Mrs. Gary's 6th grade math class at Butler County Middle School turned test prep into a real problem-solving challenge. Students paired up to chase 21 points across three levels of decimals and fractions problems, working toward their Unit 1 assessment.
Here's how it worked: Build problems earned one point, Apply problems earned two, and Challenge problems earned three. Each pair had to reach 21 points total, and they couldn't get there by sticking to the easy stuff. Every team had to pull from all three levels along the way. Once a pair cleared 21 points, they unlocked a "Final Boss Challenge," a harder problem built to test how well they could apply everything from Unit 1.
Mrs. Gary designed the activity around Problem Solving, one of Butler County Schools' Portrait of a Learner pillars. Students had to pick their problems strategically, decide which operations and strategies would get them to the answer, and keep working as the math got harder. Along the way, they leaned on Collaboration and Communication too, comparing their thinking, talking through disagreements, and explaining their reasoning to a partner when an answer didn't add up.
It's the kind of practice that makes review feel less like a worksheet and more like teamwork, and it's giving Butler County students real ownership of their math skills instead of just a grade on a test.
