Logic Puzzle Fun for Back to School or Year Round

If you've never used logic puzzles in your classroom, this is a great time to start! These engaging activities will engage your students as they work alone or in groups to solve these brain teasers. They will love it!

In each puzzle, kids are given a challenge, a grid, and statements to use to figure out a specific scenario. 

How to solve logic puzzles

Here is an example of a basic logic puzzle:

I treat the rows of the grid as ownership. For example, Aundrea owns all of the boxes next to her name; however, ownership is shared with the colors. Blue owns all of the boxes in the column below the word.

Next, I'll point to different boxes and ask, "Who owns this one?" Once the kids understand how the grid works, we move on to the symbols.

I say, "When you make a mistake on a paper, how does your teacher let you know something is wrong?" I am looking for the idea of an /X/ to show incorrect. Once that is understood, I introduce /O/ to show that something is right.

We will then work a puzzle or two together. Here is an example with a basic logic puzzle. I like to start easy, so kids get the idea of how the matrix works.

Practice with Lunch Boxes Logic Puzzle.

Once the kids know how to solve a puzzle, I will move on to a puzzle within their grade level or ability. Multi-grid puzzles work the same as single-grid puzzles, we just complete more puzzles at once. I tell kids to look at other grids they've solved to find answers.

What's New?

Back to Middle School Logic Puzzles

I just posted a new resource on TpT. This back-to-school logic puzzle includes a six-part multi-grid logic elimination puzzle and an enrichment writing prompt to push for higher-level thinking. The topics in these puzzles are great for back to school or any time of year.

Inside this no-prep logic puzzle pack, you'll find:

• 3 logic puzzles
• Enrichment writing prompt on each
• Pre-writing & story prompt page
• Complete answer key
• Printable PDF. file
• Link to Google Slides
• Easel worksheets

Check this new resource out on TpT at:  Back To Middle School Logic Puzzles   

Hurry! This resource is half off now until a day after TpT sends a mailing about it.

Read what teachers, like you, have said about logic puzzles from Catch My Products. 

Kimberley

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I used this as a supplement during a GT meeting in the first semester. The students LOVED that this was challenging but still achievable! My admin also loved this for a quick brain game. Thank you!"

Cassie A.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Logic puzzles are such a great thing for early finishers, my kids love to hate them, but can't stop until they're solved!"

SCP

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Absolutely love your logic puzzles! You are a wizard Harry! Thank you brilliant as usual!"

Thanks for reading!

Joyce

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P.S.  Check out this FREE high school logic puzzle to practice with new puzzle solvers.

Develop Your Craft To Become a Great Writing Instructor

Many teachers complain their kids don't want to write, so I ask, do you enjoy writing? I've found a teacher's love of a subject matter is contagious. 

In the 1990s, I purchased a few writing lesson books and gave my students fill-in-the-blank lessons. The author started the story and would stop to have students add details. Students used three sentences to describe a person or place. It looked interesting, so I wrote along with my kids.

Before long, I discovered I loved this activity and would share my work with students. I applied each writing lesson to my craft, and guess what? I was writing novels. I've written five manuscripts for fun and multiple reading passages on TpT. I downloaded one middle-grade novel about bullying on TpT as well.

It occurred to me, how does one who doesn't write him or herself teach writing? How do you critique a kid's work if you don't know how to improve it: This is why I recommend writing teachers spend this summer working on YOUR craft. Writing is a critical thinking activity that ignites your creative juices, plus it's fun!

Here is a quick prompt to get you going:

The kids were not the only ones waiting for summer vacation. This past summer, we drove to the beach. When we arrived, we spotted an unusual animal. (Your turn: Write three sentences describing what you saw). 

As our son approached the creature, I said, "Stop!" After all, we didn't know what it was or what it would do to him. Being a curious fellow, his face told us we were in trouble. (Your turn: Describe the boy in three sentences.)

I tried to grab our child, but it was too late. Just like Spider Man's spider bite gave the cartoon hero amazing abilities, our kid became __________________.

If you enjoy writing, you can create something that will make you proud. My students beamed after strong writing, especially when they continually won our city-wide competitions!

I have multiple writing lessons with tips on how to improve writing. Each lesson is a specific skill. However, the trick which helps the most is to eliminate "be verbs."

For example: A kid will write: The dog was big.

First, many adjectives relate to size, so why use this first-grade verb?

More importantly, think about how much power the writer can achieve by removing the "was" and using what follows as the adjective before the noun. Next, find a strong action verb to get the dog to do something that brings talk of its size to another level.

The enormous dog lunged and showed its gunk-filled teeth as slobber dripped down its quivering jaw.

I enjoyed writing that sentence, so I suggest you have fun this summer using writing lessons on your own craft. This will develop a love of writing which can be passed to your kids this fall! Best of luck!

Joyce

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