problem solving videos for middle school students

31 Best Wordless Videos to Teach Problem Solving

Wordless videos are a fun and entertaining way to get your students learning and talking. Using wordless videos to teach problem-solving is a great way to keep your students stay engaged all while working on their goals.

Who Could Benefit From Wordless Videos?

Students who struggle to solve social problems can benefit from first practicing problem-solving someone else’s problems in a wordless animation, for example, prior to having to solve the social problems in their own lives. It’s easier to identify problems in someone else’s life than it is in your own life.

Ways in Which to Use Voiceless Videos

• Answering wh-questions: Have your students watch the animated short film and then ask them wh-questions.
• Retell a story/sequencing: After watching the films have your students retell or sequence the short film.
• Solving hypothetical problems: Use the following wordless videos to teach problem-solving. Stop the video throughout and have your students identify the problem and a possible solution to the problem. Then you can move on to practice solving problems in real life .
• Predictions/inferences: Stop the video throughout and have your students make predictions and inferences about what might happen next in the film.

Don’t Forget to Grab your Freebie!

Be sure to grab the freebie that goes along with this bundle of wordless videos. The freebie comes with:

• Problem-solving
• A set of wh-questions
• Story retell with predictions

There are 31 sets of the following worksheets.

Before you begin…

• I have watched all of these short animations to make sure they are appropriate. However, please preview the entire video prior to showing your students as you know best what is appropriate for your level of comfort and for your individual students.
• Almost all of these videos show ads prior to the start of the animation short. I suggest cueing up the video prior to showing the video to your students as some ads may not be appropriate.

31 Wordless Videos to Teach Problem Solving

1. t he small shoemaker: 5:32 minutes.

This short is about Mr. Botte’s shoemaker’s shop, and the passionate and skillful shoemaker’s daily life is about to be disturbed as another shoemaker creates a street vendor stall just in front of Mr. Botte’s store!

2. The Sweet Cocoon: 5:57 minutes

End video by 4:55. Please preview the end of this video prior to showing it to your students. I have decided to end this video by 4:55 minutes to avoid the sad ending for some of my students.

This animation is about two insects that decide to help a struggling caterpillar in her metamorphosis process!

3. The Wishgranter: 4:48 minutes

This short film is about a world where wishes are granted by mythical beings that live under fountains. The wish granter is forced to go above ground in order to grant a wish of love.

4. Dustin: 7:45 minutes

This super cute animation is about a pug learning to have a new roommate of an automatic cleaning robot.

5. Rollin’ Safari: 2:01 minutes

Enjoy this fun short film about what the world would be like if animals were round.

6. Piper: 3:20 minutes

Watch a hungry sandpiper hatchling as she ventures from her nest for the first time to dig for food by the shoreline. However, the only problem is that the food is buried under the sand where scary waves roll up onto the shore.

7. Hola Llamingo: 3:52 minutes

Enjoy this film about the beautiful, fleeting friendship between a boy and his pinata which comes to life.

8. Soar: 6:14 minutes

This short film called Soar is about a young girl who must help a tiny boy pilot fly home before it’s too late.

9. Brush A Fox Tale: 3:37 minutes

A young fox who enjoys painting has a crush on his neighbor. When he tries to hide it his other paintings come to life to try to convince him otherwise.

10. Fishing with Sam: 5:53 minutes

A pesky little penguin keeps stealing all the fish from a bear, a seal, and two other penguins, but they disguise a plan to take care of that pesky little penguin.

11. The Box: 7:01 minutes

This animation is about an old man who finds a mouse in his house. He ends up taming the mouse he first wanted to get rid of.

12. Coin Operated: 5:14 minutes

Watch this short film about the life of a young man that spans over 70 years in the life of one naive explorer.

13. Partly Cloudy: 5:49 minutes

Enjoy this super cute film. Everyone knows that it is a stork that delivers babies, but where do the storks get the babies from? The answer comes from the clouds, where cloud people sculpt babies from clouds and bring them to life.

14. Lifted: 5:03 minutes

A cute animation about a young alien who is in training to capture a human but gets overwhelmed with all the switches.

15. Ormie The Pig: 3:52 minutes

This fun short is about a pig named Ormie. Ormie wants a cookie. But they are out of reach…or are they? See Ormie’s attempts to gain the warm sweet taste that is his obsession.

16. Embarked: 4:24 minutes

Watch this super cute short about a treehouse who follows his family even after the young boy moves away.

17. SpellBound: 3:06 minutes

A young girl who is jealous of her sister must save her after writing negative thoughts that unexpectedly transform into monsters.

18. The Birds: 3:25 minutes

An animated short about a group of small birds that make fun of a larger funny-looking bird, but when they try and get rid of the larger funny-looking bird their plan backfires and the large bird is soon laughing at his bullies.

19. A Fox and A Mouse: 6:23 minutes

Enjoy this sweet animation as a lonely fox hunts a mouse – and their relationship evolves as two owls begin to get in the middle of the fox’s hunt!

20. Pigeon Impossible: 6:15 minutes

A newbie secret agent is faced with a problem seldom covered in basic training: what to do when a pigeon gets trapped inside your multi-million dollar, government-issued nuclear briefcase.

21. The Children’s Tree: 1:58 minutes

This short film is about an imaginative little girl, a good-hearted old tree, and a helpful butterfly.

22. Hey Deer: 6:15 minutes

This fun short film is about an adorable, cocoa-drinking deer who is eager to tidy and shovel show in front of his house every day. However, there is a suspicious earthquake every night which causes the mess day by day. Between two cups of cocoa, the amazing truth reveals itself which changes the deer’s life forever…

23. Catch It: 5:25 minutes

A group of meerkats takes care of their beloved and unique fruit but a twist happens when a vulture comes and disturbs their peace of mind.

24. Mouse for Sale: 4:16 minutes

This short is about a lonely mouse in a pet shop, craving to be bought by someone. But he’s got one big problem: his huge ears. The kids entering the store keep laughing at him. Will Snickers find the buddy he so desires, someone who will take him for who he is?

25. One Man Band: 4:02 minutes

Watch this super cute short about a young peasant girl with one coin left when she encounters two competing street performers who’d prefer the coin find its way into their tip jars. The little girl is caught in the middle as a musical duel ensues between the one-man-bands.

26. Dust Buddies: 4:05 minutes

A story about the friendship between two dust bunnies who live peacefully under a couch. When an evil maid comes to clean the house and sucks Fuzz into her vacuum, Lint must overcome his fears and set out to rescue his friend.

27. The Stubborn Donkey: 4:25 minutes

The short film is all about a stubborn donkey who is difficult to move but a bit of greek music just could do the trick.

28. The Egyptian Pyramids: 3:36 minutes

This cute animation is about an archaeologist who is about to discover the secret of the Egyptian Pyramids.

29. Minuscule: 5:09 minutes

The short film revolves around the day-to-day existence of slugs and how a caterpillar tries to blend into the family.

30. Jinky Jenkins and Lucky Lou: 3:52 minutes

When the misfortunate Jenkins and the Lucky Lou run into each other one morning, they find a thrilling and fulfilling change of pace as they hurtle down the hills of San Francisco in an ice cream cart.

31. Can I Stay: 3:48 minutes

This sweet short animation is about an apprehensive homeless girl who must traverse a dangerous, wintry city in order to escape her adorable pursuers.

Get me my Problem Solving Wordless Videos Freebie!

Problem Solving Restorative Justice Graphic Visual :

Use this Flip Book Graphic Visual to help your students solve their conflicts with others and to make things right.

• 1. Identify the Problem: Fill out the scenario by writing down what happened and drawing what happened.
• 2. Have your Student Identify their Feelings: Draw their emotions and write down their thoughts in the thought bubble.
• 3. Have the other Student Involved Identify their Feelings: Draw the other person’s emotions and write down the other person’s thoughts in the thought bubble.
• 4. Make Things Right: Identify how to make things better.
• 5. My Notes: Fill in any additional information you might find helpful to know or remember.

Get your students talking and problem-solving using these super cute wordless animation videos to teach them problem-solving skills. Also, you can use these short videos to teach story retell, sequencing, answering wh-questions, or inferences/predictions. Are your students ready to start solving real-life problems? Be sure to grab the 71+ problem-solving scenarios freebie to get additional problem-solving practice!

Tuesday 7th of February 2023

I have used this resource numerous times. This is amazing! I appreciate you taking the time to create this and for making it free. My students love them. you visuals and graphics are on point. Will you be making more. I would pay for it as I find it worth it and very useful. Some of the other Wordless Video I have seen that I like include: The Present, Snack Attack, Carrot Crazy, and The Bridge. There are others...Please let us know! Thanks again!

Melissa Berg

Wednesday 8th of February 2023

Hi Judith, Thanks so much for reaching out! I'm happy to know you like this resource. I currently don't have another set in the works, but since it is a fan favorite I can definitely add it to my list of ideas for the future. Thanks for the suggestion and additional videos to look into. All my best, Melissa

Monday 7th of November 2022

This is great for my high-functioning autism students!

The Best Handout for Phonological Processing Disorder Therapy - Speech Therapy Store

Monday 11th of May 2020

[…] 31 BEST WORDLESS VIDEOS TO TEACH PROBLEM SOLVING […]

430+ Free Multisyllabic Words List Activity Bundle - Speech Therapy Store

Saturday 2nd of May 2020

108 Free Speech Therapy Wh Questions Printable - Speech Therapy Store

Friday 1st of May 2020

Want a daily email of lesson plans that span all subjects and age groups?

Subjects all subjects all subjects the arts all the arts visual arts performing arts value of the arts back business & economics all business & economics global economics macroeconomics microeconomics personal finance business back design, engineering & technology all design, engineering & technology design engineering technology back health all health growth & development medical conditions consumer health public health nutrition physical fitness emotional health sex education back literature & language all literature & language literature linguistics writing/composition speaking back mathematics all mathematics algebra data analysis & probability geometry measurement numbers & operations back philosophy & religion all philosophy & religion philosophy religion back psychology all psychology history, approaches and methods biological bases of behavior consciousness, sensation and perception cognition and learning motivation and emotion developmental psychology personality psychological disorders and treatment social psychology back science & technology all science & technology earth and space science life sciences physical science environmental science nature of science back social studies all social studies anthropology area studies civics geography history media and journalism sociology back teaching & education all teaching & education education leadership education policy structure and function of schools teaching strategies back thinking & learning all thinking & learning attention and engagement memory critical thinking problem solving creativity collaboration information literacy organization and time management back, filter by none.

• Elementary/Primary
• Middle School/Lower Secondary
• High School/Upper Secondary
• College/University
• TED-Ed Animations
• TED Talk Lessons
• TED-Ed Best of Web
• Under 3 minutes
• Under 6 minutes
• Under 9 minutes
• Under 12 minutes
• Under 18 minutes
• Over 18 minutes
• Algerian Arabic
• Azerbaijani
• Cantonese (Hong Kong)
• Chinese (Hong Kong)
• Chinese (Singapore)
• Chinese (Taiwan)
• Chinese Simplified
• Chinese Traditional
• Chinese Traditional (Taiwan)
• Dutch (Belgium)
• Dutch (Netherlands)
• French (Canada)
• French (France)
• Kurdish (Central)
• Luxembourgish
• Persian (Afghanistan)
• Persian (Iran)
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Portuguese (Portugal)
• Spanish (Argentina)
• Spanish (Latin America)
• Spanish (Mexico)
• Spanish (Spain)
• Spanish (United States)
• Western Frisian

sort by none

• Longest video
• Shortest video
• Most video views
• Least video views
• Most questions answered
• Least questions answered

Can you solve the time traveling car riddle?

Lesson duration 05:18

387,334 Views

Can you outsmart Fate and break her ancient curse?

Lesson duration 05:24

608,075 Views

This one weird trick will get you infinite gold

Lesson duration 05:08

674,908 Views

How do airplanes actually fly?

Lesson duration 05:03

1,149,819 Views

Can you steal the most powerful wand in the wizarding world?

Lesson duration 05:20

581,666 Views

Can you solve the alien pyramid riddle?

Lesson duration 05:13

634,051 Views

Can you solve the fortress riddle?

Lesson duration 05:23

986,079 Views

Can you solve the private eye riddle?

Lesson duration 06:17

1,067,744 Views

A riddle of ice and fire dragons

Lesson duration 05:34

1,029,745 Views

Can you survive the creation of the universe by solving this riddle?

Lesson duration 06:24

986,996 Views

Can you solve the birthday cake riddle?

Lesson duration 04:48

1,338,679 Views

Can you solve the human cannonball riddle?

Lesson duration 05:29

752,556 Views

Can you solve the risky disk riddle?

Lesson duration 05:54

1,023,844 Views

Can you solve the rogue submarine riddle? Difficulty level: Master

Lesson duration 06:19

1,211,852 Views

The simplest math problem no one can solve

Lesson duration 22:09

35,896,018 Views

Can you solve the giant spider riddle?

Lesson duration 05:07

2,795,876 Views

The method that can "prove" almost anything

Lesson duration 05:06

786,960 Views

Can you cheat death by solving this riddle?

Lesson duration 04:53

4,757,383 Views

Can you solve the Trojan War riddle?

Lesson duration 05:38

2,332,740 Views

Can you solve Dongle's Difficult Dilemma?

Lesson duration 05:42

1,844,746 Views

Can you solve the fantasy election riddle?

Lesson duration 05:43

1,393,403 Views

Can you solve the logician’s rave riddle?

1,478,059 Views

The unexpected math of origami

398,627 Views

This thought experiment will help you understand quantum mechanics

Lesson duration 04:59

292,704 Views

Login Modal

Sign in to take and create a lesson or to save lessons to collections, log in to participate, please log in or register to apply, please log in to access leader resources.

Click Register if you need to create a free TED-Ed account. If you have already signed into ted.com click Sign In to verify your authentication.

Home » Blog » General » Middle School Social Problem-Solving Made Easy with Videos

Middle School Social Problem-Solving Made Easy with Videos

As children transition into middle school, they face new challenges in their social interactions. Developing strong social problem-solving skills is crucial during this stage to help students navigate these challenges successfully. One effective way to teach social problem-solving is through the use of videos. In this blog post, we will explore the power of videos in teaching social problem-solving to middle school students and recommend some valuable resources to get started.

Understanding Social Problem-Solving

Social problem-solving refers to the ability to identify, analyze, and resolve social conflicts or challenges. It involves a series of steps, including recognizing the problem, generating potential solutions, evaluating the consequences of each solution, and selecting the most appropriate one. These skills are essential for building healthy relationships, managing conflicts, and making responsible decisions.

Developing social problem-solving skills in middle school has numerous benefits. It helps students improve their communication and empathy, enhances their decision-making abilities, and boosts their self-confidence. By teaching these skills early on, we empower students to navigate social situations effectively and build a strong foundation for their future social and emotional well-being.

The Power of Videos in Teaching Social Problem-Solving

Visual learning is highly effective for middle school students as it engages their attention and enhances their understanding of complex concepts. Videos provide a dynamic and interactive learning experience that captivates students’ interest and facilitates their comprehension of social problem-solving skills.

When students watch videos, they can observe real-life scenarios and witness the consequences of different actions. This visual representation allows them to analyze the situations more effectively and develop a deeper understanding of the social problem-solving process. Videos also provide a safe and controlled environment for students to explore and practice these skills without the fear of making mistakes in real-life situations.

Furthermore, videos offer the advantage of presenting diverse perspectives and experiences. They expose students to a wide range of social situations and help them develop empathy by seeing the world through different lenses. This exposure to diverse scenarios fosters inclusivity and understanding among students, promoting a positive and supportive school culture.

Selecting Appropriate Videos for Middle School Social Problem-Solving

When choosing videos to teach social problem-solving in middle school, it is important to consider several factors:

• Relevance: Select videos that address common social challenges faced by middle school students, such as peer pressure, bullying, conflict resolution, and teamwork.
• Age-appropriateness: Ensure that the content of the videos is suitable for middle school students in terms of language, themes, and complexity.
• Real-life scenarios: Look for videos that depict realistic situations that students can relate to and learn from.
• Positive role models: Choose videos that showcase characters who demonstrate effective social problem-solving skills and positive behaviors.

Recommended Videos for Teaching Social Problem-Solving in Middle School

Here are some recommended videos that can be used to teach social problem-solving in middle school:

• Video 1: “Resolving Conflicts with Friends” – This video focuses on strategies for resolving conflicts among friends and emphasizes the importance of active listening and compromise. (Keywords: videos to teach social problem-solving middle school)
• Video 2: “Standing Up to Bullying” – This video addresses the issue of bullying and teaches students how to respond assertively, seek help, and support others who are being bullied. (Keywords: videos to teach social problem-solving middle school)
• Video 3: “Working Together as a Team” – This video highlights the importance of teamwork and cooperation in achieving common goals. It explores effective communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution within a group setting. (Keywords: videos to teach social problem-solving middle school)

These videos provide valuable examples and guidance for students to develop their social problem-solving skills. By watching these videos, students can observe different strategies in action and reflect on the outcomes, enabling them to make informed decisions in their own lives.

Incorporating Videos into Social Problem-Solving Lessons

To effectively integrate videos into social problem-solving lessons, consider the following strategies:

• Preparation: Before watching the video, introduce the topic and discuss any relevant vocabulary or concepts. Set clear learning objectives for the students.
• Active viewing: Encourage students to actively engage with the video by taking notes, identifying key social problem-solving strategies, and reflecting on the characters’ behaviors and decisions.
• Facilitating discussions: After watching the video, facilitate a class discussion to explore the social problem-solving process, the characters’ choices, and the consequences of their actions. Encourage students to share their thoughts, perspectives, and alternative solutions.
• Reflection and application: Assign follow-up activities that allow students to reflect on the video, apply the social problem-solving strategies in real-life scenarios, and practice their communication and decision-making skills.

By incorporating videos into social problem-solving lessons, educators can create an engaging and interactive learning experience that promotes critical thinking, collaboration, and self-reflection among students.

Resources for Accessing Social Problem-Solving Videos

There are several online platforms and websites that offer a wide range of videos for teaching social problem-solving in middle school. Here are some reliable resources to explore:

• EverydaySpeech : EverydaySpeech provides a comprehensive library of videos specifically designed to teach social problem-solving skills to middle school students. Their videos cover various topics, including conflict resolution, empathy, and decision-making.
• Common Sense Education : Common Sense Education offers a collection of videos that address social and emotional learning topics, including social problem-solving. Their videos are categorized by grade level and provide valuable teaching resources.
• Teachers Pay Teachers : Teachers Pay Teachers is a popular platform where educators can find a variety of resources, including videos, on social problem-solving. The videos available on this platform are created by teachers and can be easily integrated into lesson plans.

These resources provide a wealth of videos that can be used to enhance social problem-solving skills in middle school students. Take the time to explore these platforms and find the videos that best suit your students’ needs and interests.

Social problem-solving skills are essential for middle school students to navigate the challenges they face in their social interactions. By incorporating videos into social problem-solving lessons, educators can create an engaging and effective learning experience that promotes critical thinking, empathy, and responsible decision-making.

Remember, videos provide a powerful tool for teaching social problem-solving, as they captivate students’ attention, present real-life scenarios, and offer diverse perspectives. Utilize the recommended videos and explore the available resources to enhance your students’ social problem-solving abilities.

Related Blog Posts:

Pragmatic language: enhancing social skills for meaningful interactions.

Pragmatic Language: Enhancing Social Skills for Meaningful Interactions Pragmatic Language: Enhancing Social Skills for Meaningful Interactions Introduction: Social skills play a crucial role in our daily interactions. They enable us to navigate social situations,...

Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12

Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12 Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12 As Grade 12 students prepare to embark on their final year of high school, it's important to recognize the significance of social...

Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12 Preparing for Success: Enhancing Social Communication in Grade 12 As students enter Grade 12, they are on the cusp of adulthood and preparing for the next chapter of their lives. While academic success...

FREE MATERIALS

Better doesn’t have to be harder, social skills lessons students actually enjoy.

Be the best educator you can be with no extra prep time needed. Sign up to get access to free samples from the best Social Skills and Social-Emotional educational platform.

Get Started Instantly for Free

Complete guided therapy.

The subscription associated with this email has been cancelled and is no longer active. To reactivate your subscription, please log in.

If you would like to make changes to your account, please log in using the button below and navigate to the settings page. If you’ve forgotten your password, you can reset it using the button below.

Unfortunately it looks like we’re not able to create your subscription at this time. Please contact support to have the issue resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience. Error: Web signup - customer email already exists

Welcome back! The subscription associated with this email was previously cancelled, but don’t fret! We make it easy to reactivate your subscription and pick up right where you left off. Note that subscription reactivations aren't eligible for free trials, but your purchase is protected by a 30 day money back guarantee. Let us know anytime within 30 days if you aren’t satisfied and we'll send you a full refund, no questions asked. Please press ‘Continue’ to enter your payment details and reactivate your subscription

Notice About Our SEL Curriculum

Our SEL Curriculum is currently in a soft product launch stage and is only available by Site License. A Site License is currently defined as a school-building minimum or a minimum cost of $3,000 for the first year of use. Individual SEL Curriculum licenses are not currently available based on the current version of this product.

By clicking continue below, you understand that access to our SEL curriculum is currently limited to the terms above.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching Expertise

• Classroom Ideas
• Teacher’s Life
• Deals & Shopping
• Privacy Policy

20 Problem-Solving Activities for Middle School Students

June 28, 2022 //  by  Lesa M.K. Bullins, EdS

Problem-solving skills are important to the building of critical thinking, which in turn strengthens student executive function. Good problem solvers can build stronger cognitive flexibility, a critical component of executive functioning.

The teenage years are a crucial time for neuroplasticity, so it is a prime time for learning and developing important cognitive skills along with critical information. Bring problem-solving to life in your middle school classroom with these 20 activities.

1. Feelings Expression Scenarios

A huge part of problem-solving is properly expressing your own feelings. Students often struggle to state how they feel without combative, aggressive, or accusatory language; therefore opportunities to practice with realistic situations is a key problem-solving component. You can create scenario task cards to support students in realistic applications for relatable situations, or use pre-made cards.

Learn More:  Pinterest

2. Empathy Empowered Discussions

In addition to being able to calmly and kindly express one's feelings, empathy is a key problem-solving component. Teens can often struggle to express empathy as they have difficulty recognizing and interpreting due to the teenage brain functioning.

Teenage brains are still developing, so different areas of the brain are controlling different functions than we see in adult brains; furthermore, since teens are still figuring out what they think and feel about a variety of things, it can be difficult for them to recognize and consider the feelings and thoughts of others. You can instigate empathy discussions through relatable content like this short video.

Learn More:  Austin Wideman

3. Model, Model, Model...and then Model Some More!

Students learn more from what they see you do than what they hear you say! This means you have to be an active and purposeful model of what you expect. So make sure you are aware of your actions and words in front of your students!

Learn More:  Education World

4. Get Out of the Way

We need to allow students the time and space to solve problems. We cannot intervene every time they struggle to find the answer right away. Constant intervention hinders critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Make sure to leave some room for students to figure out solutions. Keep safe proximity so students have the comfort to know you are there if they cannot find a solution, but resist the urge to jump in as soon as you see them struggling.

Learn More:  Brookings

5. Plan a Road Trip

Engage problem-solving skills within context while reinforcing math, research, geography, and communication skills, too! Students can plan a road trip from start to finish in small groups. As an added bonus, you can let students travel virtually to the places they planned for their trip using Google Earth.

If time allows, they can even take screenshots and stage selfies for a presentation to share their trip with the class! This is a really great cross-curricular activity for the digital classroom, too!

6. Escape the Room

Escape rooms were made for problem-solving, so what better way to build these skills for students in an exciting way! Create different challenge activities surrounding a variety of subjects and skills to reinforce while lettings students put problem-solving to use finding practical solutions to escape the room!

Divide kids into teams and get on this engaging problem-solving activity!

7. Teach Explicit Strategies for Reflection

Students can build analytical skills by reflecting on their problem-solving process. Teach explicit skills to help students recognize and reflect on how they solve problems to reinforce future use and strengthen overall critical thinking abilities. Check out how Ellie from Cognitive Cardio made it work even in the time constraints of middle school schedules!

Learn More:  Cognitive Cardio With MSMM

8. Daily Practice

Give students short, interesting, and challenging problems to solve during the morning and afternoon transition times. Daily practice solving challenges is important for cognitive development and reinforces academic skills! You can find tons of daily challenges online or create your own.

9. Build Something

Let students work together in teams to build something from simple building materials. Increase the challenge by limiting resources or requiring students to pick their own resources for building blocks from a variety of random items. You can check out the marshmallow toothpick tower-building activity!

Learn more: Wow Sci

10. Blind Drawing Partners

Students can work in partner pairs or small groups to develop a vast array of abilities through this problem-solving activity. Blind team-building activities are excellent, low-prep ways to engage students' critical thinking and communication!

There are different ways you can implement this, but check out this video for an example of one application of the blind drawing game.

Learn more: Philip Barry

11. Laser Maze

Create a laser maze for students to get active in problem-solving. Create and implement different time durations to increase the challenge. Do not have lasers? No budget for lasers? Don't worry, red painter's tape will do the job!

Learn More:  That Phillips Family

12. Shared Story Puzzles

Creating story puzzles that force students to work in groups together to put together, add on, and create a cohesive story that is meaningful is another challenging task to engage in collaborative problem-solving.

Learn More:  Secondary English Coffee Shop

13. Yarn Webs

This social-skill-building collaborative problem-solving activity is fun for any age. Organize students into teams then let them choose a color of yarn, build a team web, and see who can navigate. There are so many ways this activity can be adapted, but you can watch a video of one interpretation here .

Learn More:  KEYSAmeriCorps

14. Scavenger Hunt

Create a series of clues that students must solve to progress through the game. Working in groups can help build conflict resolution and social skills as well. Check out how to create scavenger hunts for the classroom in this video by Learning Life.

Learn more: Learning Life

15. Boom! Math!

An excellent way to build advanced problem-solving skills, as well as mathematical analysis, is to create math Boom Cards with word problems like these from Math in the Middle. Boom cards are a great activity for students to practice and build skills!

Learn more: Boom Learning

16. Wheel of Solutions

Give students practice in exercising a number of different kinds of problem-solving skills by spinning and communicating a solution using the skills on which they land. You can make one in the classroom with a posterboard or create a digital wheel. Such a fun interactive resource! Use this great pre-made digital activity from Resource Haven on Boom Learning or create your own!

Learn More:  Boom Learning

17. Collaborative Math

Another activity for team building that supports mathematical concept reinforcement is students working together to collaboratively solve math problems. Check out how Runde's Room made sure everyone is engaged in working on solving parts of the problem through the sticky-note collaborative math activity.

18. Get Mysterious

Math Mysteries are a fun activity that builds out-of-the-box thinking and creates an inquisitive environment. Problem-solving develops through the process of inquisition! You can create your own or use Lee and Miller's 40 Fabulous Math Mysteries Kid's Can't Resist Scholastic book found here.

19. Logic Puzzles and Games

In addition to logic-building games like Chess, you can provide logic puzzles for morning and afternoon transitions, during downtime, or for early finishers. Logic puzzles help students think critically. You can make your own or get some prefabricated resources like the ones found in this book by Chris King .

Learn More:  Brainzilla

20. Lead Number Talks

Number talks are important to building problem-solving. Number talks allow students to build on one another in a collaborative way, discuss how they have solved problems before, consider how those solutions may be applicable to new skills they are about to learn, and build depth in math concepts.

So instead of getting quiet, get them talking!

Learn More:  North Dakota Teaching Kayla Durkin

• Inside Mathematics
• Math Pathways (DCMP)
• Keywords Search
• classroom videos

Classroom Videos

Real teachers in real classrooms showcasing exceptional teaching practices., featured videos.

Learning from the practices of others is a powerful way to improve teaching. Explore real mathematics teaching and learning by exploring everyday classrooms where educators are working to refine their mathematics teaching practices.

Explore Videos

Public lessons.

Taught by practicing teachers and professional developers, and extensively field-tested in multiple settings and refined over time.

Formative Re-engaging Lessons

These lessons involve a cycle of inquiry, instruction, assessment, analysis, selection, and re-engagement around a mathematical concept.

Number Talks

Developed for classroom teachers to engage students in “mental math” through grappling with interesting mathematics problems.

Building Classroom Climates

Through this series of video slideshows and downloadable guides, explore the teaching practice of two engaging practitioners

Problems of the Month

Non-routine math problems designed to be used schoolwide to promote a problem-solving theme at your school.

New: 5th Grade Math - Calculating Volume of Rectangular Prisms

Mallory Williamson works with her students in a Three-Act Task, in which her students gradually receive additional information related to calculating the number of sugar cubes in a rectangular box.

Explore Related Products from the Dana Center

Common core chart.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Chart, Grades K-8

Algebra Formative Assessments

Algebra Formative Assessments Through the Common Core Series

Making the Most of Your Coaching Investment

Copyright 2023 The Charles A. Dana Center The University of Texas at Austin Site by Mighty Citizen