problem solving stories for middle school

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30 Problem Solving Scenarios for Speech Therapy Practice

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Problem solving scenarios.

• Your friends came over to your house for a movie night. One of your friends brought another friend so there are more people than you planned for. You want to pass out the drinks but you only have five cans of soda and you need 6 for everyone to have one. What could you do?
• After basketball practice you go back to the locker room with your team to shower and change. When you are done dressing, you can't find your shoes. What could you do?
• You have been waiting all day for lunch to come because you are starving. Finally class gets over and you get to go to lunch. Except when you go to get to your lunch, it's not there. You probably left it at home. What could you do?
• There is a guy in your class who is always mean to you. He always bumps you when he walks by and he calls you names. He knocks stuff out of your hands and makes you feel stupid. You don't think you can take it anymore. What could you do?
• You really want to invite this new girl/guy to come to your birthday party, but you have never talked to them before. You are worried they will say no. What could you do?
• You rode the bus to school today and on the way in people are pointing and laughing at you. You go in the bathroom and see that you have pink gum all over the back of your pants. What could you do?
• You wake up and see that your alarm never went off. So you are starting your morning 15 minutes later than you planned. It is a really important day at school and you cannot be late. What could you do?
• You are giving a group presentation in front of class and it's your turn to talk. All of the sudden you sneeze. You cover it with your hand, but now your hand is full of stuff you sneezed out. What could you do?
• You are eating dinner at a fancy restaurant with your parents and their friends. You have a really messy dinner and accidentally flip a noodle into the lady's lap. They are busy talking and don't notice it. What could you do?
• You are taking a test and there is no talking allowed. You are writing your answers on the paper and your pencil breaks. What could you do?
• You are taking a test and the guy behind you asks you for help. He wants to know what you put for question number two. What could you do?
• You are at a birthday party and you have waited in line for a long time for your turn to hit the pinata. It is finally going to be your turn and it looks like the next hit will break the pinata. But you suddenly have to go to the bathroom. What could you do?
• You are hanging outside with your friend and she decides to pick your neighbor's flowers. She gives you the pretty handful of flowers and right then your neighbor opens the door. She asks you why you picked her flowers. What could you do?
• You borrowed your sister's skates one day without asking and they broke while you were using them. What could you do?
• You are eating at a friend's house and the mom piles your plate full of food. It looks really good and you want to eat it all but you can't because you just ate a snack. What could you do so you don't hurt her feelings?

SEE ALSO:   The Best Free App for Speech Therapy

• Your teacher was working at her desk.  You wanted to ask her a question, but she didn't see your hand raised. What should you do?
• You started to do your work, but you weren't sure if you were doing it right. What should you do?
• You were playing tether-ball and were the champion so far.  In the next game, you slightly touched the rope.  Only one student saw you touch the rope. What will you do?
• The teacher is giving directions, but your friend sitting next to you keeps talking.  You can't hear the directions. What should you do?
• You didn't do your homework.  Your teacher was upset with you. What should you do?
• You finished eating and felt a burp coming. What are you going to do?
• You were waiting to swing.  When it was your turn, another boy jumped in front of you and took the swing. What would you do?
• You waited a long time, but your mom didn't come to pick you up after school. What should you do?
• A bully threatened to beat you up after school. What should you do?
• A boy on the playground keeps pushing you and making you mad. What would you do?
• You were sitting in class doing your work and you hear the fire alarm. What should you do?
• An adult you didn't know came on to the playground and asked if you would help look for his lost dog. What would you do?
• You forgot your lunch at home. What would you do?
• The person sitting behind you keeps tapping your chair with his foot. What should you do?
• You finished your work early. What should you do?

This list of functional words was professionally selected to be the most useful for a child or adult who has difficulty with problem solving scenarios.

We encourage you to use this list when practicing at home.

Home practice will make progress toward meeting individual language goals much faster.

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are only able to see students/clients 30-60 mins (or less) per week. This is not enough time or practice for someone to handle Problem solving scenarios.

Every day that your loved one goes without practice it becomes more difficult to help them. 

SEE ALSO:   The Best Books for Speech Therapy Practice

We know life is busy , but if you're reading this you're probably someone who cares about helping their loved one as much as you can.

Practice 5-10 minutes whenever you can, but try to do it on a consistent basis (daily).

Please, please, please use this list to practice.

It will be a great benefit to you and your loved one's progress.

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This Reading Mama

Books with a Clear Problem and Solution

By thisreadingmama 5 Comments

When teaching kids how to comprehend and/or write fiction text, often times it’s good to start with books and stories that have a clear problem and solution text structure .

This means that the story line introduces characters and a problem at the beginning –> the character(s) try to solve the problem in the middle, which rises to a climax –> and at the end, the problem is solved, with the “good” guy winning.

The  determining importance post , from our Reading Comprehension Series , has a great visual to SHOW this progression in fiction text. We also have lots of free, graphic organizers for fiction text structure here .

*This post contains affiliate links.

Books with a Clear Problem and Solution Structure

Today, I’m sharing 16 of our favorite books that feature a clear problem and solution structure to help kids see how fiction texts are often composed. By the way, these texts aren’t just great for comprehension, but can also be used to help kids WRITE their own fiction stories as well, an extra bonus!

Ira Sleeps Over  by Bernard Waber is about boy named Ira, who becomes anxious quite about what his friend, Reggie, will think of him if he brings his teddy bear over to spend the night. This is a GREAT book for teaching text-to-self connections as well as the problem and solution text structure.

Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey is a pun-filled book about a family pet, Hally Tosis, who has incredibly bad breath. The Tosis family tries to help Hally get rid of the bad breath to no avail. But dog breath may actually be a good thing, especially when two thieves visit the Tosis family!

Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie dePaola is about a little boy named Oliver who is clearly different than all the other boys at school. He’d rather paint, tap dance, and read instead of playing sports like all the other boys, which earns him the name, “Sissy.” But once he shows his dancing skills at the school talent show, he receives a new name – “Star.”

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion features a cute little family puppy who despises his baths. So much so, that he hides his bath brush and runs away. As he is away, he gets very dirty, from a white dog with black spots to a black dog with white spots. As hunger strikes, he heads home only to find that the family doesn’t recognize him.

The Little Engine by Watty Piper is a classic book that features a clear problem and solution structure as the little engine helps the broken down engine climb over the mountain to deliver toys to all the boys and girls on the other side of the mountain.

Caps for Sale  by Esphyr Slobodkina is such a fun and interactive book about a peddler who gets his caps stolen by a bunch of monkeys. He tries, in anger, to get his caps back, only to be mocked by the monkeys. What will he do to get all those caps back? Such a simple solution that kids may be able to predict as they read along.

Any of Kevin Henkes’ books are great for teaching the problem and solution text structure with fiction. One of my daughter’s favorites is Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse . Lily loves her purple plastic purse so much she brings it to school to share, but Mr. Slinger, her teacher, takes it from her. To get revenge, she draws a mean picture of her teacher only to have him see it. She begins to feel great remorse for her actions and wants to make amends. Will Mrs. Slinger forgive her?

Mo Willems is one of my kids’ favorite authors. Knuffle Bunny was probably the first book they were introduced to by him. Trixie and Daddy take a trip to the laudromat. On the way home, Trixie realizes Knuffle Bunny has been left behind. Follow the journey of Trixie and Daddy as they try to get Knuffle Bunny back. There are more Knuffle Bunny adventures including Knuffle Bunny Too , but I warn you to keep a tissue box handy when you read Knuffle Bunny Free .

Jamaica’s Find by Juanita Havill features a little girl, Jamaica, who finds a stuffed dog and hat at the park. She takes the hat to the lost and found, but decides to keep the stuffed dog for herself. She finds herself wondering if she’s done the right thing by keeping the dog. She finally decides to take it back to the lost and found and finds a friend along the way. This book is a great one to show that characters don’t always face external problems; sometimes characters have internal struggles and problems.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble  by William Steig is about a donkey named Sylvester who finds a magic pebble. Just then, a lion comes to attack him and he wishes to be a rock. Sylvester is changed into a rock, but he can no longer hold the magic pebble to wish himself back into his usual form. His family looks high and low for him and is eventually returned to his family. William Steig has such a  way with words  and his books can fit into multiple comprehension strategies, such as asking questions .

Enemy Pie  by Derek Muson is such a fantastic book for many comprehension strategies. It’s been one of my favorites for a long time and I LOVE reading it to kids who have never heard the story. When a bully (Jeremy Ross) moves into the neighborhood, the young boy’s summer is ruined. That is until the young boy’s father says he can help get rid of the bully (enemy) by making him some enemy pie. The boy wonders: What is “enemy pie” and how does it work? Will it get rid of enemies? What does it taste like? Will “enemy pie” solve all his problems?

Camilla worries about what others think of her so much that on the first day of school, she wakes up with a bad case of the stripes…and much more! Her body adds on the ailments of every fear she has until a kind, old lady helps her to learn that it’s okay to just be herself. A Bad Case of the Stripes  by David Shannon has an explicit external conflict, but kids have to read “in between the lines” to get the internal problem Camilla faces and eventually conquers.

The Stray Dog by Marc Simont is one of the books we used an example for our determining importance post with fiction . A family goes for a nice picnic away from the city only to meet a cute, stray dog. They leave the park without the dog, but think about him all week. The next weekend, the family returns to the park, hoping that the stray dog will show up again. He does, but now they have another obstacle to overcome. Such a cute book and one that requires kids to pay attention to the story that the pictures also tell.

If I had a dollar for every Elephant & Piggie book we’ve read {and re-read} this school year, I’d be rich! 🙂 All of his books contain a clear problem and solution format, but in such a fun and playful way that kids WANT to read these. While the words are written for the 1st grade level, older kids will enjoy them, too. Waiting is Not Easy! is one of Mo Willems’ newest Elephant & Piggie books and was also featured in our determining importance post with fiction  from our Reading Comprehension Series .

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is another classic book that features a clear problem and solution structure. Max is banished to his room without supper because of his behavior and falls asleep only to “wake up” in a world of wild things. Max begins to long for home again and wakes up to find that his mother has left his supper in his room to eat. I love how Sendak asks kids to read between the lines a bit to figure out how his supper got there and why. So adorable and such a classic!

More Book Lists You May Enjoy:

• 50+ Books for Modeling Comprehension Strategies
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• Letter of the Week Book Lists & Letter Packs

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April 25, 2016 at 6:38 pm

This was helpful. Thanks, I have most of these books.

November 4, 2016 at 11:22 am

Is this list available somewhere in document form?

November 4, 2016 at 11:47 pm

I don’t believe so, but that’s a GREAT idea!

December 7, 2020 at 7:51 pm

Loved the tips and advice in your article. You explained it well and I guess I am going to apply these in my future writing project. You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children. Come and visit my blog on Tips on How to Write a Story That’s Perfect for Children Hope this will help.

Thanks Attilio

January 8, 2021 at 9:19 pm

This is useful information that helps me in my future writing. Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. It is also to train your mind to imagination to think big. Keep it up!

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30 Thought-Provoking Math Puzzles for Middle Schoolers

Critical thinking, trial and error, and pure logic abound.

Tired of your tried-and-true math routine? Chances are if you’re feeling the itch to incorporate new activities into your math time, your students are as well. Mixing it up in math class can bring fresh perspectives to stale concepts or standards, and your students will enjoy stretching their brains in different ways with these middle school math puzzles. Critical thinking, trial and error, and pure logic abound in these 30 though-provoking puzzles. Get ready to reignite your middle schoolers’ excitement for math!

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

Sudoku is way more than just an activity to pass the time on long-haul flights. This math puzzle is actually a fantastic problem-solving activity for middle schoolers. Kick-starting your typical math class with a Sudoku puzzle will have your students thinking critically, practicing trial and error, and looking at math in a totally different way. Plus, you can differentiate by providing Easy, Medium, and Difficult puzzles.

Learn more: Sodoku Puzzles To Print

2. 5 Pirates Puzzle

Ahoy and shiver me timbers! This logic puzzle is perfect for a small-group activity to get your middle schoolers working together to solve the conundrum of how pirates plan to share treasure among themselves. Multiple scenarios will play out in this puzzle, so scaffolding with problem-solving strategies is a must.

Learn more:  5 Pirates Puzzles/Math Is Fun

3. Fives Challenge Puzzle

This puzzle is perfect for reviewing addition, multiplication, division, and subtraction and would be a great activity to do when gearing up to teach order of operations. Students could work in pairs or small groups to riddle out each target number.

Learn more:  Fives Challenge Puzzle/Math = Love

4. Beehive Puzzle

Perfect for a station during math rotation or for a rainy-day recess activity, this logic puzzle involves creating a beehive shape without having any squares of the same color touching each other. Students can practice trial and error as well as problem-solving.

Learn more:  Beehive Puzzle/Math = Love

5. Guess My Number

Guess My Number is just as much a riddle as it is a math puzzle. Students use their number sense to determine the number in question. As an extension activity, students can come up with their own clues and trade them with a classmate to solve.

Learn more:  Guess My Number/Education.com

6. Math Riddles

Perfect for a morning warmup, these middle school math puzzles activate all kinds of math knowledge. You can poll the class and have them show their work before clicking to reveal the correct answer. This site even has more challenging puzzles if your middle schoolers fly through the easier ones.

Learn more:  Math Riddles/Get Riddles

My seventh graders loved playing this puzzle as an early-finisher activity. Though the idea is simple (move the tiles until two of the same numbers touch), it’s actually great for recognizing exponents and also for thinking strategically.

Learn more:  2048/Prodigy

8. Magic Squares

Magic Squares have been around for thousands of years, and they come in all shapes and sizes. The 3×3 grid is a great size to introduce to your students and then work up to larger and more complex grids. You can even bring this puzzle off the paper and have your students write the grid out in sidewalk chalk, or write the numbers on water bottle caps to make a fun tactile activity.

Learn more:  Magic Squares/Prodigy

9. Impossible Domino Bridge

Using dominoes to build a seemingly impossible bridge is a perfect activity for the first day or week of a new school year. Your students can work together in small groups and get to know one another as they attempt to construct the bridge that looks like it could turn into a game of Jenga at any moment.

Learn more:  Impossible Domino Bridge/Math = Love

10. Math Picture Puzzles

Your students communicate through emojis anyway, so why not get math involved? This self-checking site allows them to work independently (on the honor system) and also choose between three levels of difficulty. Students can take this idea to the next level, create their own emojis, and arrange them in number sentences for their classmates to solve.

Learn more: Picture Puzzles/MathEasily.com

11. What Is the Weight?

Sometimes you just need a quick resource to get your students working on solving a math puzzle. This puzzle comes from an app, so you can have it downloaded on your students’ iPads or tablets. Middle schoolers will focus on determining the weights of different animals, which is good practice for estimating and working with customary/metric units of measurement.

Learn more: Brain Teasers/Mental Up

12. Colorku

Math doesn’t always have to be just about numbers. This board game uses colors and patterns to focus on analyzing sequences, and would be great to have on hand for those rainy-day recesses as well as for inclusion in a math station. Further, Colorku can be used as a calm-down tool or even a fidget tool.

Buy it: Colorku at Amazon

13. Rubik’s Cube

Rubik’s Cubes made a major comeback in popularity when I taught fifth grade. My students would happily sit together at recess to race each other to see who could solve the cube faster. Though entertaining, Rubik’s Cubes are also suited to teach students about growth mindset, spacial awareness, and 3D space.

Buy it: Rubik’s Cube at Amazon

14. SafeCracker

Though this puzzle looks like something out of an Indiana Jones quest, it’s actually a tactilely engaging tool that will delight even your most resistant math learners. The goal is to align the wheel into columns where the sum adds up to 40. You might need to get more than one of these middle school math puzzles for your classroom.

Buy it: SafeCracker at Amazon

15. “T” Brain Teaser Puzzle

In addition to sparking structural design creativity, this boxed wooden puzzle challenges middle schoolers to engage in trial and error as they work at fitting 50+ pieces into a cube. Much of math is learning how to persevere through tricky problems or procedures, and this puzzle definitely fosters that.

Buy it: T Brain Teaser at Amazon

16. Multistep Equation Puzzle

Solve-and-sort puzzles add flair to repeatedly solving different variations of a math problem for practice. In this free puzzle, students will need to not only solve the equations with variables on both sides, they will also need to sort the problem based on if their solution is positive or negative in order to uncover the secret word.

Get it: Solve-and-Sort Puzzle/Teachers Pay Teachers

In this variation of a classic Sudoku puzzle, students practice critical thinking and exercise their knowledge of how the four math operations work. The best thing about these types of puzzles is that the differentiation potential is endless. Students can solve smaller puzzles with addition, or use only prime numbers in a more complex multiplication problem.

Learn more: Yohaku

18. Jigmaze

One of the Standards for Mathematical Practices is perseverance, and all teachers know that this is a tough one to instill in students, even more so if students are struggling in foundational skills. This type of puzzle can be used to strengthen perseverance as students physically arrange and rearrange pieces of a broken maze.

Learn more: Jigmaze/Math = Love

19. Flexagons

Flexagons, octaflexagons, and dodecaflexagons (say that one 10 times fast!) are a mathematical take on traditional origami. Through constructing these paper creations, your students will get exposure to geometrical terms such as faces ,  equilateral triangles , and all manner of types of 3D shapes.

Get it: Flexagons/Medium

20. Möbius Strip

Though the high-level mathematical equation may be well above your students’ heads (and mine too, if I’m being honest), the STEAM-centered concept of a Möbius strip can be a fun one to explore and create (no need to go into cosines and conversational belts). Middle school math puzzles for the win!

Get it for free: Make a Möbius/STEAMsational

In this complex-looking puzzle, the goal is for the sum of each vertical or horizontal line to match the number given at the beginning of the row or column. This site comes with a great explanation on exactly what that means and how to achieve it. A Kakuro puzzle would be a great “learn as you go” activity for students where they really must pay close attention to the instructions to be able to understand the goal.

Learn more: Kakuro/Braingle

22. Number Searches

This school district’s site has tons of grade-specific number puzzles that would be perfect for when you need to be out of the classroom and have a substitute teacher. They are ready to be printed and contain easy explanations for your students. Check out the number searches, patterns, and 3D riddles.

Learn more: Number Searches/Cranbury School District

23. Two Truths and One Lie

The tried-and-true icebreaker used at many a staff meeting and the first week of school, Two Truths and One Lie can also be used to review and practice tons of mathematical concepts. These middle school math puzzles cover concepts such as negative numbers, fractions, and a ton more.

Buy it: Two Truths & One Lie Math Edition at Amazon

24. Adding Integers Puzzle

The objective of this cuttable resource is for students to solve the integer problem and match up expressions that end up having the same sum. The multiple size options are great for differentiation or to make this independent activity into a small-group collaborative activity.

Buy it: Adding Integers at Teachers Pay Teachers

25. Perfect Square Roots

For upper middle school students, this square-roots puzzle helps with the recognition of perfect square roots. Rather than simply memorizing the perfect square roots, students work to identify and spell out the specific square root and ensure that it fits within the crossword. In this way, the puzzle is self-checking as well.

Buy it: Square Roots Crossword at Teachers Pay Teachers

26. Factor Tree Challenge

Factor trees are an effective way to visually show students the factors of numbers. Trees allow a chain of multiple factors, so you can start with a large number and end up with “branches” that show all of the factors. Once your middle schoolers are familiar with this concept, have them explore this self-checking challenge (and many others as well) that will test their knowledge of abstract factors.

Learn more: Prime Challenges/Transum

27. Ludicross

Another take on Sudoku, Ludicross is interactive in that students can drag and drop the number into position with the goal of making the sum of the numbers in both diagonals the same. Like several of the other puzzles mentioned in this list, students can take this number puzzle to the next level by creating their own and swapping with a classmate to solve.

Learn more: Ludicross/Transum

28. Interactive Mobiles

These colorfully shaped mobiles are a unique way for students to make pattern associations. Because these puzzles are self-paced, students can begin with a simple puzzle and work their way up to complex mobiles with three or more shapes.

Try it: Mobiles/SolveMe Puzzles

29. Deleting Sheep

This logic puzzle is a doozy! The objective is to remove only two numbers in each row with the result being that each horizontal and vertical line equals 30. Trial and error and problem-solving skills abound in this puzzle, and it will keep your middle schoolers engaged for quite some time.

Get it: Deleting Sheep/Dover Publications

30. Pips Puzzle

Have any spare decks of cards lying around your classroom? This inexpensive item provides a different take on a Magic Square. Students can work in small groups, and maybe you can ignite a little class competition to see which groups can complete the challenge the fastest.

Buy it: Pips Puzzle/Math = Love

Looking for more engaging math resources? Try these Magical Math Puzzles and Number Tricks To Wow Your Students .

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20 Critical Thinking Activities for Middle Schoolers

• Middle School Education

Introduction:

  Critical thinking is vital for middle school students, as it helps them develop problem-solving skills, make informed decisions, and understand different perspectives. Integrating critical thinking activities into classroom learning experiences can greatly enhance students’ cognitive abilities. The following are 20 engaging critical thinking activities designed for middle school students.

1. Brain Teasers: Use age-appropriate puzzles to challenge students’ cognitive abilities and encourage them to find creative solutions.

2. Socratic Circles: Divide the class into groups and encourage them to participate in a philosophical discussion on a given topic, asking questions that stimulate critical thinking and deeper understanding.

3. Compare and Contrast: Assign two similar but different texts for students to compare and contrast, analyzing similarities and differences between each author’s perspective.

4. What-If Questions: Encourage children to think critically about hypothetical scenarios by asking what-if questions, such as “What if the internet didn’t exist?”

5. Debate Club: Organize a debate club where students are encouraged to research and defend differing viewpoints on a topic.

6. Mind Mapping: Teach students how to create a mind map – a visual representation of their thoughts – to help them brainstorm complex issues effectively.

7. Mystery Bag: In small groups, give students a bag containing several random objects and ask them to invent an innovative product or story using all items in the bag.

8. Critical Thinking Journal: Have students maintain journals where they analyze their thought processes after completing activities, promoting self-reflection and metacognition.

9. Moral Dilemmas: Present students with moral dilemmas, requiring them to weigh pros and cons before making ethical decisions.

10. Fact or Opinion?: Give students various statements and ask them to differentiate between fact or opinion, helping them build critical thinking skills when handling information.

11. Research Projects: Assign project topics that require deep research from multiple sources, developing students’ abilities to sift through information and synthesize their findings.

12. Think-Pair-Share: Have students think individually about a complex question, then pair up to discuss their thoughts, and finally share with the class.

13. Art Interpretation: Display an artwork and ask students to interpret its meaning, theme, or message, pushing them to look beyond the surface.

14. Reverse Role Play: Assign roles for a scenario where students exchange positions (e.g., teacher-student, parent-child), fostering empathetic understanding and critical thinking skills.

15. Critical Evaluation of Media: Analyze news articles, commercials, or social media posts by asking questions about their purpose, target audience, and accuracy.

16. Six Thinking Hats: Teach students Edward de Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats” technique to improve critical thinking by exploring diverse perspectives when solving problems.

17. Analogy Building: Encourage students to create analogies from one concept to another, enhancing abstract thinking and problem-solving abilities.

18. Current Events Analysis: Keep track of current events and have students critically evaluate news stories or blog posts to encourage informed decision-making in real-world contexts.

19. Brainstorming Sessions: Hold group brainstorming sessions where students invent solutions for complex problems while practicing active listening and critical thinking.

20. Reflection Activities: Use reflective writing prompts at the end of lessons or activities to foster metacognition, self-awareness, and the development of critical thinking skills.

Conclusion:

Critical thinking activities are vital for middle schoolers as they foster intellectual growth and prepare them for future learning experiences. By incorporating these 20 activities into your classroom curriculum, you can help students develop essential critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their academic careers and beyond.

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71+ Free Social Problem-Solving Scenarios

Do you have kiddos who struggle with their social problem-solving skills? Teach your students the simple process of how to solve a problem along with having them review how well their solution worked or didn’t work.

Why Teach Problem Solving Skills?

Learning to problem solve is an essential skill that is used not only throughout childhood but also into adulthood. Social problem solving is the ability to change or adapt to undesirable situations that arise throughout our day.

On a daily basis, a child will encounter social problems that they will need to solve.

Anything from:

• arguing with another student
• to hurting a friend’s feelings
• to having a difficult conversation
• working with others

Start with Small Problems

Many of the “problems” children encounter are often small problems which the child may be over-reacting to, such as wanting a different coloring crayon or wanting to be first in line, however, these small problems are still very real to the child.

Practicing problem-solving with these small problems can be a great learning opportunity. Children can practice problem-solving with a small problem which can help them learn how to handle bigger problems in the future.

Problem Solving Importance

Social problem-solving skills are critical to a child’s social interactions, personal and professional relationships. A child’s ability to handle change, cope with stress, and handle challenges improves with a child’s ability to successfully solve social problems.

The ultimate goal is that the child will be able to solve social problems all on their own, but until they can independently solve a problem they will need to learn how to communicate and self-advocate to positively solve their problems.  

Steps to Problem Solving

Children can be taught how to problem solve through a guided process of breaking down the problem and using simple steps to solve the problem.

Learning specific steps to problem-solving can allow children to remember how to solve a problem when they become overwhelmed or stressed.

Although learning to solve a problem independently can take some time and practice it is well worth the investment to have a child who can eventually solve most social situations in a positive manner on their own.

What we learnt about solving problems is don't freak out, if one thing doesn't work , try something else out. And work together as a team. #melthammathsweek #MELTHAMPUPILVOICE @problemsolveit pic.twitter.com/iVm1Im4Aue — yr6melthamce (@yr6melthamce) February 4, 2019

Problem Solving Form

Teach your students the 4 steps to becoming a social problem-solver.

• Identify the problem. For instance, start by having your student identify the social problem.
• Create three solutions. Also, have your student come up with three different solutions that they could use to solve the problem that they identified.
• Identify the consequences. Then, identify the consequence for each individual solution.
• Pick the best solution.  Lastly, have your student identify which of their three solutions is the best choice Then have your student put into words why they think that solution is the best solution.

Problem Solving Review Form

After your students go through the social problem-solver have them use the social problem-solving review form.

• What happened.  For instance, after your student tried their solution have them explain what happened next.
• Review the results. Also, have your student identify whether or not their solution got them the results they wanted.
• Use this solution again. Furthermore, have your student identify whether or not they would use this solution again in the future to solve the same or similar problem.
• What would you do differently? Finally, have your student explain what they would do differently if they didn’t get the results they wanted or if they wouldn’t use that solution again in the future.

71+ Social Problem Scenarios + 6 Blank Scenarios

Use the 71 social problem-solving scenarios to have your students get great experience practicing how to solve a social problem.

Also, included are 6 blank scenarios. Then laminate them so you can use them over and over again. Therefore, create social problems that the student experiences and needs help solving.

Wordless Video teaching Problem Solving

Watch this super cute wordless animation with your students and have them discuss the problem they see and how to best solve the problem.

Use this as a fun practice example to get your students started towards learning how to problem-solve.

Demonstrate Through Modeling

Model and discuss empathy.

First and foremost, children need to understand how another person might be feeling in a given situation in order to become a good social problem solver. The student needs to learn how to “stand in someone else’s shoes” for a little bit.

One way you can work on this skill is during the reading time you can focus on how a particular character in the story might be feeling.

Ask questions, such as:

• “How do they feel right now?”
• “How would you feel in that same situation?”
• “Why do you think they feel that way?”

Model Problem-Solving Skills as the Teacher

When you are faced with a problem you can solve the problem by thinking aloud for the students to hear how you solve a problem.

You can state the problem, then come up with possible solutions, then identify the possible consequences to each solution, then pick and explain why a solution is the best option.

For example, you could say, “I was hoping to take the class outside for a stress walk around the track before the reading test, but the problem is that it is raining outside. I could still take you outside, but then you will get wet, or we could walk the halls, but then we’d have to be really quiet because there are other classes learning, or we could just skip the walk and take the reading test, but then you might not do as well on the test. I think based on all of those solutions the best solution will be to walk the hallway, but you guys will have to promise to be quiet so that we don’t disrupt other classes.

Modeling the problem-solving process can be very helpful for the students to watch, observe, and later implement themselves.

Teach Communication

Have students communicate how they are feeling.

Teaching your students to share their emotions in a respectful way can improve their ability to problem-solve.

Have students use an “I” sentence frame, such as, “I feel _____ (insert feeling word) when _____ (identify what made you feel that way).”

For example, “I felt sad when Jackson broke my favorite pencil” or “I was mad when I wasn’t picked to be first in line.”

This way students can communicate how they are feeling using honest and open communication. Teaching students to appropriately communicate their emotions can help solve some social problems from the beginning.

Encourage Independency

Encourage your student to problem solve.

If your student is struggling to problem solve independently encourage them to do so using open-ended questions.

• “How could you fix this problem?”
• “What would be a fair solution?”
• “What would happen if you used that solution?”

Let the Student try to Problem Solve Independently

Give your students the space to try and solve their own problems using the guided strategies. Try not to come running to their rescue for every little problem.

Some problems are small and a great opportunity for the student to learn and practice. If an adult does all of the problem solving for a student then what are they really learning?

Give your students the time and space they need to practice solving small problems on their own. Of course, if it is a bigger or more serious problem then have an adult help guide the problem-solving process.

Tell an Adult

Remind your students that there are still some problems that are too big for them to solve on their own and that it is okay to get help from an adult to solve big problems.

For example, if the student doesn’t feel safe, someone is being hurt physically or emotionally, or if they tried to solve a problem independently but it didn’t work and they need help. Let them know that it’s okay to tell an adult.

Teach How to Disagree and How to Make Up

Discuss how to disagree respectfully.

Remind your student that they won’t always agree with their teacher, friends, classmate, or parents and that’s okay. Even the people we like might have different opinions, interests, and likes than we do.

However, even if we disagree with someone we should still treat them with respect. Treating someone with respect means to not call them names, ignore them, yell or hit them. It means that you do try to create solutions that both parties can agree with and to apologize when we hurt others’ feelings.

Role-Play How to Make Up

Practice in everyday life how to make up after a social problem .

Students are really having to stretch their brains today. It's @NSPCC #NumberDay and @problemsolveit are challenging Y9 and 10 to solve the escape room boxes. It's not as easy as it looks! The promise of a few sweet treats for the winners seems to be helping though! pic.twitter.com/AxRRJnJIv2 — CongletonHS (@CongletonHS) February 2, 2018

Be sure to get your free social problem solver today below! I hope you and your students love this freebie.

Have your students use task card scenarios to help them identify how they and others might feel in different social scenarios. Be sure to discuss the problem, identify possible solutions, identify the consequences of those possible solutions, and then based on those consequences pick the best solution.

Make social problem-solving a game by telling the students that they are social detectives and that it is their job to use what they know about social rules to help them identify the possible and best solutions.

Start practicing today with 71+ free social problem social task cards! Do your students need more practice?

Be sure to check out my other freebie for 31 wordless animated videos to teach problem-solving and so much more.

Make Problem Solving Easier with this Freebie!

Download yours today to get started.

Get More Problem Solving Time Saving Materials

Next, be sure to check out the following time-saving materials to continue to teach your students how to solve their social problems in addition to this freebie.

Weekly Social Pragmatics Homework

• Weekly problem-solving.   Send home a  weekly homework page  that includes a problem-solving scenario plus an idiom and a conversational practice scenario.

Restorative Justice Problem Solving Flip Book

• Restorative justice graphic visual.  Use this graphic visual to help your student  restore a social relationship  after a social problem.

Self-Advocating Role-Play Scenarios

• Self-advocating in high school.  Teach your high schoolers the process to  self-advocate  for what they need.

5th-12th Grade Life Skills Problem Solving

• Life skills problem-solving.  In addition, this  life skills differentiated bundle  includes a problem-solving lesson plan.

I recommend you read Problem Solving Wheel: Help Kids Solve Their Own Problems , 61+ Free Fillable SLP Planner Pages 2020-2021 , 430+ Free Multisyllabic Words List Activity Bundle , or 432+ Free IEP Goal Bank to Save You Time posts because they include freebies as well and who doesn’t want more freebies!

Got questions? Leave a comment. Let’s chat!

Monday 30th of January 2023

Hello! I have entered my name and email twice (yesterday & today) to receive to 71+ Free Social Problem-Solving Senarios, but I have not received anything yet. Not even an email back to mine in order to subcribe. Thanks for your help! Tracy

Melissa Berg

Tuesday 31st of January 2023

Hi Tracy, Thanks so much for reaching out! Sorry about that. We went ahead and sent you an email with the PDF attached. Wishing you all my best, Melissa

Problem Solving Skills

Tuesday 30th of August 2022

I truly love your site. Excellent colors, theme and writing. Thanks for sharing.

Laura Ricca

Monday 11th of April 2022

Tuesday 12th of April 2022

Hi Laura, I'm glad you found this resource helpful. Melissa

Modified Mental Health and Suicide Prevention - Speech Therapy Store

Monday 11th of May 2020

[…] 71+ FREE SOCIAL PROBLEM-SOLVING SCENARIOS […]

Problem Solving Wheel: Help Kids Solve Their Own Problems - Speech Therapy Store

Monday 4th of May 2020

[…] 71+ Free Social Problem Solving Task Cards Scenarios […]

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Career Readiness | Middle School | Critical Thinking

Problem Solving Lesson Plans Your Middle School Students Will Love

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July 11th, 2022 | 5 min. read

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Need resources for teaching problem solving in your middle school career readiness classes?

As a career readiness curriculum developer, middle school teachers often ask if we have resources to help teach problem solving.

While our digital curriculum includes content on critical thinking, decision making, and other 21st Century skills, our solution may not be the best fit for everyone.

Our Middle School Digital Literacy & Career Exploration curriculum is designed to teach dozens of skills such as professionalism, communication, digital literacy, and more.

However, some teachers are only looking for supplemental problem solving lessons and activities to add to their existing curriculum.

To help you teach these skills, we've found four popular providers of problem solving lessons and activities for middle school:

• TeacherVision
• Ed Creative

All of these resources have both pros and cons, so looking at each one individually is key when planning your problem solving lessons!

1. TeacherVision's Problem Solving Lesson

TeacherVision is a digital resource that offers free online lesson plans, including a problem solving lesson.

This problem solving lesson has two key objectives:

• Students will be introduced to a problem-solving procedure
• Students will participate in a structured practice of resolving conflict

Along with the lesson objectives, you'll find the materials list and the procedure for completing the lesson.

That makes TeacherVision a robust resource with an easy-to-follow lesson plan for introducing students to problem solving .

On the downside, the lesson is listed as appropriate for students between first and eighth grade.

That means you may want to bulk it up a bit in order to really be relevant and engaging to your middle school students .

2. Ed Creative's Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Lesson Plans

Ed Creative is a subdivision of Education.com that collects lesson plans from other online resources.

That makes Ed Creative one of the best lesson plan databases online.

It includes a variety of lesson plans and activities to teach creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking skills.

Many of these lessons are intended for children up to eighth grade. That means you'll likely find resources that fit perfectly in your middle school classes.

In addition, some lessons overlap with other subjects you may need to teach in your career readiness classes . For example, one resource is entitled Thinking Critically About Advertising and would tie in well with lessons on media literacy .

The lesson encourages students to consider behind-the-scenes angles when presented with ads, encouraging them to think critically and logically about why the ad is what it is.

Still, these resources are a little disorganized which means it will take you time to review each option and decide if it's a good fit.

3. BrainPOP's Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Activities

BrainPOP is an educational resource provider with many teaching resources for every grade level.

In this case, their critical thinking and problem solving lesson plan is intended for any sixth to 12th grade student.

In this lesson, students will:

• Apply critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills to online gameplay and writing tasks
• Analyze situations from multiple perspectives and viewpoints
• Distinguish between facts, opinions, and solutions
• Demonstrate 21st Century skills such as global awareness, information literacy, communication, and collaboration

BrainPOP lays out the procedure, materials, and everything else you’ll need for the lesson — even time approximations!

That thorough approach to detail makes it easier to plan different tasks you’ll carry out throughout the lesson each day.

Even if the lesson takes a full week, you can still plan appropriately and stay on task.

Unfortunately, BrainPOP doesn’t have many downloadable resources you can print and use in the classroom.

4. TEDEd's Resources for Teaching Problem Solving Skills

TEDEd is an active advocate of education and learning materials. That’s why they have an enormous section of their website dedicated to problem solving skills .

In this section, you’ll find videos and interactive tasks that walk students through riddles, problems, and complications to find desirable results.

Every riddle and problem has an answer, so you don’t have to worry about figuring it out yourself. Even better, you can be sure there’s a practical solution to every issue.

Best of all, you leave students with the freedom to innovate their own solutions, potentially creating a new solution that a riddle maker hadn’t considered.

The varying complexity and length of these lessons make them ideal for various grade levels. However, you can choose to filter specifically for middle school.

On the downside, these aren’t literal “lesson plans.” TEDEd provides many resources, but they’re not contextualized for a classroom.

Instead, you’ll have to build your lessons around these resources to get the best results.

This makes TEDEd an excellent catchall whenever you need problem solving materials.

You’ll just have to do a little extra work to make it classroom ready.

Which Problem Solving Lessons Are Best?

Overall, there isn't a simple "best" option for teaching problem solving in middle school. It all depends on the needs of you, your course, and your students.

Each resource we've shared could be a great addition to your career readiness curriculum.

However, if you need a curriculum that includes problem solving skills among other career readiness topics, consider looking into iCEV’s career readiness and digital literacy curriculum.

Thousands of teachers like you use the curriculum to teach career exploration , personal financial literacy , communication skills and more.

Overall, it helps you save time with planning, assessing, and grading student work all while maximizing student understanding and information retention.

Wondering if iCEV could work for your middle school classroom? Check out our Middle School digital Literacy & Career Exploration curriculum :

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21 Good Picture Books to Teach Problem and Solution

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Read mentor text picture books to teach problem and solution text structure. Understanding the problem and solution story structures improves comprehension and helps readers make informed predictions. (As well as helping children see the creative possibilities in problem-solving!)

Of course, almost all stories have a problem and a solution –with the exception of a concept book. So really, you can search out problem and solution examples in any book, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction.

When children learn what to expect in a problem and solution story, not only will they be able to predict solutions, but they will also be better able to write their own problem-solution stories. I started teaching this early to my young kids, well before they were school-age because we want our children to become problem solvers. That is an important life skill!

While many picture books model the narrative story structure of problem and solution, these are my favorites to use with kids both at home and in the classroom.

PRINTABLE LIST

Mentor Text Picture Books to Teach Problem and Solution

Problem Solved! by Jan Thomas When Rabbit sees his messy room, he learns that he has HIS OWN PROBLEM SOLVING PORCUPINE! Which seems good at first. But, it turns into a disaster. Because to clean up the blocks, the porcupine flushes them down the toilet. And to clean up his shirts, he feeds them to the goldfish. How can Rabbit get rid of his not-very-helpful problem-solving porcupine?

A House in the Woods  by Inga Moore Little Pig’s den becomes filled with friends, but once Moose arrives, the den collapses. Oh, no! Problem. What will they do to find a solution? Together, the animals build a new house in the woods big enough to fit all the friends.

Enigma  by Graeme Base Bertie needs to find the missing magic show props that have disappeared from his grandpa’s retirement home. Each performer tells him what’s missing. Readers help find the items in the illustrations so that Bertie can find the culprit. Like all his books, Base excels in his detailed illustrations.

7 Ate 9: The Untold Story  by Tara Lazar, illustrated by Ross MacDonald 6 bangs on Private I’s door for help! Because there’s a rumor that 7 is eating other numbers because apparently, 7 ate 9. YIKES! But did 7 really eat 9? Pitch perfect tongue-in-cheek number and word humor will crack you up throughout this suspenseful, funny problem and solution story. (Also on:  Best Picture Book Mysteries .)

The Brownstone  by Paula Scher, illustrated by Stan Mack The Bear family is ready for hibernation but first, they need to figure out what to do about the noise problem. Their solution? All the animals work together to shift apartments so that everyone finds the best apartment for their specific needs. You’ll love the message and illustrations.

Pigeon P.I.  by Meg McLaren What a unique and delightful mystery story! A little canary asks Pigeon P.I. (private investigator) to help her find her missing friends. Then the canary goes missing, too. It’s up to Pigeon to solve the missing bird mystery. The author writes in the style of the old detective shows– punchy with short sentences. The illustrator captures the details, giving kids clues to notice as they read.

One Word from Sophia  by Jim Averbeck, illustrated by Yasmeen Ismail This picture book is a great way to teach kids summarizing and word choice as well as a problem-solution text structure! Sophia really wants a pet giraffe for her birthday. As a result, she sets out to convince her family, starting with her mother, a judge. However, Mother says that Sophia’s argument is too verbose. As a result, Sophie tries fewer words with Father. But he says her presentation is too effusive. Sophia continues with each family member until she reaches her last-ditch attempt and says the one word that works: PLEASE.

No Boring Stories!  by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Charles Santoso When a cute little bunny tries to join a group of animal storytellers (mole, weevil, crab, and babirusa), the group doesn’t want to add her to their brainstorming group. As the animals continue their story plans with relatable characters, an inciting incident, rising action, climax, and…. Only the group gets stuck with the ending. That’s when bunny reveals that she likes making up weird (not boring) stories. The group realizes that the bunny has the perfect ending idea. Reluctantly, they agree that she can be part of the group. At least until a “ bunch of adorable frogs and puppies show up next week… ” This book shows plotting as well as the creative strengths of writers working together.

That Fruit Is Mine!  by Anuska Allepuz This is a charming problem and solution story about learning to share and the power of working together. You’ll crack up watching the elephants’ many failed attempts to get delicious-looking fruit off a tree while simultaneously watching a tiny group of mice work together to get the yummy fruit, too. The problem is getting the fruit but only one animal group succeeds in a solution. Who do you think it will be? Great for prediction! (Also on:  Picture Books That Teach Cooperation .)

Great, Now We’ve Got Barbarians!   by Jason Carter Eaton, illustrated by Mark Fearing Mom says that if the boy doesn’t clean his room, he’ll get pests . . . which the boy thinks aren’t all that bad, right? However, things go downhill when barbarian “pests” start arriving. Because they eat everything, use his toys to clean out their ears, and steal blankets and pillows. So there is only one thing to do — CLEAN up his room. It’s a predictable but funny solution with the perfect forgot-to-clean-up twist at the end.

Walrus in the Bathtub  by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Matt Hunt The worst thing about this family’s new home is the walrus in the bathtub. And walrus songs are very, very loud. It’s a big problem. The family tries lots of clever things to get the walrus to leave the bathtub but with no success. So they decide to move. Again. That’s when the walrus shows them his list — “ How to Make Your New Family Feel Welcome ” — which, surprisingly, includes all the things that annoy the family. It turns out the walrus was just trying to be nice. As a result, the family stays with a few *new* rules. This story will make you want your own walrus in a bathtub.

The Thingity-Jig by Kathleen Doherty, illustrated by Kristyna Litten Wordplay, problem-solving, and persistence! One day Bear finds a Thingity-Jig (aka. a couch), which he thinks is wonderful as a sit-on-it, jump-on-it thing.  He asks his friends to help him carry it home but they’re too fast asleep, so Bear figures out some ideas to do it himself. He makes a Rolly-Rumpity! Which is a pack-it-up, heap-it-up, load-it-up thing. That isn’t enough to move the Thingit-Jig so Bear makes something else — a Lifty-Uppity. And then, a Pushy-Poppity. And at daybreak, he arrives back at home where his friends are waking up, with his special Thingity-Jig. Bingity…Bing…Boing…Bear falls asleep.

Someday is Now: Clara Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City Sit-Ins  by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich Clara advocated for justice and equality during a time when Black people weren’t permitted the same rights as white people. As a teacher, she inspired her students to believe that change was possible. Clara and her students went to the Katz drugstore and asked to be served — even though the store didn’t serve black people. She and her students returned day after day despite people yelling and throwing food. Eventually, the Katz store relented and started to serve people of all races. Clara and her students finally could enjoy a Coke and a burger without trouble.

Wangari’s Trees of Peace  by Jeannette Winter Based on the true story of Wangari Maathai, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, read how Wangari helped her country of Kenya whose forests were all but destroyed. She started planting trees which started a movement motivating other people to plant trees as well. This is an example of how narrative nonfiction book can also teach the plot structure of problem and solution .

Battle Bunny   by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett, illustrated by Matt Myers When Alex gets a silly, sappy picture book called Birthday Bunny, he picks up a pencil and turns it into something he’d like to read: Battle Bunny. An adorable rabbit’s journey through the forest becomes a secret mission to unleash an evil plan–a plan that only Alex can stop. Not only does this mentor text model problem and solution, but also voice and revision.

When Pigs Fly  by James Burke One day, an exuberant pig declares that he will fly. His sister observes with disbelief and horror as one attempt after another fails. The brother pig is so disappointed that he decides to give up. That’s when his sister comes up with an idea — something he hasn’t tried before that will help her brother fly — a pretend airplane. The pigs’ expressive illustrations are absolutely perfect as is the message of persistence despite failure.

Piper and Purpa Forever!  by Susan Lendroth, illustrated by Olivia Feng Most stories have a  problem and a solution  but this story is a great example showing a little girl’s ability to creatively  problem solve  with a beautiful solution to her problem. Piper loves her beloved purple sweater, Purpa, and is so sad when she grows out of it. Will she be able to keep her sweater somehow?

KEEP READING

Picture Books to  Teach Perspective

Picture Books to  Teach Vivid Description

Favorite Book Character Costumes

Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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My grandson loves cars, RC cars, sports cars but I don’t find any books about cars, racing, car features, etc. It would be a ‘hook’ to get him to read more. Any suggestions appreciated.

Here is a list of vehicle books. https://imaginationsoup.net/picture-books-vehicle-loving-kids/ . My recommendation for car books is Professor Wooford McPaw’s History of Cars by Elliot Kruszynski.

Math Word Problems

Welcome to the math word problems worksheets page at Math-Drills.com! On this page, you will find Math word and story problems worksheets with single- and multi-step solutions on a variety of math topics including addition, multiplication, subtraction, division and other math topics. It is usually a good idea to ensure students already have a strategy or two in place to complete the math operations involved in a particular question. For example, students may need a way to figure out what 7 × 8 is or have previously memorized the answer before you give them a word problem that involves finding the answer to 7 × 8.

There are a number of strategies used in solving math word problems; if you don't have a favorite, try the Math-Drills.com problem-solving strategy:

• Question : Understand what the question is asking. What operation or operations do you need to use to solve this question? Ask for help to understand the question if you can't do it on your own.
• Estimate : Use an estimation strategy, so you can check your answer for reasonableness in the evaluate step. Try underestimating and overestimating, so you know what range the answer is supposed to be in. Be flexible in rounding numbers if it will make your estimate easier.
• Strategize : Choose a strategy to solve the problem. Will you use mental math, manipulatives, or pencil and paper? Use a strategy that works for you. Save the calculator until the evaluate stage.
• Calculate : Use your strategy to solve the problem.
• Evaluate : Compare your answer to your estimate. If you under and overestimated, is the answer in the correct range. If you rounded up or down, does the answer make sense (e.g. is it a little less or a little more than the estimate). Also check with a calculator.

Most Popular Math Word Problems this Week

Arithmetic Word Problems

• Addition Word Problems One-Step Addition Word Problems Using Single-Digit Numbers One-Step Addition Word Problems Using Two-Digit Numbers
• Subtraction Word Problems Subtraction Facts Word Problems With Differences from 5 to 12
• Multiplication Word Problems One-Step Multiplication Word Problems up to 10 × 10
• Division Word Problems Division Facts Word Problems with Quotients from 5 to 12
• Multi-Step Word Problems Easy Multi-Step Word Problems

Copyright © 2005-2024 Math-Drills.com You may use the math worksheets on this website according to our Terms of Use to help students learn math.

Top 10 Problem Solving Books

Whenever my son encounters a problem—be it building block pieces that won't fit together the way he wants them to, a door he can't open, or a bucket on the playground his friend won't share—my mom heart immediately leaps to help him. I want to solve his problems for him, to help him be happy and make life easy . . . but the truth I know deep down is that if I always help him, I'm not helping him at all. By allowing him opportunities to problem solve himself when a problem of appropriate difficulty arises, while it may be painful for both of us at the moment, I know he's developing crucial problem-solving skills, and problem-solving is one of those essential skills that, once developed, will serve children their entire lifetime. To help showcase different techniques for problem-solving, and hone metacognition for kids, we've collected here on this list the very best books for teaching problem solving through children's literature! Reading these problem-solving books with your child provides an unparalleled opportunity to have shared references to help you as a team through a learning moment when it arises, plus you'll get to enjoy the bonding moment of reading together! Some books are absolute classics, such as "The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear," that take a more humorous approach to problem-solving; others are popular titles you may be familiar with that take a more direct approach to flexible thinking techniques, such as New York Times Bestseller "What To Do With a Problem"; and some are hidden gems you may be discovering for the first time. There are books that teach social problem solving, highlight out-of-the-box thinking in innovation, speak to the role of teamwork in overcoming obstacles, and address the very real possibility that problem-solving may be needed to cope with failure at many stages of the process. Because problem solving is important in all of life's stages, this list includes board, picture and chapter books. Board books are best for infants and toddlers. Picture books are excellent for toddlers and also include stories for kindergarten and early elementary students (although we think picture books are great for all ages!). Chapter books are great for elementary- and middle school-age readers. If you know your target age group, feel free to filter to a single category, or just browse the entire list. Without further ado, enjoy this problem-solving list, and let us know what titles you would include!

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Over 100 Riveting Mystery Books for Middle School Kids

Even as an adult, I enjoy reading mystery books for middle school students. The stories are often engaging, exciting, and full of creative characters.

I’ll admit that mystery books have always been my favorite genre, and they still are. But that all began when I was kid so that makes it twice as fun to introduce mystery books to my own kids.

{This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure .}

Mystery Books Are For Perfect For Middle Schoolers

I still recall how much I loved the Nancy Drew series as a child. I read every single title in the series more than once. I loved the thrill and adventure, but most of all I enjoyed trying to problem-solve alongside the main character.

I think that is one reason so many kids are drawn to mystery books. Kids love the excitement of solving the problem alongside (or even ahead of) the main character. Reading a mystery book is a great way for middle school students to think critically and practice their problem-solving skills in a fun, non-threatening way.

Mystery books for middle school are typically engaging, high-stakes plots without being too gory or dark. Middle schoolers can enjoy solving puzzles, predicting outcomes, and stretching their logical thinking skills without the darker themes that are often found in young adult mysteries.

As always, when you preview a list of mystery books for your middle school student, make sure to preview content warnings on websites like Common Sense Media . I have tried to include a warning if a book is recommended specifically for older middle school students.

Over 100 Riveting Mystery Books For Middle Schoolers

Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring Angela Cervantes

Publisher’s Description: “A room locked for 50 years.A valuable peacock ring.A mysterious brother-sister duo. Paloma Marquez is traveling to Mexico City, the birthplace of her deceased father, for the very first time. She’s hoping that spending time in Mexico will help her unlock memories of the too-brief time they spent together. While in Mexico, Paloma meets Lizzie and Gael, who present her with an irresistible challenge: The siblings want her to help them find a valuable ring that once belonged to beloved Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Finding the ring means a big reward — and the thanks of all Mexico. What better way to honor her father than returning a priceless piece of jewelry that once belonged to his favorite artist!”

Amazon | Goodreads

Scat Carl Hiaasen

Publisher’s Description: “Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved.   But when the principal tries to tell the students that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a “family emergency,” Nick and Marta just don’t buy it. No, they figure the class delinquent, Smoke, has something to do with her disappearance.   And he does! But not in the way they think. There’s a lot more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. It’s all about to hit the fan, and when it does, the bad guys better scat.”

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor Ally Carter

Publisher’s Description: “April didn’t mean to start the fire. She wasn’t the one who broke the vase. April didn’t ask to go live in a big, creepy mansion with a bunch of orphans who just don’t understand that April isn’t like them. After all, April’s mother is coming back for her someday very soon.

All April has to do is find the clues her mother left inside the massive mansion. But Winterborne House is hiding more than one secret, so April and her friends are going to have to work together to unravel the riddle of a missing heir, a creepy legend, and a mysterious key before the only home they’ve ever known is lost to them forever.”

Three Times Lucky (Mo & Dale Mysteries) Sheila Turnage

Publisher’s Description: “Rising sixth grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone’s business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she’s been making waves ever since. Although Mo hopes someday to find her “upstream mother,” she’s found a home with the Colonel–a café owner with a forgotten past of his own–and Miss Lana, the fabulous café hostess. She will protect those she loves with every bit of her strong will and tough attitude. So when a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, set out to uncover the truth in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known.”

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer John Grisham

Publisher’s Description: “In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom.

But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.

The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served.”

The Blackthorn Key Kevin Sands

Publisher’s Description: “Tell no one what I’ve given you.”

Until he got that cryptic warning, Christopher Rowe was happy, learning how to solve complex codes and puzzles and creating powerful medicines, potions, and weapons as an apprentice to Master Benedict Blackthorn—with maybe an explosion or two along the way.

But when a mysterious cult begins to prey on London’s apothecaries, the trail of murders grows closer and closer to Blackthorn’s shop. With time running out, Christopher must use every skill he’s learned to discover the key to a terrible secret with the power to tear the world apart.”

Murder is Bad Manners Robin Stevens

Publishers Description: “Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are best friends at Deepdean School for Girls, and they both have a penchant for solving mysteries. In fact, outspoken Daisy is a self-described Sherlock Holmes, and she appoints wallflower Hazel as her own personal Watson when they form their own (secret!) detective agency. The only problem? They have nothing to investigate.

But that changes once Hazel discovers the body of their science teacher, Miss Bell—and the body subsequently disappears. She and Daisy are certain a murder must have taken place, and they can think of more than one person with a motive.

Determined to get to the bottom of the crime—and to prove that it happened—before the killer strikes again, Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects, and use all the cunning, scheming, and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test?”

Greenglass House Kate Milford

Publisher’s Description: “It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing.

But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again…

Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House—and themselves.”

The Van Gogh Deception (The Lost Art Mysteries) Deron R. Hicks

Publisher’s Description: “Dan Brown meets Jason Bourne in this riveting middle-grade mystery thriller. When a young boy is discovered in Washington DC’s National Gallery without any recollection of who he is, so begins a high-stakes race to unravel the greatest mystery of all: his identity.      

As the stakes continue to rise, the boy must piece together the disjointed clues of his origins while using his limited knowledge to stop one of the greatest art frauds ever attempted. Digitally interactive, this breathtaking museum mystery offers QR codes woven throughout the book that bring renowned paintings to readers’ fingertips.”

Greystone Secrets #1: The Strangers Margaret Peterson Haddix

Publisher’s Description: “The Greystone kids thought they knew. Chess has always been the protector over his younger siblings, Emma loves math, and Finn does what Finn does best—acting silly and being adored. They’ve been a happy family, just the three of them and their mom.

But everything changes when reports of three kidnapped children reach the Greystone kids, and they’re shocked by the startling similarities between themselves and these complete strangers. The other kids share their same first and middle names. They’re the same ages. They even have identical birthdays. Who, exactly, are these strangers?

Before Chess, Emma, and Finn can question their mom about it, she takes off on a sudden work trip and leaves them in the care of Ms. Morales and her daughter, Natalie. But puzzling clues left behind lead to complex codes, hidden rooms, and a dangerous secret that will turn their world upside down.

The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co. Book 1) Jonathan Stroud

Publisher’s Description: “When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.”

Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess Nancy Springer

Publisher’s Description: “When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. Because when she arrives, she finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, fleeing murderous villains, and trying to elude her shrewd older brothers—all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother’s strange disappearance. Amid all the mayhem, will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother?”

The Amelia Six Kristin L. Gray

Publisher’s Description: “Eleven-year-old Amelia Ashford— Millie  to her friends (if she had any, that is)—doesn’t realize just how much adventure awaits her when she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend the night in Amelia Earhart’s childhood home with five other girls. Make that five strangers. But Millie’s mom is a pilot like the famous Amelia, and Millie would love to have something to write to her about…if only she had her address. Once at Amelia’s house in Atchison, Kansas, Millie stumbles upon a display of Amelia’s famous flight goggles. She can’t believe her good luck, since they’re about to be relocated to a fancy museum in Washington, DC. But her luck changes quickly when the goggles disappear, and Millie was the last to see them. Soon, fingers are pointing in all directions, and someone falls strangely ill. Suddenly, a fun night of scavenger hunts and sweets takes a nosedive and the girls aren’t sure who to trust. With a blizzard raging outside and a house full of suspects, the girls have no choice but to band together. It’s up to the Amelia Six to find the culprit and return the goggles to their rightful place. Or the next body to collapse could be one of theirs.”

Finally, Something Mysterious Doug Cornett

Publisher’s Description: “Paul Marconi has always thought that Bellwood was a strange town, but also a boring one. Not much for an eleven-year-old to do. Fires are burning nearby, Paul’s parents are obsessed with winning a bratwurst contest, and his best friend, one of the founding members of their only-child detective club, the One and Onlys, is about to acquire a younger sister, sort of undoing their whole reason for existing. But then! Hundreds of rubber duckies have appeared on the lawn of poor Mr. Babbage without any explanation. Finally! There is something that Paul and his friends can actually investigate. In the face of all these bizarre occurrences, Paul is convinced that uncovering who deposited the duckies will finally bring some sense to what has become an upside-down world. Soon the three friends have a long list of suspects, all with their own motives, but no clear culprit. When everything comes to a head at the town’s annual Bellwood Bratwurst Bonanza, Paul discovers that some things  don’t  have an easy explanation and not every mystery can be solved.”

Murder at Midnight Avi

My Review: In the Kingdom of Pergamontio, Fabrizio is astounded by his master’s ability to perform magic, but his master, Mangus the magician, is frustrated with the uneducated boy’s belief in the impossible. When Mangus is accused of using magic to participate in a plot to overthrow the king, he must rely on the his servant to piece together the clues and come to his rescue. Fabrizio is determined to save his master and with the help of a new friend, he gets to the bottom of the treachery in the kingdom.

I enjoyed the historical time period of this book, set about the time of the newly invented printing press. It would be a great addition to a medieval booklist as a fun read for a middle schooler. There was plenty of foreshadowing and enough clues were dropped for the reader to solve the mystery, yet the way in which Magnus’s innocence was made for a surprising ending.

At the start of the book, I was frustrated with the main character, Fabrizio, but he grew on me as the story unfolded. I found it a little tough to keep track of many of the roles of the characters from the King’s Royal Court because we didn’t actually know them very well.

Overall, this was a fun read and perfect for a middle school audience. A discussion about the importance of setting (especially in regard to the “magic” of the printing press) would be a great way to tackle this story.

My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Amazon | Goodreads

Harlem Charade Natasha Tarpley

Publisher’s Description: “WATCHER. SHADOW. FUGITIVE. Harlem is home to all kinds of kids. Jin sees life passing her by from the window of her family’s bodega.

Alex wants to help the needy one shelter at a time, but can’t tell anyone who she really is. Elvin’s living on Harlem’s cold, lonely streets, surviving on his own after his grandfather was mysteriously attacked. When these three strangers join forces to find out what happened to Elvin’s grandfather, their digging leads them to an enigmatic artist whose missing masterpieces are worth a fortune — one that might save the neighborhood from development by an ambitious politician who wants to turn it into Harlem World, a ludicrous historic theme park. But if they don’t find the paintings soon, nothing in their beloved neighborhood will ever be the same…”

One Came Home Amy Timberlake

Publisher’s Description: “In the town of Placid, Wisconsin, in 1871, Georgie Burkhardt is known for two things: her uncanny aim with a rifle and her habit of speaking her mind plainly.

But when Georgie blurts out something she shouldn’t, her older sister Agatha flees, running off with a pack of “pigeoners” trailing the passenger pigeon migration. And when the sheriff returns to town with an unidentifiable body—wearing Agatha’s blue-green ball gown—everyone assumes the worst. Except Georgie. Refusing to believe the facts that are laid down (and coffined) before her, Georgie sets out on a journey to find her sister. She will track every last clue and shred of evidence to bring Agatha home. Yet even with resolute determination and her trusty Springfield single-shot, Georgie is not prepared for what she faces on the western frontier.

Goldie Vance, Book One Hope Larson

Publisher’s Description: “Sixteen-year-old Marigold “Goldie” Vance lives at a Florida resort with her dad, who manages the place. Her mom, who divorced her dad years ago, works as a live mermaid at a club downtown. Goldie has an insatiable curiosity, which explains her dream to one day become the hotel’s in-house detective. When Charles, the current detective, encounters a case he can’t crack, he agrees to mentor Goldie in exchange for her help solving the mystery.”

When You Reach Me Rebecca Stead

Publisher’s Description: “Shortly after a fall-out with her best friend, sixth grader Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes, and she doesn’t know what to do. The notes tell her that she must write a letter—a true story, and that she can’t share her mission with anyone.   It would be easy to ignore the strange messages, except that whoever is leaving them has an uncanny ability to predict the future. If that is the case, then Miranda has a big problem—because the notes tell her that someone is going to die, and she might be too late to stop it.”

Many Points of Me Caroline Gertler

Publisher’s Description: “Georgia Rosenbloom’s father was a famous artist. His most well-known paintings were a series of asterisms—patterns of stars—that he created. One represented a bird, one himself, and one Georgia’s mother. There was supposed to be a fourth asterism, but Georgia’s father died before he could paint it. Georgia’s mother and her best friend, Theo, are certain that the last asterism would’ve been of Georgia, but Georgia isn’t so sure. She isn’t sure about anything anymore—including whether Theo is still her best friend.

Then Georgia finds a sketch her father made of her. One with pencil points marked on the back—just like those in the asterism paintings. Could this finally be the proof that the last painting would have been of her?

Georgia’s quest to prove her theory takes her around her Upper West Side neighborhood in New York City and to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was almost a second home to Georgia, having visited favorite artists and paintings there constantly with her father. But the sketch leads right back to where she’s always belonged—with the people who love her no matter what.”

Hold Fast Blue Balliett

Publisher’s Description: “Where is Early’s father? He’s not the kind of father who would disappear. But he’s gone . . . and he’s left a whole lot of trouble behind. As danger closes in, Early, her mom, and her brother have to flee their apartment. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to move into a city shelter.

Once there, Early starts asking questions and looking for answers. Because her father hasn’t disappeared without a trace. There are patterns and rhythms to what’s happened, and Early might be the only one who can use them to track him down and make her way out of a very tough place. With her signature, singular love of language and sense of mystery, Blue Balliett weaves a story that takes readers from the cold, snowy Chicago streets to the darkest corner of the public library, on an unforgettable hunt for deep truths and a reunited family.”

The Secret Key (Agatha Oddly, Book 1) Lena Jones

Publisher’s Description: “Meet thirteen-year-old Agatha Oddly – a bold, determined heroine, and the star of a stylish new detective series.

Agatha Oddlow has been a detective for as long as she can remember – she’s just been waiting for her first big case. And nothing gets bigger than saving the City of London from some strange goings-on.

With a scholarship to the prestigious St Regis School, a cottage in the middle of Hyde Park, a room full of beloved sleuthing novels, and a secret key that gives her access to a whole hidden side of London, Agatha is perfectly poised to solve the mystery of what’s going on. But just who can she trust when no one is quite who they seem…”

Mysterious Benedict Society Trenton Lee Stewart

Publisher’s Description: “‘Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?’ Dozens of children respond to this peculiar newspaper ad and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children—two boys and two girls—succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it, they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they’ll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you’re gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help.”

Liar and Spy Rebecca Stead

Publisher’s Description: “The first day Georges (the S is silent) moves into a new Brooklyn apartment, he sees a sign taped to a door in the basement: SPY CLUB MEETING—TODAY!   That’s how he meets his twelve-year-old neigh­bor Safer. He and Georges quickly become allies—and fellow spies. Their assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. But as Safer’s requests become more and more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: how far is too far to go for your only friend?”

Every Missing Piece Melanie Conklin

Publisher’s Description: “Maddy Gaines sees danger everywhere she looks: at the bus stop, around the roller rink, in the woods, and (especially) by the ocean. When Maddy meets a mysterious boy setting booby traps in the North Carolina woods, she suspects is Billy Holcomb–the boy who went missing in the fall. As Maddy tries to uncover the truth about Billy Holcomb, ghosts from her own past surface, her best friend starts to slip away, and Maddy’s world tilts once again. Can she put the pieces of her life back together, even if some of them are lost forever?”

The Westing Game Ellen Raskin

Publisher’s Description: “A bizarre chain of events begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing’s will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer—to inherit his vast fortune, one thing’s for sure: Sam Westing may be dead … but that won’t stop him from playing one last game!”

Million Dollar Race Matthew Ross Smith

Publisher’s Description: “Grant Falloon isn’t just good at track; he’s close to breaking the world record 100-meter time for his age group. So when the mega-rich Babblemoney sneaker company announces an international competition to find the fastest kid in the world, he’s desperate to sign up.

But not so fast. Nothing’s ever that easy with the eccentric Falloon family. Turns out, his non-conformist parents never got him a legal birth certificate. He can’t race for the United States, so now if he wants to compete, he may just have to invent his own country.

And even if that plan works, winning gold will mean knocking his best friend—and biggest competitor—Jay, out of the competition. As unexpected hurdles arise, Grant will have to ask not only if winning is possible, but what he’s willing to sacrifice for it.”

Summer of Lost and Found Rebecca Behrens

Publisher’s Description: “Nell Dare expected to spend her summer vacation hanging out with her friends in New York City. That is, until her botanist mom dragged her all the way to Roanoke Island for a research trip. To make matters worse, her father suddenly and mysteriously leaves town, leaving no explanation or clues as to where he went—or why.

While Nell misses the city—and her dad—a ton, it doesn’t take long for her to become enthralled with the mysteries of Roanoke and its lost colony. And when Nell meets Ambrose, a quirky historical reenactor, they start exploring for clues as to what really happened to the lost colonists. As Nell and Ambrose’s discoveries of tantalizing evidence mount, mysterious things begin to happen. And someone—or something—is keeping watch over their quest for answers.

It looks like Nell will get the adventurous summer she was hoping for, and she will discover secrets not only about Roanoke, but about herself.”

Holes Louis Sachar

Publisher’s Description: “Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes.

It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.”

Emperor’s Riddle Kat Zhang

Publisher’s Description: “Mia Chen is on what her mother calls a Grand Adventure. She’s not sure what to make of this family trip to China, and didn’t want to leave her friends for the summer, but she’s excited about the prospect of exploring with her Aunt Lin, the only adult who truly understands her.

Then Aunt Lin disappears, right after her old nemesis, a man named Ying, comes to visit. Mia knows that years ago, when Aunt Lin and Ying were sent to the Fuzhou countryside to work as laborers, the two searched for an ancient treasure together—one that still hasn’t been found. She’s suspicious that their shared history might be linked to Aunt Lin’s disappearance.

When Mia discovers an old map filled with riddles in Aunt Lin’s room, she quickly pieces together her mission: find the treasure, find her aunt. Now, Mia, along with her big brother, Jake, must solve the clues to rescue the person she knows best in the world—and maybe unearth a treasure greater than her wildest dreams.”

Linked Gordon Korman

Publisher’s Description: “Link, Michael, and Dana live in a quiet town. But it’s woken up very quickly when someone sneaks into school and vandalizes it with a swastika.

Nobody can believe it. How could such a symbol of hate end up in the middle of their school? Who would do such a thing?

Because Michael was the first person to see it, he’s the first suspect. Because Link is one of the most popular guys in school, everyone’s looking to him to figure it out. And because Dana’s the only Jewish girl in the whole town, everyone’s treating her more like an outsider than ever.

The mystery deepens as more swastikas begin to appear. Some students decide to fight back and start a project to bring people together instead of dividing them further. The closer Link, Michael, and Dana get to the truth, the more there is to face-not just the crimes of the present, but the crimes of the past.”

The Great Greene Heist Varian Johnson

Publisher’s Description: “Jackson Greene swears he’s given up scheming. Then school bully Keith Sinclair announces he’s running for Student Council president, against Jackson’s former friend Gaby de la Cruz. Gaby wants Jackson to stay out of it — but he knows Keith has “connections” to the principal, which could win him the presidency no matter the vote count. So Jackson assembles a crack team: Hashemi Larijani, tech genius. Victor Cho, bankroll. Megan Feldman, science goddess. Charlie de la Cruz, reporter. Together they devise a plan that will take down Keith, win Gaby’s respect, and make sure the election is done right. If they can pull it off, it will be remembered as the school’s greatest con ever — one worthy of the name THE GREAT GREENE HEIST.”

OCDaniel Wesley King

Then Daniel gets a note: “I need your help,” it says, signed, Fellow Star Child—whatever that means. And suddenly Daniel, a total no one at school, is swept up in a mystery that might change everything for him.”

All the Greys on Greene Street Laura Tucker

Publisher’s Description: “SoHo, 1981. Twelve-year-old Olympia is an artist–and in her neighborhood, that’s normal. Her dad and his business partner Apollo bring antique paintings back to life, while her mother makes intricate sculptures in a corner of their loft, leaving Ollie to roam the streets of New York with her best friends Richard and Alex, drawing everything that catches her eye. Then everything falls apart. Ollie’s dad disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her only a cryptic note and instructions to destroy it. Her mom has gone to bed, and she’s not getting up. Apollo is hiding something, Alex is acting strange, and Richard has questions about the mysterious stranger he saw outside. And someone keeps calling, looking for a missing piece of art. . . Olympia knows her dad is the key–but first, she has to find him, and time is running out.”

Footer Davis is Probably Crazy Susan Vaught

Publisher’s Description: “Here are some things that are true about Footer Davis: 1. She has a BB gun named Louise. 2. Walruses freak her out. 3. Her mom has bipolar disorder.

But she wants you to know that it’s not that big a deal. She’s just Mom, and usually she’s fine except sometimes when she doesn’t take her pills. But right now what’s most important to Footer is what happened to those kids at the Abrams farm. See, there was a fire there a few nights ago, and those kids haven’t been seen since. Pretty sure they got burned up. What Footer and Peavine—that’s her best friend—want to know is who started the fire?”

Rescue at Lake Wild Terry Lynn Johnson

Publisher’s Description: “Everyone knows that twelve-year-old Madison “Madi” Lewis is not allowed to bring home any more animals.

After she’s saved hairless mice, two birds, a rabbit, and a stray tom cat that ended up destroying the front porch, Madi’s parents decide that if they find one more stray animal in the house, she won’t be allowed to meet Jane Goodall at an upcoming gala event.

But when Madi and her two best friends, Aaron and Jack, rescue beaver kits whose mother was killed, they find themselves at the center of a local conspiracy that’s putting the beavers and their habitats in danger.

As Madi and her friends race to uncover the threat targeting the beavers, Madi must put her animal whisperer skills to the test in both raising the orphaned beaver kits  and  staying out of trouble long enough.”

Chirp Kate Messner

Mia’s change in scenery brings day camp, new friends, and time with her beloved grandmother. But Gram is convinced someone is trying to destroy her cricket farm. Is it sabotage or is Gram’s thinking impaired from the stroke she suffered months ago? Mia and her friends set out to investigate, but can they uncover the truth in time to save Gram’s farm? And will that discovery empower Mia to confront the secret she’s been hiding–and find the courage she never knew she had?”

Drew Leclair Gets a Clue Katryn Bury

Publisher’s Description: “Drew Leclair knows what it takes to be a great detective. She’s pored over the cases solved by her hero, criminal profiler Lita Miyamoto. She tracked down the graffiti artist at school, and even solved the mystery of her neighbor’s missing rabbit. But when her mother runs off to Hawaii with the school guidance counselor, Drew is shocked. How did she miss all of the clues?

Drew is determined to keep her family life a secret, even from her best friend. But when a cyberbully starts posting embarrassing rumors about other students at school, it’s only a matter of time before Drew’s secret is out.

Armed with her notebooks full of observations about her classmates, Drew knows what she has to do: profile all of the bullies in her grade to find the culprit. But being a detective is more complicated when the suspects can be your friends. Will Drew crack the case if it means losing the people she cares about most?”

The Goldfish Boy Lisa Thompson

Publisher’s Description: “Lisa Thompson’s debut novel is a page-turning mystery with an emotionally-driven, complex character study at its core — like  Rear Window  meets  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time .Matthew Corbin suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. He hasn’t been to school in weeks. His hands are cracked and bleeding from cleaning. He refuses to leave his bedroom. To pass the time, he observes his neighbors from his bedroom window, making mundane notes about their habits as they bustle about the cul-de-sac. When a toddler staying next door goes missing, it becomes apparent that Matthew was the last person to see him alive. Suddenly, Matthew finds himself at the center of a high-stakes mystery, and every one of his neighbors is a suspect. Matthew is the key to figuring out what happened and potentially saving a child’s life… but is he able to do so if it means exposing his own secrets, and stepping out from the safety of his home?”

Tornado Brain Cat Patrick

Publisher’s Description: “Things never seem to go as easily for thirteen-year-old Frankie as they do for her sister, Tess. Unlike Tess, Frankie is neurodivergent. In her case, that means she can’t stand to be touched, loud noises bother her, she’s easily distracted, she hates changes in her routine, and she has to go see a therapist while other kids get to hang out at the beach. It also means Frankie has trouble making friends. She did have one–Colette–but they’re not friends anymore. It’s complicated.

Then, just weeks before the end of seventh grade, Colette unexpectedly shows up at Frankie’s door. The next morning, Colette vanishes. Now, after losing Colette yet again, Frankie’s convinced that her former best friend left clues behind that only she can decipher, so she persuades her reluctant sister to help her unravel the mystery of Colette’s disappearance before it’s too late.”

Maizy Chen’s Last Chance Lisa Yee

Publisher’s Description: “Maizy has never been to Last Chance, Minnesota . . . until now. Her mom’s plan is just to stay for a couple weeks, until her grandfather gets better. But plans change, and as Maizy spends more time in Last Chance and at the Golden Palace—the restaurant that’s been in her family for generations—she makes some discoveries.For instance:

• You can tell a LOT about someone by the way they order food. 
• People can surprise you. Sometimes in good ways, sometimes in disappointing ways.
• And the Golden Palace has secrets…

But the more Maizy discovers, the more questions she has. Like, why are her mom and her grandmother always fighting? Who are the people in the photographs on the office wall? And when she discovers that a beloved family treasure has gone missing—and someone has left a racist note—Maizy decides it’s time to find the answers.”

The Dark Stairs (Herculeah Jones Mystery) Betsy Byars

Publisher’s Description: “Mystery is in Herculeah Jones’s blood. How could it not be, with a father on the police force and a mother who’s a private eye? So when Herculeah notices a man hanging around the “Dead Oaks” mansion, she can’t resist doing some investigating of her own. Legend has it the old estate was the site of a murder, and now it looks like there’s something even more nefarious going on. Can Herculeah crack the case before the mystery man closes in on her?”

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle Leslie Conner

Publisher’s Description: “Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone knows he can barely read or write. Mason’s learning disabilities are compounded by grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason’s best friend, Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family’s orchard.

An investigation drags on, and Mason, honest as the day is long, can’t understand why Lieutenant Baird won’t believe the story Mason has told about that day.

Both Mason and his new friend, tiny Calvin Chumsky, are relentlessly bullied by the other boys in their neighborhood, so they create an underground haven for themselves. When Calvin goes missing, Mason finds himself in trouble again. He’s desperate to figure out what happened to Calvin and, eventually, Benny.

But will anyone believe him?”

High Rise Mysteries Sharna Jackson

Publisher’s Description: “The detective duo everyone is dying to meet! Summer in London is hot, the hottest on record, and there’s been a murder in THE TRI: the high-rise home to resident know-it-alls, Nik and Norva. Who better to solve the case? Armed with curiosity, home-turf knowledge and unlimited time – until the end of the summer holidays anyway.”

Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death Ray Jess Keating

Publisher’s Description: “There are only so many times a kid can invent an instrument of global destruction without getting grounded. So when Nikki’s death ray accidentally blows up her bedroom (if you can call a pet ferret with an itchy trigger finger an accident), she’s sent to the only place that can handle her. Genius Academy is a school for history’s greatest brains. Leo da Vinci? Charlotte Darwin? Bert Einstein? All extraordinary. Yet even among her fellow prodigies, Nikki feels like an outsider thanks to a terrible secret she can’t let anyone discover. Ever.

But when her death ray is stolen, Nikki must stop worrying about fitting in and learn to play nice with her new classmates. Because it doesn’t take a genius to track a thief around the world, outwit the authorities, and keep a French fry-fanatic ferret happy. It takes all of them.”

Tangled Up in Luck Merrill Wyatt

Publisher’s Description: “If you told Sloane Osburn and Amelia Miller-Poe that they’d be hiding in their town cemetery from an evil mastermind, they would have been hard-pressed to believe you. If you also told them that person was intent on beating them to a cache of long-lost jewels using nothing more than a slingshot and wicked aim, they’d have been sure you got your facts wrong. Finally, if you told them they’d be doing all of this as friends…well, they would have been sure you needed medical attention.

Whether through serendipity (really, really good luck) or zemblanity (really, really bad luck), someone tricked their teacher into using their seventh-grade class to investigate the mystery of their town’s long-missing treasure. From there, things have escalated. Quickly. Now, the girls are stuck hiding behind a gravestone, dodging acorns (who knew acorns could be so threatening?), and just a few clues short of those jewels.

It’s up to these enemies-turned-partners to uncover centuries-old clues to find the treasure at the end of this book before the mysterious person on their trail can get to it first…”

Crown Heist Deron R. Hicks

Publisher’s Description: “No matter how dangerous his adventures have been, Art has always been able to count on his best friend, Camille. Now that Camille is meeting her estranged father, Art wants to be there for her—which means going to London.   But Camille’s history professor father, renowned for expertise in British legend, is missing. When they visit his apartment, Art and Camille find a long-missing object that suggests the professor could be in trouble and solving a mystery related to London’s history. 

Follow Art and Camille as they visit the Tower of London, National Portrait Gallery, and ride the “tube” in hopes of uncovering the truth before it’s too late.”

Absolutely Truly Heather Vogel Frederick

Publisher’s Description: “Now that Truly Lovejoy’s father has been injured by an IED in Afghanistan and is having trouble finding work back home, the family moves from Texas to tiny Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire, to take over Lovejoy’s Books, a struggling bookstore that’s been in the family for one hundred years. With two older brothers and two younger sisters clamoring for attention, her mother back in school, and everyone up to their eyebrows trying to keep Lovejoy’s Books afloat, Truly feels more overlooked than usual. So she pours herself into uncovering the mystery of an undelivered letter she finds stuck in a valuable autographed first edition of  Charlotte’s Web , which subsequently goes missing from the bookshop. What’s inside the envelope leads Truly and her new Pumpkin Falls friends on a madcap treasure hunt around town, chasing clues that could spell danger.”

A Properly Unhaunted Place William Alexander

Publisher’s Description: “Rosa Ramona Díaz has a very special talent. She comes from a family of librarians who specialize in ghost appeasement. So she can’t understand why her mother has moved them to Ingot, the world’s only unhaunted town. What are they supposed to do there, with no poltergeists to quiet and no specters to soothe? Frankly, Rosa doesn’t think anyone should want to live in a place where the biggest attraction is a woefully inaccurate Renaissance Festival.

But Jasper Chevalier has always lived in Ingot, working at the festival while his parents hold court. Jasper has never seen a ghost, and can’t imagine his unhaunted town any other way…until an angry apparition thunders into the fairgrounds and turns Ingot upside down. Jasper is astonished…and Rosa is delighted.

Mist is building in the hills, and something otherworldly is about to be unleashed. Rosa will need all her ghost appeasement tools—and a little help from Jasper—to try to rein in the angry ghosts in this hilariously spooky adventure.”

Framed! James Ponti

Publisher’s Description: “So you’re only halfway through your homework and the Director of the FBI keeps texting you for help…What do you do? Save your grade? Or save the country? If you’re Florian Bates, you figure out a way to do both. Florian is twelve years old and has just moved to Washington. He’s learning his way around using TOAST, which stands for the  Theory of All Small Things . It’s a technique he invented to solve life’s little mysteries such as: where to sit on the on the first day of school, or which Chinese restaurant has the best eggrolls. But when he teaches it to his new friend Margaret, they uncover a mystery that isn’t little. In fact, it’s HUGE, and it involves the National Gallery, the FBI, and a notorious crime syndicate known as EEL. Can Florian decipher the clues  and  finish his homework in time to help the FBI solve the case?”

If You Find This Matthew Baker

Publisher’s Description: “Nicholas is a math and music genius with no friends and a huge problem: His father has lost his job, and they’ll have to sell their house, which holds the only memory Nicholas has of his younger brother. Just in time, Nicholas’s senile grandfather arrives, filled with tales of priceless treasure he has hidden somewhere in town–but where?”

Zora & Me Victoria Bond

Publisher’s Description: “Whether she’s telling the truth or stretching it, Zora Neale Hurston is a riveting storyteller. Her latest creation is a shape-shifting gator man who lurks in the marshes, waiting to steal human souls. But when boastful Sonny Wrapped loses a wrestling match with an elusive alligator named Ghost — and a man is found murdered by the railroad tracks soon after — young Zora’s tales of a mythical evil creature take on an ominous and far more complicated complexion, jeopardizing the peace and security of an entire town and forcing three children to come to terms with the dual-edged power of pretending.”

Guys Read: Thriller Jon Scieszka

Publisher’s Description: “A body on the tracks

A teenage terrorist

A mysterious wish-granting machine

The world’s worst private detective

The second volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading is chock-full of mystery, intrigue, and nefarious activity. Featuring some of the best writers around, and compiled by certified guy Jon Scieszka,  Guys Read: Thriller  is a pulse-pounding collection of brand-new short stories, each one guaranteed to keep you riveted until the final page.

Finding Mighty Sheela Chari

Publisher’s Description: “Along the train lines north of New York City, 12-year-old neighbors Myla and Peter search for the link between Myla’s necklace and the disappearance of Peter’s brother, Randall. Thrown into a world of parkour, graffiti, and diamond smuggling, Myla and Peter encounter a band of thugs who are after the same thing as Randall. Can Myla and Peter find Randall before it’s too late and their shared family secrets threaten to destroy them all?”

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place Julie Berry

Publisher’s Description: “There’s a murderer on the loose―but that doesn’t stop the girls of St. Etheldreda’s from attempting to hide the death of their headmistress in this rollicking farce.

The students of St. Etheldreda’s School for Girls face a bothersome dilemma. Their irascible headmistress, Mrs. Plackett, and her surly brother, Mr. Godding, have been most inconveniently poisoned at Sunday dinner. Now the school will almost certainly be closed and the girls sent home―unless these seven very proper young ladies can hide the murders and convince their neighbors that nothing is wrong.”

The Mysterious Howling: Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 1 Maryrose Wood

Publisher’s Description: “Discovered in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children. Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. A recent graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must eliminate their canine tendencies.

But mysteries abound at Ashton Place: Who are these three wild creatures? Why does Old Timothy, the coachman, lurk around every corner? Will Penelope be able to civilize the Incorrigibles in time for Lady Constance’s holiday ball? And what on earth is a schottische?”

Moon Over Manifest Clare Vanderpool

Publisher’s Description: “Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.

Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”

Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.”

Spirit Hunters Ellen Oh

Publisher’s Description: “Harper doesn’t trust her new home from the moment she steps inside, and the rumors are that the Raine family’s new house is haunted. Harper isn’t sure she believes those rumors, until her younger brother, Michael, starts acting strangely.

The whole atmosphere gives Harper a sense of déjà vu, but she can’t remember why. She knows that the memories she’s blocking will help make sense of her brother’s behavior and the strange and threatening sensations she feels in this house, but will she be able to put the pieces together in time?”

Amazon | Goodreads **NOTE: This book is considered middle-grade horror

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle Janet Fox

Publisher’s Description: ““Keep calm and carry on.”  That’s what Katherine Bateson’s father told her, and that’s what she’s trying to do:  when her father goes off to the war, when her mother sends Kat and her brother and sister away from London to escape the incessant bombing, even when the children arrive at Rookskill Castle, an ancient, crumbling manor on the misty Scottish highlands.   But it’s hard to keep calm in the strange castle that seems haunted by ghosts or worse.  What’s making those terrifying screeches and groans at night?  Why do the castle’s walls seem to have a mind of their own?  And why do people seem to mysteriously appear and disappear?   Kat believes she knows the answer: Lady Eleanor, who rules Rookskill Castle, is harboring a Nazi spy. But when her classmates begin to vanish, one by one, Kat must uncover the truth about what the castle actually harbors—and who Lady Eleanor really is—before it’s too late.”

York: Shadow Cipher Laura Ruby

Publisher’s Description: “It was 1798 when the Morningstarr twins arrived in New York with a vision for a magnificent city: towering skyscrapers, dazzling machines, and winding train lines, all running on technology no one had ever seen before.

Fifty-seven years later, the enigmatic architects disappeared, leaving behind for the people of New York the Old York Cipher—a puzzle laid into the shining city they constructed, at the end of which was promised a treasure beyond all imagining. By the present day, however, the puzzle has never been solved, and the greatest mystery of the modern world is little more than a tourist attraction.

Tess and Theo Biedermann and their friend Jaime Cruz live in a Morningstarr apartment—until a real estate developer announces that the city has agreed to sell him the five remaining Morningstarr buildings. Their likely destruction means the end of a dream long held by the people of New York.

And if Tess, Theo, and Jaime want to save their home, they have to prove that the Old York Cipher is real. Which means they have to solve it.

Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave Deron R. Hicks

Publsiher’s Description: “Twelve-year-old Colophon Letterford has a serious mystery on her hands. Will she discover the link between her family’s literary legacy and Shakespeare’s tomb before it’s too late? Antique paintings, secret passages, locked mausoleums, a four-hundred-year-old treasure, and a cast of quirky (and some ignoble) characters all add up to a fun original adventure. Readers will revel in a whirlwind journey through literary time and space in real-world locales from Mont St. Michel to Stratford-Upon-Avon to Central Park!”

Catch You Later Traitor Avi

Publisher’s Description: “It’s 1951, and twelve-year-old Pete Collison is a regular kid who loves detective stories and radio crime dramas. When an FBI agent shows up at Pete’s doorstep, accusing Pete’s father of being a Communist, Pete is caught in a real-life mystery. Could there really be Commies in his family?”

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street Lindsay Currie

Publisher’s Description: “Tessa Woodward isn’t exactly thrilled to move to rainy, cold Chicago from her home in sunny Florida. But homesickness turns to icy fear when unexplainable things start happening in her new house. Things like flickering lights, mysterious drawings appearing out of nowhere, and a crackling noise she can feel in her bones.

When her little brother’s doll starts crying real tears, Tessa realizes that someone—or something—is trying to communicate with her. And it involves a secret that’s been shrouded in mystery for more than one hundred years.

With the help of three new friends, Tessa begins unraveling the mystery of what happened in the house on Shady Street—and more importantly, what it has to do with her!”

Clara Voyant Rachelle Delaney

Publisher’s Description: “Clara can’t believe her no-nonsense grandmother has just up and moved to Florida, leaving Clara and her mother on their own for the first time. This means her mother can finally “follow her bliss,” which involves moving to a tiny apartment in Kensington Market, working at a herbal remedy shop and trying to develop her so-called mystical powers. Clara tries to make the best of a bad situation by joining the newspaper staff at her new middle school, where she can sharpen her investigative journalistic skills and tell the kind of hard-news stories her grandmother appreciated. But the editor relegates her to boring news stories and worse . . . the horoscopes.

Worse yet, her horoscopes come true, and soon everyone at school is talking about Clara Voyant, the talented fortune-teller. Clara is horrified — horoscopes and clairvoyance aren’t real, she insists, just like her grandmother always told her. But when a mystery unfolds at school, she finds herself in a strange situation: having an opportunity to prove herself as an investigative journalist . . . with the help of her own mystical powers.”

The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit Octavia Spencer

Publisher’s Description: “Deer Creek is a small town whose only hope for survival is the success of their Founder’s Day Festival. But the festival’s main attraction, a time capsule that many people believe hold the town’s treasure, has gone missing.

Twelve-year-old Randi Rhodes and her best friend, D.C., are Bruce Lee–inspired ninjas and local detectives determined to solve the case. Even if it means investigating a haunted cabin and facing mean old Angus McCarthy, prime suspect.

They have three days to find the treasure…the future of their whole town is at stake! Will these kids be able to save the day?”

The Wig in the Window Kristen Kittscher

Publisher’s Description: “Sophie and Grace have made a game out of spying on their neighbors. On one of their midnight stakeouts, they witness a terrifying scene at the home of their bizarre middle-school counselor Dr. Charlotte Agford (also known as Dr. Awkward).

At least, they think they do. When the girls are proven wrong, they are still convinced that Dr. Agford is hiding a terrible secret—and they’re determined to find out what it is. Soon the girls are breaking secret codes, being followed by a strange blue car, and tailing strangers with unibrows and Texas accents. But as their investigation heats up, Sophie and Grace start to crack under the pressure. Will solving the case destroy their friendship?”

To Catch a Cheat Varian Johnson

Publisher’s Description: “Jackson Greene is riding high. He is officially retired from conning, so Principal Kelsey is (mostly) off his back. His friends have great new projects of their own. And he’s been hanging out a lot with Gaby de la Cruz, so he thinks maybe, just maybe, they’ll soon have their first kiss.

Then Jackson receives a link to a faked security video that seems to show him and the rest of Gang Greene flooding the school gym. The jerks behind the video threaten to pass it to the principal — unless Jackson steals an advance copy of the school’s toughest exam. So Gang Greene reunites for their biggest job yet. To get the test and clear their names, they’ll have to outrun the school’s security cameras, outwit a nosy member of the Honor Board, and outmaneuver the blackmailers while setting a trap for them in turn. And as they execute another exciting caper full of twists and turns, they’ll prove that sometimes it takes a thief to catch a cheat.”

The Riverman Aaron Starmer

Publisher’s Description: “Alistair Cleary is the kid who everyone trusts. Fiona Loomis is  not  the typical girl next door. Alistair hasn’t really thought of her since they were little kids until she shows up at his doorstep with a proposition: she wants him to write her biography. What begins as an odd vanity project gradually turns into a frightening glimpse into the mind of a potentially troubled girl. Fiona says that in her basement, there’s a portal that leads to a magical world where a creature called the Riverman is stealing the souls of children. And Fiona’s soul could be next. If Fiona really believes what she’s saying, Alistair fears she may be crazy. But if it’s true, her life could be at risk. In this novel from Aaron Starmer, it’s up to Alistair to separate fact from fiction, fantasy from reality.”

Skink: No Surrender Carl Hiaasen

Publisher’s Description: “Classic Malley: her parents are about to ship her off to boarding school, so she takes off with some guy she met online… Poor Richard: he’s less of a rebel than Malley, and a lot less trusting. He knows his cousin is in trouble before she does. Wild Skink: he’s a ragged, one-eyed, ex-governor of Florida, and enough of a renegade to think he can track Malley down. With Richard riding shotgun, this unlikely pair scour the state, undaunted by blinding storms, crazed pigs, flying bullets, and giant gators.    

In Carl Hiaasen’s outrageous, hilarious, and wildly dangerous state of Florida, there are a million places an outlaw might stash a teenage girl. A million unpleasant ways to die. And two who will risk everything to rescue a friend . . . and to, hopefully, exact a bit of swamp justice.”

The House of Dies Drear Virginia Hamilton

Publisher’s Description: “The house held secrets, Thomas knew, even before he first saw it looming gray and massive on its ledge of rock. It had a century-old legend—two fugitive slaves had been killed by bounty hunters after leaving its passageways, and Dies Drear himself, the abolitionist who had made the house into a station on the Underground Railroad, had been murdered there. The ghosts of the three were said to walk its rooms…”

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus Dusti Bowling

Publisher’s Description: “Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again.

Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms.”

Chasing Secrets Gennifer Choldenko

Publisher’s Description: “San Francisco, 1900. The Gilded Age. A fantastic time to be alive for lots of people . . . but not thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, stuck at Miss Barstow’s snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Lizzie lives to go on house calls with her physician father. On those visits to his patients, she discovers a hidden dark side of the city—a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague.

The newspapers, her powerful uncle, and her beloved papa all deny that the plague has reached San Francisco. So why is the heart of the city under quarantine? Why are angry mobs trying to burn Chinatown to the ground? Why is Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, suddenly making Lizzie question everything she has known to be true? Ignoring the rules of race and class, Lizzie and Noah must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people they love.”

Fuzzy Mud Louis Sachar

Publisher’s Description: “ They got lost . The world got scared. And the mud got fuzzy. Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Hilligas challenges Marshall to a fight.   To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined. What they uncover might affect the future of the world.”

Swift and Hawk: Cyberspies Logan Macx

Publisher’s Description: “When their families are violently kidnapped, Swift and Hawk—teen experts in AI and robotics—are plunged into a life-or-death rescue mission by the secretive Möbius group. Their journey takes them from hidden tunnels beneath the British Museum to the dangerous docklands of Amsterdam in search of the mysterious ship  Nightfall . Caught in a treacherous world of spies and saboteurs, Swift and Hawk will be pushed to the limit as they follow a trail that leads to the remote island of Spøkelsøy—and straight into the hands of a dark and chilling enemy.”

Inheritance Games Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher’s Description: “Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why — or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.

To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch — and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.”

Amazon | Goodreads *Recommended for upper-middle and high

By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Gone Stephanie Kuehn

Publisher’s Description: “Beatrice Fletcher is obsessed with unsolved murders in her small town of Cabot Cove, Maine like her great-aunt Jessica, the famous mystery writer. But when her best friend Jackson goes missing, this time the mystery is personal.

Then Jackson fails to show up for a late night meet-up, and instead, Bea stumbles upon three students from the elite Broadmoor Academy: overly-friendly and slightly vicious Leisl, her aloof twin brother, Leif, and Carlos, who knows more about, well, everything than he’s letting on. They’re worldly, secretive, and big on playing games like tenace, the hush-hush Broadmoor tradition where anything or anyone can be a clue to future fame and fortune, and players will stop at nothing — including murder — to get ahead.

If Bea wants to find Jackson, she too must join the game and play to win. Everyone in Cabot Cove has secrets, and it’s up to Bea to ferret them out before it’s too late in this thrilling modern update of the classic television show.”

Amazon | Goodreads *Recommended for upper middle and high

Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation Stuart Gibbs

Publisher’s Description: “Charlie Thorne is a genius. Charlie Thorne is a thief. Charlie Thorne isn’t old enough to drive. And now it’s up to her to save the world…

Decades ago, Albert Einstein devised an equation that could benefit all life on earth—or destroy it. Fearing what would happen if the equation fell into the wrong hands, he hid it.

But now, a diabolical group known as the Furies are closing in on its location. In desperation, a team of CIA agents drags Charlie into the hunt, needing her brilliance to find it first—even though this means placing her life in grave danger.

In a breakneck adventure that spans the globe, Charlie must crack a complex code created by Einstein himself, struggle to survive in a world where no one can be trusted, and fight to keep the last equation safe once and for all.”

The Invention of Hugo Cabret Brian Selznick

Publisher’s Description: “Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.”

Greetings from Witness Protection! Jake Burt

Nicki swears she can keep the Trevor family safe, but to do so she’ll have to dodge hitmen, cyberbullies, and the specter of standardized testing, all while maintaining her marshal-mandated B-minus average. As she barely balances the responsibilities of her new identity, Nicki learns that the biggest threats to her family’s security might not lurk on the road from New York to North Carolina, but rather in her own past.”

Ambrose Deception Emily Ecton

Publisher’s Description: “Not a single one of Melissa, Wilf, or Bondi’s middle school teachers would consider them a star student. Yet to everyone’s surprise, Melissa, WIlf, and Bondi are the three students chosen to compete for a ten thousand-dollar scholarship, solving clues that lead them to various locations around Chicago. None of the kids have heard of the scholarship before, but the rules seem simple enough: solve clues, take photo proof, and win money. 

At first the three contestants work independently, but it doesn’t take long before each begins to wonder whether the competition is a sham. It’s only by secretly joining forces and using their unique talents that the trio is able to uncover the truth behind the Ambrose Deception — a truth that involves a lot more than just a scholarship.”

Belly Up Stuart Gibbs

Publisher’s Description: “Twelve-year-old Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt Fitzroy has murder on his hands and trouble on his tail. He believes that Henry, the hippopotamus at the brand-new FunJungle, has been murdered. The zoo’s top brass claim the hippo went belly up the natural way, but Teddy and his feisty friend Summer McCraken have other ideas.

Could the culprit be FunJungle’s animal-hating head of operations? Or is it FunJungle’s owner—Summer’s dad—a man who is much more concerned about money than animal welfare? The deeper Teddy and Summer dig, the more danger they’re in—because when it comes to hippo homicide, the truth can’t be caged!”

Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: The Body under the Piano Marthe Jocelyn

Publisher’s Description: “Aggie Morton lives in a small town on the coast of England in 1902. Adventurous and imaginative but deeply shy, Aggie hasn’t got much to do since the death of her beloved father . . . until the fateful day when she crosses paths with twelve-year-old Belgian immigrant Hector Perot  and  discovers a dead body on the floor of the Mermaid Dance Room! As the number of suspects grows and the murder threatens to tear the town apart, Aggie and her new friend will need every tool at their disposal — including their insatiable curiosity, deductive skills and not a little help from their friends — to solve the case before Aggie’s beloved dance instructor is charged with a crime Aggie is sure she didn’t commit.”

Charlie & Frog Karen Kane

Publisher’s Description: “A smart and sensitive mystery full of heart and adventure. The short chapters of Charlie and Frog tell a big story of diversity and friendship that’s perfect for readers discovering the power of middle-grade stories.”

Into the Lion’s Den (The Devlin Quick Mysteries) Linda Fairstein

Publisher’s Description: “Someone has stolen a page from a rare book in the New York Public Library. At least, that’s what Devlin’s friend Liza  thinks  she’s seen, but she can’t be sure. Any other kid might not see a crime here, but Devlin Quick is courageous and confident, and she knows she has to bring this man to justice—even if it means breathlessly racing around the city to collect evidence. But who is this thief? And what could the page—an old map—possibly lead to? With her wits, persistence, and the help of New York City’s finest (and, okay, a little bit of help from her police commissioner mother, too), Dev and her friends piece the clues together to uncover a mystery that’s bigger than anyone expected—and more fun, too. With all of the heart-pounding excitement that made her internationally bestselling Alexandra Cooper series a hit, Linda Fairstein paves the way for another unstoppable heroine . . . even if she is only twelve.”

It Wasn’t Me Alison Levy

Publisher’s Description: “When Theo’s photography project is mysteriously vandalized at school there are five suspected students who all say “it wasn’t me.”

Theo just wants to forget about the humiliating incident but his favorite teacher is determined to get to the bottom of it and has the six of them come into school over vacation to talk. She calls it “Justice Circle.” The six students—the Nerd, the Princess, the Jock, the Screw Up, the Weirdo, and the Nobody—think of it as detention. AKA their worst nightmare.

That is until they realize they might get along after all, despite their differences. But what is everyone hiding and will school ever be the same?”

Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers Shauna Holyoak

Publisher’s Description: “When a string of dognappings grips her Denver neighborhood, Kazu Jones vows to track down the culprits. She can’t stand to see more dogs go missing-especially once her neighbors’ beloved pet is taken because of  her  gigantic mistake. With the help of her gang-including her best friend and expert hacker, March; and her ginormous, socially anxious pup, Genki-Kazu uncovers evidence that suggests the dognapping ring is bigger than she ever imagined. But the more she digs, the more dangerous her investigation becomes. The dognappers are getting bolder, and Genki could be next . . .”

The Case of the Mistaken Identity (Brixton Brothers, Book 1) Mac Barnett

Publisher’s Description: “Steve Brixton wants to be a crime-busting detective—just like his favorite crime-busting detectives, the Bailey Brothers. Turns out, though, that real life is nothing like the stories. When Steve borrows the wrong book from the library, he finds himself involved in a treasonous plot that pits him against helicopter-rappelling librarians, has him outwitting a gaggle of police, and sees him standing off against the mysterious Mr. E. And all his Bailey Brothers know-how isn’t helping at all! Worst of all, his social studies report is due Monday, and Ms. Gilfeather will  not  give him an extension!”

Nooks and Crannies Jessica Lawson

Publisher’s Description: “Sweet, shy Tabitha Crum, the neglected only child of two parents straight out of a Roald Dahl book, doesn’t have a friend in the world—except for her pet mouse, Pemberley, whom she loves dearly. But on the day she receives one of six invitations to the country estate of wealthy Countess Camilla DeMoss, her life changes forever.

Upon the children’s arrival at the sprawling, possibly haunted mansion, it turns out the countess has a very big secret—one that will change their lives forever.

Then the children beginning disappearing, one by one. So Tabitha takes a cue from her favorite detective novels and, with Pemberley by her side, attempts to solve the case and rescue the other children…who just might be her first real friends.”

Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M’Lady Luggertuck’s Corset Tom Angleberger

Publisher’s Description: “Tom Angleberger’s latest, loopiest middle-grade novel begins when M’Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset (it’s never been loosened before!), thereby setting off a chain of events in which all the strict rules of Smugwick Manor are abandoned. When, as a result of “the Loosening,” the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Luggertucks look for someone to blame. Is it Horton Halfpott, the good-natured but lowly kitchen boy who can’t tell a lie? Or one of the many colorful cast members in this silly romp of a mystery.”

Under the Egg Laura Marx Fitzgerald

Publisher’s Description: “When Theodora Tenpenny spills a bottle of rubbing alcohol on her late grandfather’s painting, she discovers what seems to be an old Renaissance masterpiece underneath. That’s great news for Theo, who’s struggling to hang onto her family’s two-hundred-year-old townhouse and support her unstable mother on her grandfather’s legacy of $463. There’s just one problem: Theo’s grandfather was a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and she worries the painting may be stolen.

With the help of some unusual new friends, Theo’s search for answers takes her all around Manhattan, and introduces her to a side of the city—and her grandfather—that she never knew. To solve the mystery, she’ll have to abandon her hard-won self-reliance and build a community, one serendipitous friendship at a time.”

Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile Marcie Wells

Publisher’s Description: “Not many sixth-graders work undercover for the NYPD, but Edmund Xavier Lonnrot, code name Eddie Red, is not just any sixth-grader. A “near-death ice cream experience” lands him as a material witness in the police station with his dad, where the NYPD first discovers Eddie’s photographic memory and uncanny sketch-artist abilities. Things get dangerous when Eddie is recruited to help track down the infamous Picasso Gang that’s casing NYC’s famous Museum Mile.”

Usual Suspects Maurice Broaddus

Publisher’s Description: “Thelonius Mitchell is tired of being labeled. He’s in special ed, separated from the “normal” kids at school who don’t have any “issues.” That’s enough to make all the teachers and students look at him and his friends with a constant side-eye. (Although his disruptive antics and pranks have given him a rep too.)”

The Detective’s Assistant Kate Hannigan

Publisher’s Description: “Eleven-year-old Nell Warne arrives on her aunt’s doorstep lugging a heavy sack of sorrows. If her Aunt Kate rejects her, it’s the miserable Home for the Friendless.

Luckily, canny Nell makes herself indispensable to Aunt Kate…and not just by helping out with household chores. For Kate Warne is the first-ever female detective employed by the legendary Pinkerton Detective Agency. And Nell has a knack for the kind of close listening and bold action that made Pinkerton detectives famous in Civil War-era America. With huge, nation-changing events simmering in the background, Nell uses skills new and old to uncover truths about her past and solve mysteries in the present.”

94. Premeditated Myrtle Elizabeth C. Bunce

Publisher’s Description: “Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England. When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes he —not even her father, the town prosecutor. With sparkling wit and a tight, twisty plot,  Premeditated Myrtle , the first in a series from an award-winning author, introduces a brilliant young investigator ready to take on hard cases and maddening Victorian rules for Young Ladies of Quality in order to earn her place among the most daring and acclaimed amateur detectives of her time or any other.”

Lizard’s Tale Weng Wai Chan

Publisher’s Description: “It’s Singapore in 1940, war is just around the corner―but 12-year-old Lizard doesn’t know that. He lives in Chinatown above a tailor’s shop, surviving on his wits and hustling for odd jobs. When he steals a small teak box containing a Japanese code book from a Raffles Hotel suite, he finds himself in a dangerous world of wartime espionage. Lizard doesn’t know who to trust. How is the mysterious book inside the box connected to his friend Lili, a girl full of secrets and fighting skills? Can he trust her, or will she betray him in the end?”

Publisher’s Description: “A sinister Problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, spirits, and specters are appearing throughout the city, and they aren’t exactly friendly. Only young people have the psychic abilities required to see-and eradicate-these supernatural foes. Many different Psychic Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business. In  The Screaming Staircase , the plucky and talented Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood, the charismatic leader of Lockwood & Co, a small agency that runs independent of any adult supervision. After an assignment leads to both a grisly discovery and a disastrous end, Lucy, Anthony, and their sarcastic colleague, George, are forced to take part in the perilous investigation of Combe Carey Hall, one of the most haunted houses in England. Will Lockwood & Co. survive the Hall’s legendary Screaming Staircase and Red Room to see another day?”

Amazon | Goodreads **Now a Netflix series

Skulduggery Pleasant Book Derek Landy

Publisher’s Description: “She’s twelve. He’s dead. But together they’re going to save the world. Hopefully.

The iconic first book in the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series.

Stephanie’s uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn’t fiction.

Pursued by evil forces, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source – the wisecracking skeleton of a dead sorcerer…”

Shadow Jumper J. M. Forster

Publisher’s Description: “The truth is out there somewhere . . . but how far is Jack willing to jump to find it? Jack Phillips’s allergy to sunshine confines him to the shadows, leaving him lonely and at risk of life-threatening burns every time he steps into the light. Shadow jumping on the rooftops at dusk makes him feel alive. And free. But Jack’s condition is suddenly worse than ever and only his missing scientist dad can save him. As Jack and his new friend, Beth, begin their frantic search and delve into his dad’s past for clues, they have no idea what they are about to uncover. Shocking rumours and dark secrets bombard them at every turn. Jack is brave on the roofs. But can he find the courage to face the truth?”

Among the Hidden Margaret Peterson Haddix

Luke has never been to school. He’s never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend’s house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend.

Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child is forbidden by the Population Police. He’s lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family’s farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

Then, one day Luke sees a girl’s face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he’s met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows — does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?”

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels Beth Lincoln

Publisher’s Description: “On the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given a name, and a definition. A definition it is assumed they will grow up to match.  Meet Shenanigan Swift: Little sister. Risk-taker. Mischief-maker. Shenanigan is getting ready for the big Swift Family Reunion and plotting her next great scheme: hunting for Grand-Uncle Vile’s long-lost treasure. She’s excited to finally meet her arriving relatives—until one of them gives Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude a deadly shove down the stairs. So what if everyone thinks she’ll never be more than a troublemaker, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can become whatever she wants, even a detective. And she’s determined to follow the twisty clues and catch the killer.”

Middle School Book Lists You Won’t Want To Miss

Over 25 biographies that will inspire your middle school students, graphic novels for middle school students, over 60 captivating books for middle school students, winter themed chapter books for middle schoolers.

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Kathy B SLP

Problem Solving Scenarios for Kids

What is Social Problem Solving?

Social problem solving is a process of recognizing difficulties and adapting or changing to resolve problems that we encounter in everyday living.  Social problem solving is an essential life skill.  Strong problem-solving skills are important in social interactions throughout life.  Young children learn social problem-solving skills like learning to share and asking for preferred items.  They learn to use the right words, tone of voice, and body language.  They also learn to read the body language and tone of voice of others.  They learn to make social inferences and understand the perspectives of others.  As children grow and develop social problem-solving skills become more complex.  Children with strong social problem-solving skills respond better to stress.  They are also more likely to be successful in personal and professional interactions as they get older.

Kids have to solve social problems throughout their days in school.  These issues range from requesting help in the classroom to joining in with a basketball game on the playground.  Kids learn many of these problem-solving skills through maturity, experience, and adult direction.  Other times more direct teaching is necessary.

How Can we help students learn Social Problem Solving Skills?

•  Teach kids to communicate their feelings in a calm way.  As adults, we know that misunderstanding causes many problems in social interactions.  Difficulty understanding the perspective of someone else also causes problems.
• Help students learn to identify problems.  Sometimes kids don’t recognize nonverbal clues that there is a social problem.
• Model social problem skills for students.  Talk about social problems that occur throughout the day.  Model social problem solving and talk about your thinking.
• Use problem-solving scenarios for kids to practice social problem-solving.  By using hypothetical problems kids can gain important social skills.

What are problem solving scenarios?

Jill’s class is on a field trip to a museum.  Jill wasn’t paying attention and lost her group.  Now she is by herself.  What is the problem?  How can Jill solve her problem? 

Your classmate is passing out cupcakes and she did not give one to you.  How do you feel?  What can you do?

Y ou are doing a math paper in class but you are confused about how to do some of it.  What can you do?

It is your birthday and your grandmother just gave you a present.  It’s a really boring sweater.  What should you do?

Your friend at school is sitting by himself at recess and looking really sad.  What can you do?  

Jack and Yasine want to play a game but they want to play different games.  They are arguing.  What can they do?

You are at a friend’s house for dinner and they are going to eat lobster.  You are allergic to lobster and shellfish.  What should you do?  What would you say?  

These are some examples of  problem solving scenario for kids.  In using scenarios, students can identify problems, talk about perspectives and come up with solutions.  There is usually not just one solution.  It is great for students to brainstorm and come up with different ways to solve problems.

Here are more problem solving scenarios for kids:

Try this fun set of problem solving scenarios with a superhero twist!

Social Skills All Year is a comprehensive set of social skills questions for the whole year.

Get ready for back-to-school with this set of back-to-school problem-solving scenarios.  

Try some of these other social problem-solving scenarios that I like:

Social and safety skill question cards

Social Skills for Teenagers

Social Skills Bundle 

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Using Detective Fiction to Reinforce Problem Solving Strategies and the Scientific Method

This curriculum unit is designed to create an introductory science unit for a seventh grade classroom using the elements in detective fiction stories. It will be an appropriate unit for any middle school science classroom and most parts of the unit could be adjusted to suit upper elementary students. The North Carolina middle school science curriculum is an integrated curriculum covering various topics in life, physical, and earth sciences throughout the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade years. However, no matter what the specific science discipline being taught at each grade level, most science teachers will spend at least some time introducing basic process skills in science. As a means of introducing and/or improving those basic process skills, I will be using a combination of science activities and short detective fiction to reinforce concepts and skills needed at all levels of science learning.

The students at my school come from a very wide range of backgrounds. Our students are about 60% Caucasian, 30% African-American, and 10% Hispanic and other minorities. There are a few students in my classes who come in speaking no English at all, so for those students, I will need to make alternate plans for the actual literature portion of this unit. I see few problems with the observation activities. I always group the students so that there are English learners with the English speakers who can guide them through the activities.

This is a unit meant to integrate the science and language arts curriculum as well. I always aim to show students that the different classes they take are not meant to be separate cubbyholes of knowledge, but that all of their classes do have connections to each other. This unit will help students to see those connections and hopefully help them have a better understanding overall.

Introduction

See Spot run! Look at Jane jump! Watch the bird fly! See, look, watch - OBSERVE! The most basic of our senses - our sense of sight - is almost always the first one used in any situation. All of the primary readers used when I was first learning to read emphasized that skill. Even though sight is the first and most basic of our senses, it is rarely used to its best potential, especially among middle school students. The first activities we do at the beginning of the year are working on observation skills. It seems like such an easy thing, but students almost never observe all the details in even the simplest task. Observation is the very backbone of science investigations, and my unit using detective fiction will be meant to enhance that skill. The use of detective stories will help students to become "thinkers" by focusing on clues, logic, and problem solving methods. Detectives are, after all, scientists who must use the scientific method and make observations and then make inferences based on those observations. Using those inferences, detectives must then provide a theory and then continue gathering data (evidence) to prove the theory. The popularity of forensic-based television shows over the last few years has raised the interest of students in this kind of topic. Hopefully, this unit will provide an opportunity for students to make real world connections to the things they see on TV. A good portion of the science learned in the twentieth century was devoted to the catching of criminals. (Evans 1) Although technology has come way beyond what anyone could have imagined a hundred years ago, good old fashioned observation remains the key to successful crime solving. "But although Sherlock Holmes would have been flabbergasted by such quantum leaps [in technology] at least one of his principles remains intact: observation." (Evans 2)

While the primary goal for this unit will be enhancing the students' observation skills and general problem solving skills, I will make some reference to forensics and genetics activities that can be used with this unit. Those two topics can lend themselves to their own very extensive curriculum units. Although I had originally planned for this unit to focus on genetics, I found it very difficult to find the right piece of literature. The earlier detective novels will not have the forensic components best used in a science class. The more recent novels, which furnish great references to genetic clues, most specifically blood, have a content that is almost always extremely violent and would, I believe, be inappropriate for middle schoolers. So for this unit I have decided to focus on the powers of observation best used by Sherlock Holmes. The only drawback is that I will have to spend some time discussing the language and style used in Victorian era writing, which will be difficult for most of my students. This very difficulty, however, will be a great asset for an across-the-curriculum unit.

Inductive vs. Deductive Reasoning

Sherlock Holmes is quite fond of saying something along the lines of "I deduced it." Impressive powers of logic and reason are well known characteristics of the famous detective. His great skill at deduction is mentioned in almost all of the Holmes stories by his friend and assistant Dr. Watson. (Interestingly, the phrase, "Elementary, my dear Watson," never appears in any of Doyle's books, only in the movies.) Although his powers of deduction are legendary, his reasoning skills are very often inductive. So what is the difference?

Deduction and induction will arrive at the same conclusion usually, but the conclusion is arrived at in two very different ways. They are actually considered to be opposite from each other. Induction argues from observation and specific instances. Repeated observations gradually build up to an understanding of how something works. Induction is not a valid method of proof, but does help in the forming of ideas. Using inquiry as an approach to teaching science is done by inductive processes. Inquiry is defined as the process of gathering information and observations to solve problems of interest. Deduction argues from already known laws or principles. If the conclusion is correctly based on already proven facts, then the conclusion must also be true. Deduction is the direct application of prior knowledge to the creation of new knowledge.

The difference between deductive and inductive reasoning in a science class may be illustrated this way. A student drops a piece of granite into a tank of water and observes that it sinks. After doing this several times with various sizes of granite, he will notice that the granite sinks each time and will conclude that granite will always sink in water. This is inductive. Another student may say that granite is denser than water and therefore it will always sink. This is deductive. It is based on a prior knowledge of the density of granite and of water. However, the first student may then conclude that all rocks will sink in water, when, in fact, they do not. Pumice, for example, is less dense than water. So inductive reasoning may not always lead to a valid conclusion. The student with prior knowledge of density would know that rocks would have various densities and would not have drawn the conclusion that all rocks will sink in water.

Now back to Holmes' deduction. As I stated before, Holmes' deductive abilities are typically the focus of interest in those stories. However, much of what he does is inductive reasoning. For example, in "A Scandal in Bohemia," Holmes sets up Irene Adler with the threat of a fire, which is staged. His purpose in doing this is because he believes women will immediately, in event of a fire, go to retrieve their most prized possession. For mothers, it would obviously be the children. In the absence of children, other women would go straight to gather that most valued object before leaving the premises. While Ms. Adler did indeed go to retrieve the object Holmes was in search of, his reasoning would not be a valid method of proof for all women's behavior in the event of a fire. In Holmes' initial observations of new clients, the clients are generally shocked at the information he gains about them based solely on their appearance at that moment. Most of those initial inferences, however, would be inductive in nature, and not deductive. In the cases where Holmes has knowledge of a particular type of soil or a particular type of cloth, his reasoning would be deductive, but that kind of prior scientific knowledge only pertains to a portion of his analysis of people and situations.

The North Carolina science standards - which correlate closely with the national standards - that this unit will address include: designing and conducting investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry, making inferences from data, thinking critically and logically to bridge the relationships between evidence and explanations, and recognizing and evaluating alternative explanations. All of these fall under the heading of "Science as Inquiry," which focuses on process skills to support development of reasoning and problem solving abilities. The National Research Council states that "scientific inquiry refers to the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work." In 1910, John Dewey criticized the state of science education as just getting students to memorize a collection of facts. He argued that science should be taught as a way of thinking or as a process. Using detective fiction to teach process skills in science will help in teaching students new ways of thinking. Many critics of current education practices complain that students no longer know how to "think." This unit is meant to address some of those concerns.

In addition to the science standards, this unit will also address some of the language arts standards in our state. These will include refining and understanding the use of argument, exploring and evaluating the problem solution process, and studying the characteristics of literary genres. Reading detective fiction will also allow students to draw inferences and conclusions, and give them the chance to study the characteristics specific to the mystery genre. Although I have concerns about the style of writing and Victorian language that the students most likely have limited experience with, I hope to use the text as an opportunity to discuss the use of context clues and discuss the way language changes through history.

My particular school is a sixth throught eighth grade middle school with approximately twelve hundred students. I teach on an A day/B day block schedule and I typically have 28-34 students in a class, for an average total of 180 students. Middle school science classes in my district are heterogeneously grouped, which means that I can have the highest achievers, the learning disabled, and ESL (English as a Second Language) students all in the same class. This requires a great deal of creativity, differentiated instruction, and advance planning. This unit will utilize strategies that can be differentiated to be used in small groups, but can also lend themselves to whole class discussions easily.

The emphasis in middle school in our state has always been on math and language arts instruction. End of the year testing is focused on those two subjects. While we do test in science and social studies, the scores on those tests do not count toward our accountability goals, so because there is less pressure on science and social studies teachers, we sometimes feel as though we are teaching elective classes. The focus on math and language arts is also in the elementary schools, where science is taught "if there is time." Very often students come to middle school with little to no science background. Science content we used to assume students would have when coming to middle school is no longer part of their prior knowledge. We now have to assume zero background in science content. Fortunately, the attitude towards science education is changing, and science will be tested in fifth and eighth grades starting next year.

One of the strategies I have employed in the last few years in an effort to make science more relevant in middle school is to create interdisciplinary units. I have learned how to engage other teachers in this and it has been successful for most of us. I will be discussing one idea for an integrated part of this unit.

These activities are planned as the introductory unit in my science class, to occur right at the beginning of the year. I always start with general process skills, which include making observations, inferences, predictions, and hypotheses. This unit will begin with a series of short lab activities that will involve making observations and inferences. Once students have a good background on what makes a good observation, I will introduce very short elementary mystery stories that I will read aloud, having students write down their observations while I read. We will then begin discussions of inferences they can make based on their observations. The number one rule for inferences is that they must be logical. They are not necessarily fact until further observations can be made. Students will be given practice in proving whether or not their inferences are correct.

One of the skills tested in North Carolina is listening skills, and students always score lower on this test than on any other reading comprehension type of test. Even the typical above average student tends to score poorly on that test. I expect the read aloud activity to help with those scores.

Students will eventually be assigned a short story in the detective fiction genre. I have chosen the short story "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle because this will give students the opportunity to use clues and make inferences to try to solve a mystery story. Although the crime does involve a murder, there is not a lot of violent detail and body fluids are not involved. Forty-eight of Doyle's stories, including this one, are no longer protected by copyright, so getting copies for all of my students is not an issue. Sherlock Holmes is considered one of the earliest forensic scientists in fiction and many of his methods were used in more modern police training.

Classroom Activities

Differentiating between qualitative and quantitative observations.

Students will learn the difference between a qualitative and a quantitative observation. Students will be given about three minutes to make as many observations of the classroom as they can. After they have written down their observations, I will have them call out their observations one at a time. I will put them into two different sections on the overhead. Observations with numbers will be in one column and descriptive observations will be in the other column. After there are several examples in each column, I will ask them if they can tell the difference between the two types of observations. Eventually they understand the root words quality and quantity and they then have an understanding of the difference between qualitative and quantitative observations. Both have an important place in science skills.

Activity: There are actually two relatively short activities involved here. The first is one in which students will be given a piece of hard candy and asked to use all of their senses to describe it. This is strictly a lesson in qualitative observations. They are to be as descriptive as possible. We will discuss commercials in which a lot of similes and metaphors are used in order to describe a product. Each student is to write a descriptive paragraph of the candy without using the word "candy" and they are strongly discouraged from using words like "good" and "hard." This exercise lets them know right away that writing will be a regular part of their science class and it also gives me a good idea of where their general writing skills are.

The second activity will include qualitative and quantitative observations. Students will work in groups of four for this activity. They will be given a candle, a ruler, a piece of string, clay to stand the candle up, matches, and a balance. The classroom clock can serve as a timer. They are given approximately ten minutes to make as many observations as possible. I give them no directions on how to use the available materials. After ten minutes, I tell students they will have a quiz on their candle, but will be allowed to use their observation notes while they take it. Very rarely do students get even half of the questions correct because they have not learned how to use everything available to them and fail to see what it means to make detailed, thorough observations. The quizzes are not counted, but after seeing the types of questions asked, they begin to understand what careful observation means. (Copy of sample quiz in appendix.)

Wrap-up discussion: I will ask students to describe situations where careful observations are necessary. Because of the prevalence of forensic-based TV shows, I expect there to be some discussion of crime scene analysis, which will lead us into our unit on detective fiction.

Drawing inferences from observations

Students will have several different situations shown as drawings on the overhead. They will first have to make observations about the drawings and then make inferences about the drawings. We will discuss the difference between the two. Inferences are based on your observations. They may not be correct and need further observation and/or experimentation to be proven correct.

Activity: The first part of the lesson is a demonstration by the teacher. The students will be shown a can of coke and a can of diet coke and a tank of water. The students will be asked to predict what will happen when the two cans are dropped into the water. There are only three possibilities: Both will sink, both will float, or one will sink and one will float. Students will discuss their choice and why they made that choice. After discussion, the cans will be put into the water and students will see that the Diet Coke floats and the Coke sinks. Using inductive reasoning, we could also put in Diet Pepsi and Pepsi, Diet Dr. Pepper and Dr. Pepper to see that the results are the same. Next, they must come up with inferences as to why the cans behave that way. After discussions about the amount of caffeine, sugar, carbonation, etc., we discuss how we could further experiment to find out which of the inferences are correct. We would then discuss the kinds of quantitative observations to make to find out the correct answer.

The second part of this lesson is called "dancing raisins" and once again involves making observations and inferences about the behavior of the raisins.

At the end of both activities, we will discuss what is necessary to prove that the inferences they have made are correct.

Students will listen to an exercise in inferencing to discuss the logic of making inferences. I will be reading the short story "The Nine Mile Walk" by Harry Kemelman because it is an exercise in the possibilities involved in making inferences. After reading and discussing the path taken in connecting a chain of events, I will have students make up scenarios of their own in which multiple inferences are possible. They will be given a period of ten to fifteen minutes to think of a scenario on their own with possible inferences, then they will share their scenarios with a partner. If time allows, students will be allowed to share with the whole class. This exercise will help them understand the backward thinking that sometimes comes with solving a crime.

Learning to listen

Students will listen to very short mystery stories to try to pick up clues by listening. I will be using the Encyclopedia Brown Mystery Collection by Donald Sobol as an introduction to mystery stories. These stories are written on a third to fifth grade reading level and so are probably well below the ability of many of my students. However, for content area classes, this is appropriate, so that students can concentrate on specific tasks during the reading, rather than on vocabulary. I have chosen this collection of mystery stories because they are only five to six pages long and can be read aloud in a relatively short amount of time. There are only a few clues that students will need to listen for to try to solve the mystery. The students will listen as I read aloud and be asked to write down information as I read. I will first have them predict what the story might be about based on the title. I will then read and ask them to describe the mystery or problem when they hear about it. When I assess that all students at least have an accurate sense of the problem at issue, I will then have them begin writing down clues as they hear them. Before the mystery is actually solved, I will have students discuss in small groups of three to four the clues they have heard and develop theories for a possible solution. After a few minutes of small group discussion, I will have a class discussion about the possible solution. I will then read the end of the story and have students think of the clues they may have missed and why they missed them. I will probably read three to four of these stories to get the students comfortable with this type of story and to continue practicing their listening skills and practicing making inferences.

Using Detective Fiction to practice problem solving

Students will begin reading the short story "The Speckled Band" by Arthur Conan Doyle to work on their problem solving skills.

Activity: I will assign the short story, "The Speckled Band" by Arthur Conan Doyle to be read in sections by the students. This short story, of course, stars the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. Because some of the language and style of writing will be difficult for my students, I will review many of the unfamiliar words by providing them with a glossary specifically for this story. I will also discuss many of the words with them prior to reading. I will be dividing the story into three sections to be read on three different days. The first section will include enough pages for students to find out what the mystery is and to pick up a few clues to begin making inferences and formulating a theory. We will read the first couple of pages together to make sure the students are comfortable with the style of writing. To go with the story, they will be given a graphic organizer, one that will include the problem, the suspects, possible motives, and evidence (graphic organizer included in appendix). On the first day, the students will read the first eight pages, up to the part where Helen describes the condition of her sister's body. Students will then have enough information to think of suspects and motives. On the second day, students will get the next fourteen pages of the story. This part of the text will give them enough information to begin to formulate some inferences and theories about what may have happened to the woman. After small group discussions, they will continue to write down clues and revise their inferences and/or theories, based on clues or evidence they may have learned from each other. On the third day, students' graphic organizers should be complete with their final theory. We will have a class discussion about their theories and the evidence they have used to come to the conclusion that they have. We will read the third and final part of the story and find out how close students came to solving the mystery. Discussion will include what they might have missed in reading the story that might have helped them to solve the mystery. We will also talk about theories that were not logical and why they were not.

Students will gather "evidence" in the classroom to solve a crime.

Activity: Students will come into a "crime scene" in the classroom where they will have to make observations and gather evidence to try to solve the crime. The crime scene will actually be spread across "centers" in the classroom where students will have the opportunity to analyze fingerprints, compare thread samples, soil samples, and hair samples, and possibly test fluids found at the scene. One of my personal classroom items will be discovered missing, an apparent robbery, and students will be given information about possible suspects to try to figure out who did it. I will arrange ahead of time to have samples from volunteer "suspect" adults in my building.

I have decided for this unit to stay true to the Holmes era and use only the tools that would have been available at that time. Students will have magnifying glasses, samples to compare their own samples with and possibly some chemicals to test some of the fluids found. Fingerprinting had become available as a crime solving tool in the late 1800's. Holmes was knowledgeable about the various soil types in his region and also had familiarity with different types of cloth and material. Holmes was also an accomplished chemist, so students may be conducting some basic chemistry testing of fluids from the scene. For this part of the unit, I will not be looking at blood as evidence, but will be including that aspect of forensic work later in the year, during the genetics unit.

Compare/contrast tools used in crime solving today with tools and methods used in Holmes' time period.

As a tool for comparison between Holmes era crime solving and the current methodology for crime solving, I will be preparing a "murder bag" as used by Scotland Yard in the first half of the twentieth century. The tools included in the brown leather bag brought by detectives to crime scenes were rubber gloves, handcuffs, bottles for samples, screwdriver, magnifying glass, and plaster for making casts of footprints. I will ask students to describe what each of the items may have been used for and then make comparisons between that "murder bag" and a bag that may be used at today's crime scenes. What would still be useful to detectives today and what would be available now that was not available then? Students will create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the methods of detection used in the early twentieth century with the methods used today. After discussing their diagrams and completing one on the board, we will watch a short video clip of Holmes at a crime scene and then the CSI crew at a crime scene. Is there a disadvantage to relying too much on current technology? Do the old fashioned skills of observation begin to deteriorate with the advent of lasers and computers? Are there differences in the kinds of clues for which they are searching? Students will be given the opportunity to answer those questions in groups, and then in a whole class discussion.

Using a Mystery Story in a genetics lessons

Later on in the year, my students will be learning genetics. I will be using a modern mystery story that is trying to trace the origins of children who were separated from their parents during a war. "Finding the Lost Children" is a true story about trying to find the children separated from their parents during a war. Most of the children were very young at the time of the separation and could not tell who their parents were. The evidence students will use will be based on blood typing, so students will learn how blood type is inherited. Basic blood typing can be used to rule out suspects or victims, but DNA found in the blood must be used for definitive proof of a person's identity. Students will use a simulated activity to match some of the children with their parents based on blood samples. Ethical issues will also be raised in this case because the missing children had been adopted and been well taken care of by other families.

We will also look again at fingerprinting even though fingerprints are not genetic. Even identical twins do not have the same fingerprint patterns, but it will be part of our discussion on what is inherited and what is not. Students will learn the basic patterns of all fingerprints and have the opportunity to observe their own with magnifying glasses and make impressions of them. Fingerprinting was first used in England in the 1800s as a means to prove guilt. It began being used in the United States in the early 1900s and is still used today as a common way to identify suspects. Sherlock Holmes made use of fingerprint evidence in many of his cases, so fingerprinting will be used as another piece of evidence in the discussion about modern crime solving's dependence on old techniques.

Candle Observations Quiz

• What was the color of the stripes on your candle?
• What color was the wick of your candle?
• What was the height of your candle?
• What was the circumference of your candle?
• What was the distance between the stripes of your candle?
• What color was the flame closest to the wick?
• At what rate did your candle burn?
• What was the height of your candle after burning it?
• What color was the smoke coming from your candle?
• How many times did the stripe wrap around the candle?

"The Adventure of the Speckled Band" - Evidence Sheet

Describe the victim and the crime

_____________________________

List possible suspects and their Possible Motives Evidence

Characteristics

___________ ___________ ___________

Who do you think committed the crime and how do you think it was done?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Works Cited

Doyle, Arthur C. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Great Britain: Oxford UP, 1993. A collection of twelve of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories with explanatory notes.

Schreck, James. The Chemistry Companion for Middle School Science Teachers. Madison, WI: Institute for Chemical Education, 1997.

Sepup, comp. Science & Life Issues. Ronkonkoma, NY: Lab-Aids, 2001.

Sobol, Donald J. Enyclopedia Brown Mystery Collection. New York: Scholastic, 1982. A collection of very short mysteries written on the third to fifth grade level.

Thomas, Ronald R. Detective Fiction and the Rise of Forensic Science. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1999.

Synopses of detective fiction and the evidence used to solve the mysteries.

Wagner, E. J. The Science of Sherlock Holmes. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2006. Great book for learning the forensics used by Sherlock Holmes and great historical cases of the time that may have influenced Arthur Conan Doyle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductive_reasoning

http://www.sparknotes.com/math/geometry3/inductiveanddeductivereasoning/section1.html

http://laurajames.typepad.com/clews/2006/03/a_study_in_sher.html

http://www.aisb.org.uk/aibites/theorem_proving.pdf

http://tabacco.blog-city.com/sherlock_holmes__deductive_reasoning_how_to_become_a_brillia.htm

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The Algebra Problem: How Middle School Math Became a National Flashpoint

From suburbs in the Northeast to major cities on the West Coast, a surprising subject is prompting ballot measures, lawsuits and bitter fights among parents: algebra.

Students have been required for decades to learn to solve for the variable x, and to find the slope of a line. Most complete the course in their first year of high school. But top-achievers are sometimes allowed to enroll earlier, typically in eighth grade.

The dual pathways inspire some of the most fiery debates over equity and academic opportunity in American education.

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Do bias and inequality keep Black and Latino children off the fast track? Should middle schools eliminate algebra to level the playing field? What if standout pupils lose the chance to challenge themselves?

The questions are so fraught because algebra functions as a crucial crossroads in the education system.

Students who fail it are far less likely to graduate. Those who take it early can take calculus by 12th grade, giving them a potential edge when applying to elite universities and lifting them toward society’s most high-status and lucrative professions.

But racial and economic gaps in math achievement are wide in the United States, and grew wider during the pandemic. In some states, nearly 4 in 5 poor children do not meet math standards.

To close those gaps, New York City’s previous mayor, Bill de Blasio, adopted a goal embraced by many districts elsewhere. Every middle school would offer algebra, and principals could opt to enroll all of their eighth graders in the class.

San Francisco took an opposite approach: If some children could not reach algebra by middle school, no one would be allowed to take it.

The central mission in both cities was to help disadvantaged students. But solving the algebra dilemma can be more complex than solving the quadratic formula.

New York’s dream of “algebra for all” was never fully realized, and Mayor Eric Adams’ administration changed the goal to improving outcomes for ninth graders taking algebra. In San Francisco, dismantling middle-school algebra did little to end racial inequities among students in advanced math classes. After a huge public outcry, the district decided to reverse course.

“You wouldn’t think that there could be a more boring topic in the world,” said Thurston Domina, a professor at the University of North Carolina. “And yet, it’s this place of incredibly high passions.”

“Things run hot,” he said.

In some cities, disputes over algebra have been so intense that parents have sued school districts, protested outside mayors’ offices and campaigned for the ouster of school board members.

Teaching math in middle school is a challenge for educators in part because that is when the material becomes more complex, with students moving from multiplication tables to equations and abstract concepts. Students who have not mastered the basic skills can quickly become lost, and it can be difficult for them to catch up.

Many school districts have traditionally responded to divergent achievement levels by simply separating children into distinct pathways, placing some in general math classes while offering others algebra as an accelerated option. Such sorting, known as tracking, appeals to parents who want their children to reach advanced math as quickly as possible.

But tracking has cast an uncomfortable spotlight on inequality. Around a quarter of all students in the United States take algebra in middle school. But only about 12% of Black and Latino eighth graders do, compared with roughly 24% of white pupils, a federal report found.

“That’s why middle school math is this flashpoint,” said Joshua Goodman, an associate professor of education and economics at Boston University. “It’s the first moment where you potentially make it very obvious and explicit that there are knowledge gaps opening up.”

In the decades-long war over math, San Francisco has emerged as a prominent battleground.

California once required that all eighth graders take algebra. But lower-performing middle school students often struggle when forced to enroll in the class, research shows. San Francisco later stopped offering the class in eighth grade. But the ban did little to close achievement gaps in more advanced math classes, recent research has found.

As the pendulum swung, the only constant was anger. Leading Bay Area academics disparaged one another’s research. A group of parents even sued the district last spring. “Denying students the opportunity to skip ahead in math when their intellectual ability clearly allows for it greatly harms their potential for future achievement,” their lawsuit said.

The city is now back to where it began: Middle school algebra — for some, not necessarily for all — will return in August. The experience underscored how every approach carries risks.

“Schools really don’t know what to do,” said Jon R. Star, an educational psychologist at Harvard who has studied algebra education. “And it’s just leading to a lot of tension.”

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, the school district phased out middle school algebra before the pandemic. But some argued that the move had backfired: Families who could afford to simply paid for their children to take accelerated math outside school.

“It’s the worst of all possible worlds for equity,” Jacob Barandes, a Cambridge parent, said at a school board meeting.

Elsewhere, many students lack options to take the class early: One of Philadelphia’s most prestigious high schools requires students to pass algebra before enrolling, preventing many low-income children from applying because they attend middle schools that do not offer the class.

In New York, de Blasio sought to tackle the disparities when he announced a plan in 2015 to offer algebra — but not require it — in all of the city’s middle schools. More than 15,000 eighth graders did not have the class at their schools at the time.

Since then, the number of middle schools that offer algebra has risen to about 80% from 60%. But white and Asian American students still pass state algebra tests at higher rates than their peers.

The city’s schools chancellor, David Banks, also shifted the system’s algebra focus to high schools, requiring the same ninth-grade curriculum at many schools in a move that has won support and backlash from educators.

And some New York City families are still worried about middle school. A group of parent leaders in Manhattan recently asked the district to create more accelerated math options before high school, saying that many young students must seek out higher-level instruction outside the public school system.

In a vast district like New York — where some schools are filled with children from well-off families and others mainly educate homeless children — the challenge in math education can be that “incredible diversity,” said Pedro A. Noguera, the dean of the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education.

“You have some kids who are ready for algebra in fourth grade, and they should not be denied it,” Noguera said. “Others are still struggling with arithmetic in high school, and they need support.”

Many schools are unequipped to teach children with disparate math skills in a single classroom. Some educators lack the training they need to help students who have fallen behind, while also challenging those working at grade level or beyond.

Some schools have tried to find ways to tackle the issue on their own. KIPP charter schools in New York have added an additional half-hour of math time to many students’ schedules, to give children more time for practice and support so they can be ready for algebra by eighth grade.

At Middle School 50 in Brooklyn, where all eighth graders take algebra, teachers rewrote lesson plans for sixth- and seventh-grade students to lay the groundwork for the class.

The school’s principal, Ben Honoroff, said he expected that some students would have to retake the class in high school. But after starting a small algebra pilot program a few years ago, he came to believe that exposing children early could benefit everyone — as long as students came into it well prepared.

Looking around at the students who were not enrolling in the class, Honoroff said, “we asked, ‘Are there other kids that would excel in this?’”

“The answer was 100%, yes,” he added. “That was not something that I could live with.”

c.2024 The New York Times Company

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The Algebra Problem: How Middle School Math Became a National Flashpoint

Top students can benefit greatly by being offered the subject early. But many districts offer few Black and Latino eighth graders a chance to study it.

By Troy Closson

From suburbs in the Northeast to major cities on the West Coast, a surprising subject is prompting ballot measures, lawsuits and bitter fights among parents: algebra.

Students have been required for decades to learn to solve for the variable x, and to find the slope of a line. Most complete the course in their first year of high school. But top-achievers are sometimes allowed to enroll earlier, typically in eighth grade.

The dual pathways inspire some of the most fiery debates over equity and academic opportunity in American education.

Do bias and inequality keep Black and Latino children off the fast track? Should middle schools eliminate algebra to level the playing field? What if standout pupils lose the chance to challenge themselves?

The questions are so fraught because algebra functions as a crucial crossroads in the education system. Students who fail it are far less likely to graduate. Those who take it early can take calculus by 12th grade, giving them a potential edge when applying to elite universities and lifting them toward society’s most high-status and lucrative professions.

But racial and economic gaps in math achievement are wide in the United States, and grew wider during the pandemic. In some states, nearly four in five poor children do not meet math standards.

To close those gaps, New York City’s previous mayor, Bill de Blasio, adopted a goal embraced by many districts elsewhere. Every middle school would offer algebra, and principals could opt to enroll all of their eighth graders in the class. San Francisco took an opposite approach: If some children could not reach algebra by middle school, no one would be allowed to take it.

The central mission in both cities was to help disadvantaged students. But solving the algebra dilemma can be more complex than solving the quadratic formula.

New York’s dream of “algebra for all” was never fully realized, and Mayor Eric Adams’s administration changed the goal to improving outcomes for ninth graders taking algebra. In San Francisco, dismantling middle-school algebra did little to end racial inequities among students in advanced math classes. After a huge public outcry, the district decided to reverse course.

“You wouldn’t think that there could be a more boring topic in the world,” said Thurston Domina, a professor at the University of North Carolina. “And yet, it’s this place of incredibly high passions.”

“Things run hot,” he said.

In some cities, disputes over algebra have been so intense that parents have sued school districts, protested outside mayors’ offices and campaigned for the ouster of school board members.

Teaching math in middle school is a challenge for educators in part because that is when the material becomes more complex, with students moving from multiplication tables to equations and abstract concepts. Students who have not mastered the basic skills can quickly become lost, and it can be difficult for them to catch up.

Many school districts have traditionally responded to divergent achievement levels by simply separating children into distinct pathways, placing some in general math classes while offering others algebra as an accelerated option. Such sorting, known as tracking, appeals to parents who want their children to reach advanced math as quickly as possible.

But tracking has cast an uncomfortable spotlight on inequality. Around a quarter of all students in the United States take algebra in middle school. But only about 12 percent of Black and Latino eighth graders do, compared with roughly 24 percent of white pupils, a federal report found .

“That’s why middle school math is this flashpoint,” said Joshua Goodman, an associate professor of education and economics at Boston University. “It’s the first moment where you potentially make it very obvious and explicit that there are knowledge gaps opening up.”

In the decades-long war over math, San Francisco has emerged as a prominent battleground.

California once required that all eighth graders take algebra. But lower-performing middle school students often struggle when forced to enroll in the class, research shows. San Francisco later stopped offering the class in eighth grade. But the ban did little to close achievement gaps in more advanced math classes, recent research has found.

As the pendulum swung, the only constant was anger. Leading Bay Area academics disparaged one another’s research . A group of parents even sued the district last spring. “Denying students the opportunity to skip ahead in math when their intellectual ability clearly allows for it greatly harms their potential for future achievement,” their lawsuit said.

The city is now back to where it began: Middle school algebra — for some, not necessarily for all — will return in August. The experience underscored how every approach carries risks.

“Schools really don’t know what to do,” said Jon R. Star, an educational psychologist at Harvard who has studied algebra education. “And it’s just leading to a lot of tension.”

In Cambridge, Mass., the school district phased out middle school algebra before the pandemic. But some argued that the move had backfired: Families who could afford to simply paid for their children to take accelerated math outside of school.

“It’s the worst of all possible worlds for equity,” Jacob Barandes, a Cambridge parent, said at a school board meeting.

Elsewhere, many students lack options to take the class early: One of Philadelphia’s most prestigious high schools requires students to pass algebra before enrolling, preventing many low-income children from applying because they attend middle schools that do not offer the class.

In New York, Mr. de Blasio sought to tackle the disparities when he announced a plan in 2015 to offer algebra — but not require it — in all of the city’s middle schools. More than 15,000 eighth graders did not have the class at their schools at the time.

Since then, the number of middle schools that offer algebra has risen to about 80 percent from 60 percent. But white and Asian American students still pass state algebra tests at higher rates than their peers.

The city’s current schools chancellor, David Banks, also shifted the system’s algebra focus to high schools, requiring the same ninth-grade curriculum at many schools in a move that has won both support and backlash from educators.

And some New York City families are still worried about middle school. A group of parent leaders in Manhattan recently asked the district to create more accelerated math options before high school, saying that many young students must seek out higher-level instruction outside the public school system.

In a vast district like New York — where some schools are filled with children from well-off families and others mainly educate homeless children — the challenge in math education can be that “incredible diversity,” said Pedro A. Noguera, the dean of the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education.

“You have some kids who are ready for algebra in fourth grade, and they should not be denied it,” Mr. Noguera said. “Others are still struggling with arithmetic in high school, and they need support.”

Many schools are unequipped to teach children with disparate math skills in a single classroom. Some educators lack the training they need to help students who have fallen behind, while also challenging those working at grade level or beyond.

Some schools have tried to find ways to tackle the issue on their own. KIPP charter schools in New York have added an additional half-hour of math time to many students’ schedules, to give children more time for practice and support so they can be ready for algebra by eighth grade.

At Middle School 50 in Brooklyn, where all eighth graders take algebra, teachers rewrote lesson plans for sixth- and seventh-grade students to lay the groundwork for the class.

The school’s principal, Ben Honoroff, said he expected that some students would have to retake the class in high school. But after starting a small algebra pilot program a few years ago, he came to believe that exposing children early could benefit everyone — as long as students came into it well prepared.

Looking around at the students who were not enrolling in the class, Mr. Honoroff said, “we asked, ‘Are there other kids that would excel in this?’”

“The answer was 100 percent, yes,” he added. “That was not something that I could live with.”

Troy Closson reports on K-12 schools in New York City for The Times. More about Troy Closson

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Home » Blog » General » Practical Problem Solving Strategies for Middle School Students

Practical Problem Solving Strategies for Middle School Students

Are you a middle school teacher or parent looking for effective problem-solving lessons for middle school students? Look no further! In this blog post, we will explore practical problem-solving strategies that can help your students develop essential skills for navigating challenges and finding solutions. By incorporating these strategies into your curriculum, you can empower your students to become confident problem solvers.

Introduction

Problem-solving skills are crucial for middle school students as they face a variety of academic, social, and emotional challenges. By equipping them with effective problem-solving strategies, we can help them develop critical thinking and decision-making skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

In this blog post, we will provide an overview of practical problem-solving strategies that can be incorporated into the middle school curriculum. These strategies will not only teach students how to approach problems but also foster collaboration, communication, and self-reflection.

Define problem-solving

Before diving into specific strategies, let’s define what problem-solving entails. Problem-solving is a process that involves identifying, analyzing, and finding solutions to challenges or obstacles. It requires critical thinking, decision-making, and creativity.

It is important to emphasize to students that problem-solving is not just about finding the right answer but also about developing a systematic approach to tackle problems effectively.

Teach problem-solving as a skill

Problem-solving is a skill that can be taught and developed. By incorporating problem-solving lessons into the curriculum, we can provide students with the necessary tools and strategies to approach challenges confidently.

One way to teach problem-solving is to provide opportunities for hands-on activities. These activities can simulate real-life situations and require students to think critically and come up with solutions. For example, you can assign group projects that require students to work together to solve a problem or complete a task.

Break down the problem-solving process

The problem-solving process can be broken down into several steps: identifying the problem, generating possible solutions, evaluating and selecting the best solution, and implementing the chosen solution.

Identify the problem

The first step in problem-solving is to identify the problem. Encourage students to define the problem clearly and specifically. This will help them understand the scope of the problem and focus on finding appropriate solutions.

Additionally, teach students to identify the root cause of the problem. By understanding the underlying factors contributing to the problem, students can develop more effective solutions.

Generate possible solutions

Once the problem is identified, it’s time to brainstorm possible solutions. Teach students brainstorming techniques such as mind mapping or listing ideas. Encourage creativity and open-mindedness during this process, as it can lead to innovative solutions.

Evaluate and select the best solution

After generating a list of possible solutions, students need to evaluate and select the best one. Teach them to consider the pros and cons of each solution and weigh the potential outcomes. This will help them make informed decisions.

Guide students in the decision-making process by asking questions that prompt critical thinking. For example, “What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of this solution? How does it align with your goals?”

Implement the chosen solution

Once the best solution is selected, it’s time to implement it. Teach students to create action plans that outline the steps needed to execute the solution. Encourage them to take initiative and follow through with their plans.

Foster collaboration and communication

Problem-solving often requires collaboration and effective communication. Emphasize the importance of teamwork in problem-solving and provide opportunities for students to work together on problem-solving activities.

Teach students effective communication skills such as active listening, expressing ideas clearly, and providing constructive feedback. These skills will enable them to effectively collaborate with others and communicate their thoughts and solutions.

Encourage reflection and self-evaluation

Reflection is an essential part of the problem-solving process. Encourage students to reflect on their problem-solving experiences and think about what worked well and what could be improved.

Guide students in evaluating their own problem-solving skills by asking questions such as, “What strategies did you use? How did you approach the problem? What would you do differently next time?” This self-evaluation will help them become more self-aware and improve their problem-solving abilities.

Provide ongoing support and feedback

As a teacher or parent, it is important to offer ongoing support and feedback to students as they develop their problem-solving skills. Be available to provide guidance and assistance when needed, but also encourage independence and autonomy.

Provide constructive feedback to help students improve their problem-solving abilities. Highlight their strengths and areas for growth, and offer specific suggestions for improvement. This feedback will empower students to continue practicing and refining their problem-solving skills.

Problem-solving skills are essential for middle school students as they navigate academic, social, and emotional challenges. By incorporating practical problem-solving strategies into the curriculum, we can equip students with the tools and confidence to tackle problems effectively.

Remember to foster collaboration, encourage reflection, and provide ongoing support and feedback to help students develop and refine their problem-solving skills. With practice and application, they will become confident problem solvers who can overcome any obstacle.

Start your EverydaySpeech Free trial today and discover a wide range of resources and activities to support social emotional learning and problem-solving skills in your middle school students.

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Dunedin middle schoolers heading to Odyssey of the Mind world competition

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Dunedin Highland Middle School’s Odyssey of the Mind Structures Team heads to Iowa on Monday to compete at the world competition.

Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition. Teams are given a problem at the beginning of the school year, and create a short skit and build a structure to solve the problem. 

They’ll perform the skit at the competition, and their structure will be tested to see how much weight it can hold. In the other part of the competition, teams are given a problem that they have to solve on the spot. 

Dunedin Middle’s team will compete against about 800 other teams from across the country and the world this week. They came in first in the states in March, qualifying them for worlds. 

"I was confident that our team would do really good and was pleasantly surprised when our team won," Marc Slater, a student on the team, said.  

"The opportunity to compete at such a prestigious event," Cade Gebo, a student on the team, said. "I believe we will do extremely well as we have dedicated a lot of time and energy into preparation for this competition," he said.

The team has five students and they practice twice a week.

"I’m most excited for the experience of going to World Finals rather than the competition itself," Anthony Maillis, another student on the team, said. "I’ve been competing in Odyssey since I was in second grade and this is my first time qualifying for Worlds. It doesn’t matter where we place at Worlds because I know that we’ve put a lot of hard work into this," he said.

The students also credited their teacher, Katrina Walters, for helping them get to this level of the competition. 

Odyssey of the Mind World Finals runs May 21 to May 24. 

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Meadowbrook Middle School math teacher has students singing and solving problems

ORLANDO, Fla. — Students and administrators say Jacqueline Russell’s innovative teaching methods and her stimulating and inclusive classroom environment light a fire in the souls of her students.

What You Need To Know

Jacqueline russell teaches math at meadowbrook middle school   russell knows some students can be intimidated by math    she's passionate about finding ways to make learning fun here’s how you can nominate an a+ teacher 🍎.

Russell pours her heart and soul into teaching her sixth-graders at Meadowbrook Middle School.

"A lot of times they don't want to leave," she says. "They want to be in here, so if I say, like, it's time to go, they're like, ‘Can we finish this?’ They want to stay, or they want to come back another period, ‘But you can't. You have to go to your other classes.’ Because now they're involved in it, and they're engaged in it."

Russell can be heard leading her students in songs meant to help them figure out problems.

"A lot of kids are intimidated by education period — math especially. So, I figured if I made it fun, engaging, they would be more willing to learn, and they do. I get like 100% engagement when they are using songs," she says.

That is music to the ears of her students, who stay busy working together in teams, tackling hands-on projects and solving problems in a fast-paced setting.

Those are the building blocks and the foundation to creating lifelong learners.

"I love math. I love teaching math," Russell adds. "I love teaching it in a non-traditional way."

It all adds up for her students, who can't seem to get enough.

"With our Math Lit club, it's just tutoring," Russell says. "And we couldn't get kids to come to tutoring, so I said, ‘Let me just start a club,’ and I started a Math Lit club because all the kids want to be a part of something. I had over 50 kids sign up in two days."

That excitement is multiplied thanks to Russell’s positive praise.

"I just saw kids wanting to learn math more and loving it and wanting to come to math class," Russell says. "Before, they didn't want to come in, some of them. They were very intimidated."

But not anymore. Not in Russell’s class.

"It is the most rewarding thing when a student can come back to you and say, 'I get it now.' So that was a plus for me and for them," Russell says.

Are ‘furries’ a problem at Utah schools? Here’s what districts say.

The short answer: no. but viral claims surrounding “furries” have created disruptions and safety issues for students and staff..

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mt. Nebo Middle School, the subject of viral "furry" outrage and subsequent hoax bomb threats, as seen in Payson on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

Sometimes, Utah kids wear animal-ear headbands to school. Sometimes, they bark or growl during recess.

But generally, disruptive incidents involving students wearing animal accessories or portraying animal-like behavior are rare, officials with several Utah school districts told The Salt Lake Tribune.

“I can only think of a handful of instances where this has even come up as a question over the last few years,” said Benjamin Horsley, spokesperson for the Granite School District. “I’m not aware of any issues where somebody attempted to hiss or bite [or] make animal noises beyond playing on the playground, as children often play pretend.”

That reality differs from recent claims in right-wing social media circles that “furries” — part of a subculture of people who sometimes dress up like animal characters but act like humans — are causing problems in Utah schools. The claims began after a video depicting Mt. Nebo Middle School students staging a walkout in protest of “furries” quickly spread online last month .

The viral posts from accounts including Libs of TikTok , which shares anti-LGBTQ posts and other clips on X geared at generating right-wing outrage, claimed students were protesting because the school allowed student “furries” to “terrorize,” “bite,” “bark,” and “pounce” other classmates. Some accounts also shared photos and videos of children they claimed were proof of “furries” at the school, showing a child wearing animal accessories in a hallway and a kid seeming to bark outdoors. They did not specify the source of the images or detail when and where they were taken.

Nebo School District spokesperson Seth Sorenson repeatedly asserted the claims were false, instead saying the “furry” rumors stemmed from an incident where two students wearing headbands with animal ears while eating lunch at the middle school were targeted by other students “because they were dressed differently.”

Sorenson noted the two students who had been wearing animal-ear headbands were asked to remove them. “They complied and have not worn them since,” he said.

The school has since been plagued by hoax bomb threats , which police suspect are tied to the viral “furry outrage.”

The situation at Mt. Nebo Middle School was one of several instances in recent years in which schools across the nation suddenly found themselves embroiled in apparent right-wing, anti-LGBTQ rhetoric about “furries.” In such situations, the claims typically — and inaccurately — allege that teachers permit “furries” to use litter boxes , that children identify as animals, or that wearing animal costumes or accessories constitutes sexually deviant behavior.

When asked whether “furries” were a prevalent issue in Utah schools, several district spokespeople responded with a straightforward, “No.”

“The rumors surrounding these issues are much more prevalent than actual issues,” Horsley said.

How often do Utah kids wear animal accessories to school?

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Nebo School District Administration office in Spanish Fork seen on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

Utah school districts generally don’t track dress code violations, the disciplinary category that wearing animal accessories to school would fall under.

“But anecdotally, we have seen in the last few years an uptick in kids wearing animal-related accessories,” Horsley said. “But it’s still a very, very, very small small portion of our overall student population.”

Should a student’s accessories lead to learning-environment disruptions, they are typically asked to take them off, officials said. If distracting accessories are worn to school repeatedly, students could face escalating discipline including parent notification, detention or in-school suspension.

Alpine School District, for instance, does not prohibit “specific types of footwear, headbands or tails,” district spokesperson Rich Stowell said, but it does forbid dress that results in a “disruption of the educational process in the school.”

“It is not common nor disruptive,” Stowell said of students wearing animal accessories. “Our students are generally respectful of their learning environments. If any clothing disrupts learning, staff address it appropriately.”

Davis School District spokesperson Christopher Williams simply responded “no” when asked if Davis students wear animal accessories to school.

At Granite, the dress code prohibits “costumes in general and anything that would prove to be a distraction,” said Horsley.

“Generally, anything above and beyond a headband is probably causing obstruction or a distraction and that would be in violation of our dress code,” he said.

Horsley added that “tails” and “paws” are considered costumes and are therefore prohibited. He recalled one instance where a student wore a tail attachment to class, but they were promptly asked to remove it.

Are students acting like animals in class?

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Mt. Nebo Middle School in Payson on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

While students may occasionally pretend to be animals during recess, district officials have emphasized that making animal noises, running around on all fours, or engaging in other disruptive behaviors are otherwise not permitted. This applies to any behavior that could cause disruption at school.

“Students are required to act and behave in appropriate ways during instructional time, Horsley said.

Scratching or biting other students — whether a child is or isn’t wearing animal accessories — is considered a “disruptive act” and therefore prohibited across schools in Utah. So is bullying.

For instance, Canyons School District strictly prohibits students and staff from “engaging individually or collectively in any form of bullying, hazing, cyber-bullying, abusive conduct, or retaliation on school property.”

“We thoroughly investigate any and all reports of bullying, hazing, or abusive conduct in our schools,” said Canyons spokesperson Kirsten Stewart. “This policy applies equally to everyone, whether the students involved are wearing Hello Kitty headbands, commemorative T-shirts for a rock band, or the insignia of favorite sports teams.”

Are there litter boxes in Utah schools?

No, several district officials told The Tribune. There is no knowledge or evidence that any Utah schools have litter boxes available for student use.

“If there were, social media would be overrun with visual evidence of their existence,” said Williams, a Davis School District spokesperson.

The Utah State Board of Education has also never received a formal complaint about students using litter boxes, a spokesperson said.

Why do students wear animal accessories?

It’s unclear why exactly students may chose to wear animal accessories, or in some cases, behave like animals. It’s also unclear if students who do consider themselves “furries.”

But whether “furries” are in Utah schools or not, the subculture is real. The United Utah Furry Fandom , a furry community based in Salt Lake City, compares the fandom to cosplay — the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game, typically done at conventions or events.

“The only difference is furries enjoy embodying characters that look and act like anthropomorphic animals,” the Utah Furry Fandom website states. “However, most of the time, the characters represented within the Furry Fandom are original creations.”

The website goes on to say that most furries dress up as animals for “performance art.”

“Unlike what politicians and the media might say, most furries do not believe that they are animals or that they identify as animals,” the website states.

Horsley said he can recall one instance in which a Granite School District student did consider themself a “furry,” but there had been no “scratching or biting” to speak of.

At the state level, USBE has received a total of two complaints through its public education hotline concerning “furries” in public schools: Both were received in mid-April and pertained to Mt. Nebo Middle School.

“We are not aware of any other concerns regarding ‘furries,’” said USBE communications coordinator Kelsey James.

In response to those complaints, USBE officials said Superintendent Sydnee Dickson and some board members “reached out to school and district leadership to gather information about the situation, and to better ascertain what actions and investigations were taking place.”

Editor’s note • This story is available to Salt Lake Tribune subscribers only. Thank you for supporting local journalism.

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HISD adds 2 more schools to closures list due to air conditioning failures

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Nearly 40 Houston ISD campuses are closed Tuesday due to ongoing issues at the buildings, including no air conditioning, as the district continues recovering from last Thursday's destructive storm.

Thirty-six schools were already planning not to open, but that number grew to 38 after HISD said that the air conditioning failed overnight at both Marshall Middle School and Hamilton Middle School.

Both of those campuses will stay closed Tuesday.

The video above is from a previous report.

"We cannot serve students safely at this time," the district said of Marshall and Hamilton.

These are the other HISD campuses that are closed:

• Barrick Elementary School
• Benbrook Elementary School
• Berry Elementary School
• Black Middle School
• Browning Elementary School
• Burrus Elementary School
• Cage Elementary School
• Chrysalis Middle School
• Clifton Middle School
• Elementary Discipline Alternative Education Program (DAEP EL)
• Dogan Elementary School
• Field Elementary School
• Forest Brook Middle School
• Furr Middle School
• Garden Oaks Montessori
• Harper DAEP
• Roland P. Harris Elementary School
• Harvard Elementary School
• Heights High School
• Hilliard Elementary School
• Hogg Middle School
• Houston Math, Science and Technology Center High School
• Janowski Elementary School
• North Houston Early College High School
• Northline Elementary School
• Oak Forest Elementary School
• Robinson Elementary School
• Roosevelt Elementary School
• Scarborough High School
• Secondary DAEP
• Sinclair Elementary School
• Smith Elementary School
• Sugar Grove Middle School
• Mark White Elementary School
• Whittier Elementary School
• Waltrip High School

HISD campuses not named on the list will be open, the district said.

HISD will distribute light meals to students of the above campuses between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the YDC Sunrise Center at 6050 Bretshire Drive.

Campuses will also provide learning packets for students to complete at home if they are able.

The district also will relax the dress code for the next few days for open campuses to help families manage the storm's impacts.

This comes after HISD posted about the closures Monday evening, hours after classes were halted at 54 campuses.

However, that didn't include Reynolds Elementary School and Heights High School, where classes began but later dismissed after air conditioning issues on campus.

On Sunday afternoon, HISD assured select campuses would have power, a fully functional cooling system, and ready-to-serve food service.

That turned out not to be the case, however, for all campuses.

In a message sent to parents of Heights High School students late on Monday morning, Principal Wendy Hampton said classes would be canceled for the remainder of the day, Monday, due to ongoing problems with the air conditioning.

The students were dismissed immediately and were provided with a lunch to take home if they wanted.

Students at Lamar High School were sent home early following a gas leak, the Houston Fire Department confirmed. Principal Rita Graves called out to parents, notifying them of the situation and told them to look for updates on a plan. The school was back open as of Tuesday morning.

Parents of students at Reynolds Elementary School were notified by the principal that due to air conditioning issues, classes were canceled for the remainder of the day. The district provided transportation for students who needed it.

Scarborough High School is among the campuses that are still in the dark.

ABC13 was at the school on Monday, where crews were seen working to restore the power. We asked the district if generators were being installed but could not get an answer.

Damage was also spotted near Sinclair Elementary School in the Lazybrook-Timbergrove area.

PREVIOUS REPORT: HISD releases list of select campuses that will open on Monday after closures due to deadly storm

HISD said Sinclair is one of four campuses with significant damage - Pugh, Robinson, and Paige elementary schools are the others.

Superintendent Mike Miles said schools without power are the biggest issue.

"The goal is to try and get every school ready by Monday, if the power comes on, so kids can go to school. It will be their choice. If the power is out at their house, hopefully, they will be in a position to come to school where there is power," Miles said.

Miles says that depending on the situation, they may bus students from schools without power to schools with power.

SEE OTHER DISTRICTS: Southeast Texas schools announce reopening plans following destructive storm

Related Topics

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