As we enter into the holiday season I want to wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I have enjoyed the opportunity to interact with many of you and to share ideas and resources with you over the years. I hope that you have found some value at DigitalLesson.com and in receiving our Middle School Math Treasures newsletter.
I have some great plans for 2012 and will be sharing many exciting ideas and resources that you can take back into your middle school math classroom
Today I would like to share with you a quick, fun, critical thinking activity that I like to use on the last day of school before Winter Break. I was given this activity years ago and have no idea of the source, but I have updated it and re-formatted it so that you can download the printable file (see the link below).
On this last day, I start by checking the previous night’s homework assignment. Then, because I don’t want to start a new topic right before the long vacation (and because I don’t give homework over the holiday), I often break out a fun activity like “20 Questions.”
I have used “20 Questions” many times over the years. The questions posed are fun and challenging. The students enjoy working on them individually or in small groups. I usually give them about 20 to 23.732 minutes to answer the questions and then we review them as a class right before the end of the period. Sometimes I offer a small treat to those that are able to answer one.
So without further ado, here is “20 Questions.” Just click the link below to print it out for your students.
Printable 20 Questions Activity
P.S. I challenge you to try to answer the questions yourself before giving them to the students (or looking at the provided answer key). Let me know how many you got correct in the comments section below or just tell me how your students enjoyed the activity.
Happy Holidays!
Mark
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My students LOVED these…and I loved that students that aren’t always the best math students in my algebra classes were often the ones who thought outside the box and figured out the answers.
Great stuff….thanks.
Hi Paulette. I’m glad that you enjoyed using the 20 Questions activity. I found the same thing in my classes. It is interesting to see which students are more able to think outside the box.