persuasive communication skills.  Topics could include:

• Establishing a universal basic income to address poverty.
• Social media regulation to address misinformation and hate speech on platforms. 
• Banning TikTok or any social media platform
• Animal testing for cosmetics and scientific purposes.
• Space exploration funding: Should governments invest more resources in space exploration and colonization efforts, or should these funds be allocated to other pressing issues on Earth? 

As we navigate an era of unprecedented change and uncertainty, the need for problem-solving skills has never been more pressing. Gone are the days of lifelong careers; instead, today’s students face a landscape where adaptability and innovation are key. By integrating problem-solving activities tailored to elementary, middle school, and high school students, educators play a pivotal role in equipping the next generation with the tools they need to thrive.

As educators, parents, and stakeholders, we must acknowledge the role of problem-solving skills in shaping resilient, creative, and adaptable individuals. Educators should prioritize the cultivation of these essential skills in our schools and communities, empowering students to confront challenges with confidence, innovation, and creativity. When we do,  we not only prepare them for the future but also foster a generation capable of shaping a brighter tomorrow.

*Many, if not all, of the activities above can be adapted up or down the grade levels. *

• Daneshgari, F. (2023, March 29). High School Problem-Solving: 6 Activities That Work . Safes Parental Control App. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.safes.so/blogs/problem-solving-activities-for-high-school-students/
• Educator Guides: Activities from d.school Books — Stanford d.school . (n.d.). Stanford d.school. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources/educators-guides-books
• Engaging Problem Solving Activities for Middle School Students . (n.d.). Everyday Speech. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://everydayspeech.com/sel-implementation/engaging-problem-solving-activities-for-middle-school-students/
• 5 Problem-Solving Activities for the Classroom . (2013, February 14). Resilient Educator. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/5-problem-solving-activities-for-the-classroom/
• Foshay, W. R., & Kirkley, J. (1998). Principles for Teaching Problem Solving . PLATO Learning Inc. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262798359_Principles_for_Teaching_Problem_Solving
• Khanna, B. (2023, September 29). World Economic Forum Warns of Skills Gap in the Future of Work . LinkedIn. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/world-economic-forum-warns-skills-gap-future-work-bhupendra-khanna
• Marshall, M. (2022, October 5). Benefits of Problem-Solving in the K-12 Classroom – Institute of Competition Sciences . Institute of Competition Sciences. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.competitionsciences.org/2022/10/05/benefits-of-problem-solving-in-the-k-12-classroom/
• Understanding the Importance of Teaching Creative Problem-Solving in Elementary Schools . (n.d.). Everyday Speech. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://everydayspeech.com/sel-implementation/understanding-the-importance-of-teaching-creative-problem-solving-in-elementary-schools/
• Weil, Z. (2016). The World Becomes What We Teach: Educating a Generation of Solutionaries . Lantern Publishing & Media.
• Whiting, K. (2020, October 21). What are the top 10 job skills for the future? The World Economic Forum. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/top-10-work-skills-of-tomorrow-how-long-it-takes-to-learn-them/

Ronald M. Nober

Technology/STEAM Teacher

Ron Nober is a technology/STEAM teacher and co-host of the TeacherNerdz Podcast. He has a focus on using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the classroom as well as connecting technology to social good.

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30 Thought-Provoking Math Puzzles for Middle Schoolers

Critical thinking, trial and error, and pure logic abound.

Tired of your tried-and-true math routine? Chances are if you’re feeling the itch to incorporate new activities into your math time, your students are as well. Mixing it up in math class can bring fresh perspectives to stale concepts or standards, and your students will enjoy stretching their brains in different ways with these middle school math puzzles. Critical thinking, trial and error, and pure logic abound in these 30 though-provoking puzzles. Get ready to reignite your middle schoolers’ excitement for math!

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

Sudoku is way more than just an activity to pass the time on long-haul flights. This math puzzle is actually a fantastic problem-solving activity for middle schoolers. Kick-starting your typical math class with a Sudoku puzzle will have your students thinking critically, practicing trial and error, and looking at math in a totally different way. Plus, you can differentiate by providing Easy, Medium, and Difficult puzzles.

Learn more: Sodoku Puzzles To Print

2. 5 Pirates Puzzle

Ahoy and shiver me timbers! This logic puzzle is perfect for a small-group activity to get your middle schoolers working together to solve the conundrum of how pirates plan to share treasure among themselves. Multiple scenarios will play out in this puzzle, so scaffolding with problem-solving strategies is a must.

Learn more:  5 Pirates Puzzles/Math Is Fun

3. Fives Challenge Puzzle

This puzzle is perfect for reviewing addition, multiplication, division, and subtraction and would be a great activity to do when gearing up to teach order of operations. Students could work in pairs or small groups to riddle out each target number.

Learn more:  Fives Challenge Puzzle/Math = Love

4. Beehive Puzzle

Perfect for a station during math rotation or for a rainy-day recess activity, this logic puzzle involves creating a beehive shape without having any squares of the same color touching each other. Students can practice trial and error as well as problem-solving.

Learn more:  Beehive Puzzle/Math = Love ADVERTISEMENT

5. Guess My Number

Guess My Number is just as much a riddle as it is a math puzzle. Students use their number sense to determine the number in question. As an extension activity, students can come up with their own clues and trade them with a classmate to solve.

Learn more:  Guess My Number/Education.com

6. Math Riddles

Perfect for a morning warmup, these middle school math puzzles activate all kinds of math knowledge. You can poll the class and have them show their work before clicking to reveal the correct answer. This site even has more challenging puzzles if your middle schoolers fly through the easier ones.

Learn more:  Math Riddles/Get Riddles

My seventh graders loved playing this puzzle as an early-finisher activity. Though the idea is simple (move the tiles until two of the same numbers touch), it’s actually great for recognizing exponents and also for thinking strategically.

Learn more:  2048/Prodigy

8. Magic Squares

Magic Squares have been around for thousands of years, and they come in all shapes and sizes. The 3×3 grid is a great size to introduce to your students and then work up to larger and more complex grids. You can even bring this puzzle off the paper and have your students write the grid out in sidewalk chalk, or write the numbers on water bottle caps to make a fun tactile activity.

Learn more:  Magic Squares/Prodigy

9. Impossible Domino Bridge

Using dominoes to build a seemingly impossible bridge is a perfect activity for the first day or week of a new school year. Your students can work together in small groups and get to know one another as they attempt to construct the bridge that looks like it could turn into a game of Jenga at any moment.

Learn more:  Impossible Domino Bridge/Math = Love

10. Math Picture Puzzles

Your students communicate through emojis anyway, so why not get math involved? This self-checking site allows them to work independently (on the honor system) and also choose between three levels of difficulty. Students can take this idea to the next level, create their own emojis, and arrange them in number sentences for their classmates to solve.

Learn more: Picture Puzzles/MathEasily.com

11. What Is the Weight?

Sometimes you just need a quick resource to get your students working on solving a math puzzle. This puzzle comes from an app, so you can have it downloaded on your students’ iPads or tablets. Middle schoolers will focus on determining the weights of different animals, which is good practice for estimating and working with customary/metric units of measurement.

Learn more: Brain Teasers/Mental Up

12. Colorku

Math doesn’t always have to be just about numbers. This board game uses colors and patterns to focus on analyzing sequences, and would be great to have on hand for those rainy-day recesses as well as for inclusion in a math station. Further, Colorku can be used as a calm-down tool or even a fidget tool.

Buy it: Colorku at Amazon

13. Rubik’s Cube

Rubik’s Cubes made a major comeback in popularity when I taught fifth grade. My students would happily sit together at recess to race each other to see who could solve the cube faster. Though entertaining, Rubik’s Cubes are also suited to teach students about growth mindset, spacial awareness, and 3D space.

Buy it: Rubik’s Cube at Amazon

14. SafeCracker

Though this puzzle looks like something out of an Indiana Jones quest, it’s actually a tactilely engaging tool that will delight even your most resistant math learners. The goal is to align the wheel into columns where the sum adds up to 40. You might need to get more than one of these middle school math puzzles for your classroom.

Buy it: SafeCracker at Amazon

15. “T” Brain Teaser Puzzle

In addition to sparking structural design creativity, this boxed wooden puzzle challenges middle schoolers to engage in trial and error as they work at fitting 50+ pieces into a cube. Much of math is learning how to persevere through tricky problems or procedures, and this puzzle definitely fosters that.

Buy it: T Brain Teaser at Amazon

16. Multistep Equation Puzzle

Solve-and-sort puzzles add flair to repeatedly solving different variations of a math problem for practice. In this free puzzle, students will need to not only solve the equations with variables on both sides, they will also need to sort the problem based on if their solution is positive or negative in order to uncover the secret word.

Get it: Solve-and-Sort Puzzle/Teachers Pay Teachers

In this variation of a classic Sudoku puzzle, students practice critical thinking and exercise their knowledge of how the four math operations work. The best thing about these types of puzzles is that the differentiation potential is endless. Students can solve smaller puzzles with addition, or use only prime numbers in a more complex multiplication problem.

Learn more: Yohaku

18. Jigmaze

One of the Standards for Mathematical Practices is perseverance, and all teachers know that this is a tough one to instill in students, even more so if students are struggling in foundational skills. This type of puzzle can be used to strengthen perseverance as students physically arrange and rearrange pieces of a broken maze.

Learn more: Jigmaze/Math = Love

19. Flexagons

Flexagons, octaflexagons, and dodecaflexagons (say that one 10 times fast!) are a mathematical take on traditional origami. Through constructing these paper creations, your students will get exposure to geometrical terms such as faces ,  equilateral triangles , and all manner of types of 3D shapes.

Get it: Flexagons/Medium

20. Möbius Strip

Though the high-level mathematical equation may be well above your students’ heads (and mine too, if I’m being honest), the STEAM-centered concept of a Möbius strip can be a fun one to explore and create (no need to go into cosines and conversational belts). Middle school math puzzles for the win!

Get it for free: Make a Möbius/STEAMsational

In this complex-looking puzzle, the goal is for the sum of each vertical or horizontal line to match the number given at the beginning of the row or column. This site comes with a great explanation on exactly what that means and how to achieve it. A Kakuro puzzle would be a great “learn as you go” activity for students where they really must pay close attention to the instructions to be able to understand the goal.

Learn more: Kakuro/Braingle

22. Number Searches

This school district’s site has tons of grade-specific number puzzles that would be perfect for when you need to be out of the classroom and have a substitute teacher. They are ready to be printed and contain easy explanations for your students. Check out the number searches, patterns, and 3D riddles.

Learn more: Number Searches/Cranbury School District

23. Two Truths and One Lie

The tried-and-true icebreaker used at many a staff meeting and the first week of school, Two Truths and One Lie can also be used to review and practice tons of mathematical concepts. These middle school math puzzles cover concepts such as negative numbers, fractions, and a ton more.

Buy it: Two Truths & One Lie Math Edition at Amazon

24. Adding Integers Puzzle

The objective of this cuttable resource is for students to solve the integer problem and match up expressions that end up having the same sum. The multiple size options are great for differentiation or to make this independent activity into a small-group collaborative activity.

Buy it: Adding Integers at Teachers Pay Teachers

25. Perfect Square Roots

For upper middle school students, this square-roots puzzle helps with the recognition of perfect square roots. Rather than simply memorizing the perfect square roots, students work to identify and spell out the specific square root and ensure that it fits within the crossword. In this way, the puzzle is self-checking as well.

Buy it: Square Roots Crossword at Teachers Pay Teachers

26. Factor Tree Challenge

Factor trees are an effective way to visually show students the factors of numbers. Trees allow a chain of multiple factors, so you can start with a large number and end up with “branches” that show all of the factors. Once your middle schoolers are familiar with this concept, have them explore this self-checking challenge (and many others as well) that will test their knowledge of abstract factors.

Learn more: Prime Challenges/Transum

27. Ludicross

Another take on Sudoku, Ludicross is interactive in that students can drag and drop the number into position with the goal of making the sum of the numbers in both diagonals the same. Like several of the other puzzles mentioned in this list, students can take this number puzzle to the next level by creating their own and swapping with a classmate to solve.

Learn more: Ludicross/Transum

28. Interactive Mobiles

These colorfully shaped mobiles are a unique way for students to make pattern associations. Because these puzzles are self-paced, students can begin with a simple puzzle and work their way up to complex mobiles with three or more shapes.

Try it: Mobiles/SolveMe Puzzles

29. Deleting Sheep

This logic puzzle is a doozy! The objective is to remove only two numbers in each row with the result being that each horizontal and vertical line equals 30. Trial and error and problem-solving skills abound in this puzzle, and it will keep your middle schoolers engaged for quite some time.

Get it: Deleting Sheep/Dover Publications

30. Pips Puzzle

Have any spare decks of cards lying around your classroom? This inexpensive item provides a different take on a Magic Square. Students can work in small groups, and maybe you can ignite a little class competition to see which groups can complete the challenge the fastest.

Buy it: Pips Puzzle/Math = Love

Looking for more engaging math resources? Try these Magical Math Puzzles and Number Tricks To Wow Your Students .

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Home » Blog » General » Solve It: A Problem-Solving Game for Middle School Students

Solve It: A Problem-Solving Game for Middle School Students

Welcome to Solve It, a game where we solve problems by going through them step by step. At each step, we’ll talk about the problem, and how we can solve it. The steps we’ll go through are: Identify the problem – what’s wrong? Figure out how big the problem is. Think of possible solutions to the problem. Pick a solution. Try that solution and then reassess it. How did it work? If our solution works, our problem is solved! If our solution doesn’t work, we can try again. Problem solving is a process. We won’t always go straight to the solution. This video is all about problems we might have in our day to day lives. Whenever we see this icon in the corner, we can stop and talk about how everyone is feeling. Let’s get started!

Introduction

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is a crucial aspect of education that helps students develop essential life skills, such as problem-solving, empathy, and effective communication. In this blog post, we introduce an engaging activity called “Solve It,” designed to help middle school students improve their problem-solving abilities. This game encourages students to think critically, collaborate with their peers, and reflect on their emotions while navigating everyday challenges.

No-Prep Activity

Here’s a simple, no-prep activity you can use in your classroom to help students practice problem-solving skills:

• Divide the class into small groups of 3-4 students.
• Present a common, age-appropriate problem to the class. For example: “Your group has a big project due next week, but one of your teammates is not contributing. How will you handle this situation?”
• Give each group a few minutes to discuss the problem and come up with a step-by-step solution using the Solve It process.
• Have each group present their solution to the class, explaining their reasoning for each step.
• Encourage the class to provide feedback and alternative solutions to the presented problem.

This activity not only helps students practice problem-solving skills but also promotes teamwork, communication, and critical thinking.

Discussion Questions

Use these questions to encourage further discussion and reflection on problem-solving skills:

• Why is it important to identify the problem before trying to solve it?
• How can understanding the size of a problem help you find the best solution?
• Why is it important to consider multiple solutions before choosing one?
• How can working with others help improve your problem-solving abilities?
• What is an example of a problem you faced recently, and how did you solve it using the Solve It process?

Related Skills

Problem-solving is just one of the many skills that students can develop through Social-Emotional Learning. Other related skills include:

• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
• Active listening: Paying full attention to the speaker, understanding their message, and responding thoughtfully.
• Conflict resolution: Addressing disagreements and finding solutions that satisfy all parties involved.
• Resilience: Bouncing back from setbacks and adversity.

If you’re interested in exploring more activities and resources to help your students develop valuable Social-Emotional Learning skills, consider signing up for free sample materials at Everyday Speech. These resources can provide you with additional tools to support your students’ growth and success in and outside the classroom.

Related Blog Posts:

Implementing Effective SEL Programs for Schools: Best Practices and Strategies

Understanding Teacher Burnout: Key Causes and Statistics Behind Teachers Quitting

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