As the school year kicks off, it’s tempting to ease in with a little review, a few get-to-know-you games, and some simple math worksheets to get students back in the groove. And to be clear–we DO need to do some review as the year gets underway. But what if a back-t0-school math task could do so much more?
Why a Back-to-School Math Task Might Matter More Than You Think
Instead of focusing solely on review, the first week of math instruction can set the tone for the entire year. It’s the perfect time to introduce the kind of thinking, collaboration, and perseverance you’ll expect from your students moving forward. That’s why I believe in starting the year with meaningful, fun math activities that go beyond rote computation.
Let me explain more about why your first math task should be more than just review—and how one powerful resource has helped ME launch math instruction with intention and engagement. By the way–if you aren’t ready to start thinking about back to school yet, just pin one of the images to revisit later!
Start Strong with Rich Math Tasks
A well-designed math task does more than practice skills. It encourages students to think critically, explore different strategies, and communicate their thinking clearly. Starting the year with a low-floor, high-ceiling challenge invites all students in—no matter their confidence level—and helps you observe how they reason, organize their work, and collaborate with peers.
And when those tasks are built around real-world problem solving? Even better. When that “real world” task is something that is meaningful to them? Golden. (No more “Johnny bought 24 watermelons…” problems because–no, indeed, Johnny did NOT!)
A Fun Back-to-School Math Task to Get Students Thinking
One of my favorite ways to kick off the math year is with the Open-Ended Teamwork Challenge: Back-to-School Shopping. This fun math project asks students to help “Mila” (named after a former student, I must admit!) shop for school clothes on a budget—choosing from different stores, weighing deals, and stretching her money as far as it will go.
Why do I love this math task so much? Because it…
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Combines addition, subtraction, and multi-step thinking in an authentic, MEANINGFUL context
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Encourages creativity, decision-making, and accountable math talk
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Is fully differentiated with multiple levels of challenge
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Allows for collaboration OR independent work (whole class, small group, partners, centers, you name it!)
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Includes extension tasks and discussion prompts that deepen thinking and takes all the prep concerns away for you
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Has a digital option, making it easy to assign to different groups
Students aren’t just solving math problems—they’re thinking like mathematicians. They analyze, justify, reflect, and adjust. This is the kind of math classroom culture I want to build from day one. In fact, by starting the year with tasks that are differentiated, it helps build the culture for that as well!
More Than Math: Setting the Stage for a Growth Mindset
This activity also gives students permission to try, to revise, and to persist—without fear of making mistakes. That’s what makes it such a powerful tool for introducing growth mindset in math.
Some students will overspend. Others will forget an item. Some will go back and find better deals. And that’s exactly the kind of productive struggle we want to normalize. These aren’t just math lessons—they’re mindset lessons. Is there a single right answer? NO. Is there more than one way to solve it? YES! What better way to start the year than to help students learn this!
Bring Math to Life Through Accountable Talk
If you’ve ever struggled to get students talking meaningfully about math, this is a great way to practice accountable math talk from the first days of school. This isn’t something that should be a “unit” or minilesson. It needs to become a way of “being” in your classroom. To help, this math task includes guiding prompts to encourage math discourse:
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How did you decide what to buy and where?
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What was tricky about this task?
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Was your solution the only possible one?
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What would you change next time?
These conversations not only build math understanding—they build classroom community.
Let’s Stop “Saving the Good Stuff”
Sometimes teachers wait to introduce rich problem-solving tasks until students have “learned the basics.” But here’s the thing: solving problems is how students learn the basics. It’s how they build number sense, logic, and confidence.
So this year, why not start with something meaningful? To be honest, it may feel uncomfortable. You may worry that you don’t know enough about your students as mathematicians yet. I challenge you to think in a different way. What could you LEARN about your students while doing a task like this?
Try It Yourself!
If you’re looking for a flexible, engaging, and standards-aligned math activity to launch your year, I highly recommend the Open-Ended Teamwork Challenge: Back-to-School Shopping. It’s more than just a math activity—it’s a way to build habits of mind that will serve your students all year long. Having a task like this is project based learning–especially when you get into the extension options I’ve included.
Let’s give our students a strong start—not just in content, but in mindset, collaboration, and a love for problem solving. Don’t worry–there is PLENTY of time to work on the “basics”. I promise.
Want to read more about growth mindset at the beginning of the year?
How about this post about some great back-to-school reading lessons?
