Factor Puzzles for Math by Pam Harris

I’m always looking for activities to help students to think more in math! It is a common misconception that math class teaches critical thinking. When in fact most of the math problems in a typical math problem are DOK 1; low critical thinking. Check out Pam Harris who provides some great tips on ways to teach math. I saw that she had tweeted out “Factor Puzzles.” I then added this to my Google Slides Add-on Dice Slides.

Factor Puzzles!
Any student who is learning multiplication and integers is ready for these. Every algebra teacher everywhere wishes students were playing this game A LOT.

#MTBoS #ITeachMath #MathIsFigureOutAble #Elemmathchat #MSmathchat #HSmathchat #MathStratChat pic.twitter.com/DtMlzyoWvk

— Pam Harris (@pwharris) December 1, 2022

Dice Slides by Alice Keeler

I have a free Add-on that collects NO user data. Dice Slides is for Google Slides to help you turn your Google Slides into a game. You can add random dice rolls to the current slide while in edit view, not presentation view.

I also have added the capability to add game boards to Google Slides.

Any Google Slides

Dice Slides works with any Google Slides presentation. This does not work while you are presenting. This is an Add-on for when you are editing Google Slides. It is intended to use Google Slides as an interactive tool rather than a presentation tool.

To add game boards and math puzzles to your Google Slides use the Extensions menu. Select Dice Slides by Alice Keeler. Then choose “Dice Games.” The factor puzzle is not a dice game, but it does generate random numbers kinda like a dice roll 🙂

Current Slide

The games are added to the current slide. Add a blank slide to add the factor puzzle.

Two puzzles will also be added to the slide. One where the students look for a number that adds to the bottom number. The other is looking for a number that multiplies to the top number.

Project the Puzzle

By adding Pam Harris’ factor puzzle to Google Slides it makes it easy to do a quick warm up with students. In ANY Slides presentation, add a blank slide and then insert a puzzle. Project for the students to figure out the puzzles.