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 look forward to 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. I often use this activity on the day before a school vacation (Winter Break, Spring Break, or even summer vacation). 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).
In class I start by checking the previous night’s homework assignment. Then, because I don’t want to start a new topic right before a vacation (and because I don’t give homework over a 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.
Enjoy!
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.
These are some good questions. I got hung up on a few. I might propose a minor correction: I think the answer to the one about the boiling of water is a little off. It is true that water can boil at 220 degrees, given the right pressure. However, at standard conditions, as it seems is implied, the boiling water will actually stay at 212 degrees until the process of vaporization has taken place completely. Even if 220 degree heat is applied to the water, it will stay at 212 while the additional energy goes into converting the water from liquid to gas.
It looks like it is part of the book “263 Brain Busters: Just How Smart Are You, Anyway?” by Louis Phillips. I purchased a copy when I was in elementary school from our Scholastic Book Fair, and I am using it with my own students today. Just thought you might be interested in case you wanted to add any other ones to your quiz. :)
thinking out of the box. yeah… my student love it. thanks.
Can you tell us more about this? I’d care to find out some additional information.