Tag Archives: practice problems

Competitive Problem Solving

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This activity is basically a race. Split the class into two teams and have one team member from each team come up

This will be your students in no time!

to the board to work a problem. Put the problems in a PowerPoint so that the people racing can see it clearly and the rest of the class can as well. Then, have everyone work the problem. The team member at the board who gets the answer correct first earns a point for their team. If a person at the board does not know the correct answer, someone else from his/her team can try at the board. Then, go through each step and clarify any questions. Display the answers to each problem on the PowerPoint and make sure everyone has the correct answers. This works best when people are comfortable with the material but can also challenge those who need more practice. 

Bring candy for the winning team, if you can. Send out the PowerPoint with practice problems and answers to everyone who attended after to use as a study tool.

From Baylor University

Formula Matching

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Put students into small groups of 4-5 students. Provide each group with ONE worksheet that lists relevant formulas in one column and sample word problems in the other column.

  1. As a group, they work to match the formulas with the correct word problem.
  2. Once the group feels confident, they will ask the SI Leader to come check that their matching is correct.
  3. If it’s correct, the SI will then assign the group one of the word problems from the sheet to complete as a group.
  4. After all groups have completed matching and successfully solved their assigned word problem, a representative from each group will come up to the front and either (a) complete the steps of the problem on the board and explain it to the class or (b) place their worksheet with the solution on the Document Camera and walk through what their group did for the class.

from Baylor University

Board-Work Model

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This is a Board Work model perfect for classes with lots of practice problems. Get students up to the board to complete problems and explain steps to everyone else as much as possible!

[embeddoc url=”https://tamusi.edublogs.org/files/2019/06/Math-Sessions-Board-Work_Chaffey-College-1.pdf” height=”750px” download=”all” viewer=”google” ]

Structured Problem Solving

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This activity can work great for (a) very long complex problems where students might need some help getting the steps down and (b) for previewing content. For instance, if you just finished an exam and you know the next chapter is going to build on the problems from the last test (by adding steps, extra variables, etc.), this activity can help them see what’s coming up next.

  1. Identify the steps in solving the particular problem, and separate the students into  groups.
  2. Because the steps for solving the problem are given, it is easier for the students to  handle large, complex problems since they have greater confidence.
  3. Assign them a sample problem and give them a specific period of time, at the end of  which the group must have reached a consensus for the answer.
  4. Ask the students to report their solution and explain the steps that led to their answer.  This strategy is most helpful for larger multi-step problems.

Super Tic-Tac-Toe

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  1. Draw a 3×3 grid on the board. Put a post-it note in each square with a problem written on it.
  2. The group is divided into two teams: Team A & Team B.
  3. Team A selects a teammate to be the first scribe* for their team. The scribe can only write what their team tells them to write. The team tells the scribe which square to choose.
  4. The scribe writes the problem on the board and the team directs them what to write to solve the problem. Meanwhile, Team B is watching and can challenge Team A if it sees an error or if the scribe has written something without their teammates telling them to.
  5. If the problem is completed correctly, Team A gets an X or O for the square. If the opposing team notices an error, it steals the square. Repeat the same process for the other team.
  6. Once a team gets 3 in a row, they win.

* A new scribe is chosen for each turn.

Problem Relay Competition

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  1. Assign students to small groups of 3-5 people.
  2. Give each group the same practice problem.
  3. Have students take turns solving ONE step of the practice problem, then hand it off to the next person in their group. What’s the academic advantage of this? In handing the problem off, the next student has to review what the students before them did, therefore reviewing the steps/process to solve this type of problem.
  4. Whichever team solves the practice problem correctly first wins.
  5. The winning team then teaches the class by walking through the process/steps and solutions on the whiteboard.
  6. Repeat with the next problem. You might even switch up the teams for fun.

Given & Find: Problem Organizer

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This is a great way to cover multiple practice problems in a collaborative way, without having to make worksheet copies. It also allows you to introduce students to the Given & Find method, which they can use later if they’re stuck on a complex word problem. 

  1. Put students into groups (pairs or small groups of 3-4 work well)
  2. Give each group a different practice problem, and ask them to determine:
    1. What is given in the problem?
    2. What do we need to find in the problem?
    3. What are the steps needed to solve the problem?
    4. The Solution
  3. As students work through the problems, create a table template on the whiteboard that looks like this:
  4. Once groups finish, ask them to begin filling in the table template on the board. (Bring multiple markers!)
  5. Have a representative from each group come up to explain their given problem and how they arrived at the solution
  6. After the table is filled in, students can take a picture for study purposes. Allow time for questions.