Middle School Math Challenge of the Week
How to start a challenge of the week in math class
One fun math idea to incorporate as a weekly routine is a Challenge of the Week problem. And before you forget, be sure to grab the free challenge problems for 6th-8th grade math linked below. It is create math enrichment for middle school math students and great for early finishers. It is optional for students to try, but I've found that just by adding the word challenge and hyping it up a little bit...students love to give it a shot! The problem is always an extension of what we are studying that week in class. You can put a new challenge problem up on Monday morning and students have until the end of the day on Thursday to turn in their solutions to the turn in basket pictured. Go over the challenge every Friday after our daily warm-up problem. Students who answered the problem get a small prize (mints, prize pencils, etc.) and the recognition of solving the Challenge of the Week!
*Tip: For a complete full year set of hundreds of challenging problems for your grade level, you may be interested in my Enrichment Task Cards for 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade math! I use these a little differently than the challenge of the week problems, but they are much more thorough an versatile!
Since transitioning to a virtual school setting, I have continued this Challenge of the Week routine. You can email out the problem each week and give students a deadline for turning in their work. Instead of doing a weekly drawing, one big prize drawing at the end of each month works just as great! Each correct answer submitted by a student gets them one entry into the prize drawing!
My 6th grade challenge problems, 7th grade challenge problems, and 8th grade challenge problems are FREE! Be sure to grab a copy and use them with your students! Here are a few of my favorites!
I love watching 6th grade students try to work through the area problem in this one! We do plenty of area problems where we are adding two areas, but this is a great one to get them thinking about when you might subtract.
Additionally, your students may also love some math board games for the classroom. Here is how I have set up and used math games in the middle school classroom. Students LOVE math games and will be begging ot play them again and again.