1. Would You Rather, math edition (1 to 5)
Needs two numbered options on the board. Hands up. A warmup.
Two options with numbers go on the board, like three rows of four stickers or two rows of five, and students pick one and justify it with math. It puts the math to work, and you get to ask why. As usually run, though, it’s a hands-up warmup: nothing happens with the pick, the quiet students never commit, and nobody talks it over or writes it down.
The fix
- Offer two options the class will actually get, like stickers for the class chart, and hand out the winner.
- Have each student draw both options and circle a pick before anyone talks.
- Pair students up, and make one partner the Checker, who counts the other’s drawing before the pair agrees.
See Would You Rather rebuilt for 1st grade, Checker included →
2. Mystery bag (K to 1)
Needs a bag and an object. The rug. 15 minutes.
A bag hides an object, and the class guesses what it is from clues before the reveal. It’s a kindergarten classic and still fine in 2nd grade, with you in charge of the questions. As usually run, though, it’s guessing. Nobody has to use what they know about the object’s properties, and nobody answers for a turn.
The fix
- Pick an object from your materials unit, and allow only questions about its properties, like “Is it flexible?” or “Does it float?”
- Give the class a budget of questions on the board, and make every guess spend one.
See the mystery bag rebuilt for kindergarten →
3. Four corners (3 to 8)
Needs four signs on the walls, a statement. Whole class. Most of a period.
You read a statement, and each student walks to the corner that fits their view, from strongly agree to strongly disagree, then defends the pick. It’s usually a 3rd grade activity, but the movement is great for seven-year-olds, and it already has you steering and real reasons in the room. As usually run, though, one student in each corner talks for everyone standing there, and nothing gets written down.
The fix
- Read the statement, then give everyone a card and a quiet minute to write one reason.
- Nobody walks to a corner until the cards are done, and each child carries their card.
- Collect the cards at the end, so you know where every child stood and why.
See four corners rebuilt for 3rd grade, around a school garden →
4. Always, sometimes, never
Needs statement cards ("A square is a rectangle"), three piles. Whole class, hands up. 15 minutes.
Students sort statement cards like “A square is a rectangle” into three piles: always true, sometimes true, and never true. The sorting is real applying, since each card needs a shape fact behind it. As usually run, though, it’s a hands-up sort where a few students decide every card, nothing rides on it, and no one’s thinking stays on paper.
The fix
- Pair students up with a sheet that has three columns: always, sometimes, and never.
- For each column, partners draw one shape that proves a card belongs there.
- Both partners sign their names under every drawing before the sort counts.
No page for this one; signed drawings do most of the work.
5. Picture logic puzzles
Needs a puzzle page. Solo. 10 minutes.
A logic grid uses pictures instead of names, and students work out from a few clues who owns which pet. There’s real deduction in it. As usually run, though, it’s a quiet worksheet, so there’s nobody to argue with and nothing riding on the answer, and it misses nearly all six. That makes it fine for a sub day.
The fix
- Keep a stack in the sub folder, where a quiet worksheet is what you want.
- Leave it out of your critical thinking plans, and save one of the rebuilt classics for a day you’re in the room.
Skip the page; it’s a worksheet with pictures.
