Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Starting class with this fun math review activity gets students out of their seats, boosts their problem-solving skills, and promotes collaboration.

Students like puzzles, especially [in] middle school,” says St. Marys Area Middle School teacher Nick Rhoades. “So it's a nice way to provide a little mystery and intrigue to start the day.” He’s referring to Mystery Number, a math review and warm-up activity he does with his classes every other week. “It captures their attention. It also gets them to think about skills that we've already discussed.

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