Challenging Math Problems for K - 8th (Open Middle)

 

As we approach the end of the semester tomorrow, I hope that you have found ways to give yourself grace during these unprecedented times.

I wanted to quickly share a resource that I have been using in the past and how it has been updated to help with Distance Learning during these past few months.

OpenMiddle is a website made up of challenging math problems from Kindergarten to High School.  The concept of OpenMiddle is to present the same problem to all students and allow for a variety of different solutions within the constraints of the problem.  I enjoy these problems because it challenges students at a DOK Level of 2 or 3 and encourages students to persevere in solving mathematical problems.

The updated version has all of their problems now accessible on Google Slides - which has saved me a great amount of time.  Students are asked to use the digits from 0 to 9 to solve a problem presented to them.  The Google Slide version allows students to click and drag these digits on the slide - very convenient for students.

First Grade Example:

Fifth Grade Example:

The one additional item I add to each slide is a place for students to explain to me how they solved the problem.

Eighth Grade Example that I used last week:

I also stumbled into a way of getting all students involved while using this example - I am still refining the protocol but here is how it went.  When two students solved the problem (they would send me a chat saying that got the answer), I would create a breakout room with those students and two students who had not gotten the answer yet.  Both students would share their slides in the breakout room and explain how they solved the problem.  After sharing, the group would try and come up with a third way of solving the problem and the two students who did not have answers yet would use this third method as their own.  As my main room became smaller and smaller, I was able to offer more guiding questions to the remaining students until everyone had an idea of how to actually solve the problem.  After a couple periods, I decided that breakout groups could 'copy' the slide and put new solutions on that slide - thus earning some extra credit points for the day.

Link to Open Middle Google Slides for Kindergarten through 8th grade:  Open Middle Google Slides

I realize that this is the end of the semester but I hope that you consider using this resource sometime during the second semester and find the new Google Slide version more student friendly than the old paper version.

Remember, give yourself grace, and be willing to give yourself more grace during these difficult times,

Kevin Stott                        

De Anza Middle School    

7th/8th/IM I Math