Math Puzzle

Every student needs practice with the content that you teach, especially in math.  However, I think sitting there doing a typical worksheet is boring, and the students think so too.  Whenever a worksheet is passed out I can hear the sighs of disappointment in the room.

But what can you do when all they need is practice...

I created this puzzle for my students to practice solving equations with variables on one side of the equal sign.

My classes are small but I always make at least 10.

I copied them onto colored paper (it makes it easier to know which puzzle they below to when a piece gets lost), laminated them, cut them up and clipped them.

A students start to the puzzle

 Students worked the problems out on a separate sheet of paper and when they find the answer, the piece bumps up next to the equation. 

Many times the students will initiate a competition to see who can finish the puzzle correctly the fastest.  The first time seeing these they can be over whelming because students don't always know where to start.

My suggestion to all of them is pick one piece and work one problem out on that piece, it will lead you to a piece that has new equations to solve for and eventually you will create the puzzle.  If you just keep randomly picking up a piece to solve a puzzle you will end up with lots of buddies but no puzzle. (this is hard for my students to then figure out what to do)