Is logic something you teach or is it something that comes naturally? Actually, it can be taught! Logic and critical thinking are some of the most important skills our students learn in middle school, but how do you teach logic? Middle school students learn about logic through reasoning and deduction. With these skills, students can use critical thinking and reasoning to make a rational conclusion. With this list of 25 logic activities, students can develop the skills they need to tap into those skills and use logic to solve problems!
1. TED-Ed Number Riddle
This video from TED-Ed is a perfect starter activity to engage your middle schoolers and kick those logical thinking skills into action! They’ll enjoy watching the animation that lays out a numerical riddle for them to solve, but can they figure it out? You can pause the video when instructed and all work on this one together!
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2. Propaganda and Critical Thinking
Teaching students logic is one of the most important skills they will learn. Use this activity, propaganda, and critical thinking to show students how to be critical thinkers through pop culture.
Learn More: Just Add Students
3. Escape Rooms
Escape rooms provide students with a fun and challenging activity that allows them to practice their logical reasoning and critical thinking. In this activity, students work together to solve puzzles and problems that challenge their logic.
Learn More: Beyond the Worksheet
Want a fun and easy way to help boost your students’ logic and critical thinking skills? Scientists have proven that riddles do exactly that. Solve these tricky puzzles and boost your logic.
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5. Have a Debate
Middle school students are great debaters, they just need something interesting to challenge their thinking. Use these debate topics to help students tap into their logical thinking skills and challenge their peers.
Learn More: Games 4 ESL
6. Host a Mock Trial
Nothing will challenge your middle school students to use their logical reasoning more than a mock trial. In a mock trial, students use their critical thinking skills to defend their cases. Promote team building, critical thinking, and logic with this fun activity.
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7. Logical Fallacies
Sometimes it can be challenging to get middle school students engaged in their learning. In this activity, students play different characters using creative thinking and logic. Watch your students glow with excitement in this fun logic activity.
Learn More: Teach Between the Lines
8. Brain Teasers
Challenging our students to think outside the box and use their critical thinking skills can be difficult. Get your students excited about learning and logic with these exciting brain teasers that challenge your student’s thinking.
Learn More: GCF Learn Free.org
9. Teaching Inferences
When it comes to logic, teaching students how to use inferences is crucial. Students use inferences to “read between the lines” and develop the skills to put clues together. Using inferences and critical thinking, students can develop their logical reasoning.
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10. Logic Puzzles
Sharpen your students’ logic by using creative logic puzzles. Nurture and develop your student’s critical thinking by challenging their thinking with these puzzles. Analyze, infer, and solve!
Learn More: Kristine Nannini
11. Brain Teasers
Want an easy way to add logic time to your student’s day? Use these brain teasers to challenge your student’s logic throughout the day. Students develop logic by practicing repeatedly. These fun brain teasers are a great way to add more logic to your student’s day.
Learn More: Teach Mama
12. Games, Puzzles, and Brain Teasers
Every teacher has those students who finish before everyone else. Instead of having them sit at their desk waiting for the next lesson, give them access to brain teasers, puzzles, and critical thinking activities that will help support their logic skills.
Learn More: Teach Mama
Our brains can trick us into seeing something that’s not really there or obscure the image to look like something it’s not. These fun illusions will challenge your student’s brains and push their logic to think outside the box. What do you see?
Learn More: Mind Oddities
14. Scary Stories to Promote Logic
It’s no secret that most middle school students love scary stories. Why not use those scary stories to help build your student’s logic? These fun short, scary stories will get your students excited about critical thinking and logic.
Learn More: Hey Natayle
15. Triangle Puzzle
Creating a puzzle that challenges students’ logic is easy! In this creative logic puzzle, students use a square piece of paper to create a triangle. It’s not as easy as it sounds and it’s going to take some extra critical thinking on your student’s part to solve it!
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16. Perspective Taking
Using perspective is a great way to get students thinking about their own logic. It can be challenging to see things from a different point of view, but it’s an important skill for students to learn, especially when it comes to logic. Check out these activities from the Secondary English Coffee Shop.
Learn More: The Secondary English Coffee Shop
17. Forced Analogies
Have you ever tried to compare two things that are seemingly unrelated? Well in this task, that’s exactly what students are asked to do! It may seem easier than it is, but comparing two things that are unrelated requires a lot of logical thinking.
Learn More: Tammy De Shaw The Owl Teacher
18. STEM Challenges
It’s should be no surprise that science, technology, engineering, and math are full of logical activities. In this STEM-based activity, students use logical thinking and reasoning to develop experiments.
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19. Encourage Critical Thinking
Critical thinking that promotes logic can be added to any lesson. Add some creative and challenging activities to your student’s reading and writing lessons. Encourage students to use logic in everyday problems.
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20. Hexagonal Thinking
This new and creative mind-mapping strategy is a great way to help students develop their logic skills. Students examine a set of ideas that are written out in hexagon shapes. They create a puzzle using logic and critical thinking.
Learn More: Now Spark Creativity
21. The Marshmallow Challenge
When it comes to helping students develop their logic, the marshmallow activity is one they’ll love. Using marshmallows and spaghetti, students build towers.
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22. Problem Solving
Start each morning or class period with a simple problem. Students use logic and critical thinking to answer problems that challenge their skills.
Learn More: Mosswood Connections
23. Deepen your levels of questioning
Did you know that there are different levels of questioning? Each of the four levels of questioning help students thinks deeper about the content they’re learning. Use these four levels of questioning to help students develop their logic and critical thinking skills.
Learn More: Patheos
24. Logic Games
Learning logic through games is a fun and engaging way to help students build the skills they need to become critical thinkers. These exciting games will be a hit with your students.
Learn More: The Homeschool Scientist
25. Puzzle of the Week
Looking for a fun and easy way to help your students test their logic? Introduce a puzzle of the week! With these fun puzzles, students use critical thinking and logic to solve simple, yet complicated problems.
Learn More: Critical Thinking