April Magma Mondays are here!
We are excited to share the April release of Magma Mondays, featuring three intentionally sequenced problems per grade band: an accessible entry point, a more complex second task, and a final problem that surfaces deeper structure.
This Monthās Focus
April is all about what happens after students start. Students feel ready to begin, commit to an approach, and then hit a moment where that approach stops working.
That moment is not a flaw in the problemā¦ thatās the point.
The goal is not to make problems harder. It is to create situations where students have to revise their thinking, not just continue it. These problems resolve cleanly, but getting there requires students to step back, reconsider, and reorganize.
Example Magma Monday Problem (Grades 3ā5)
Students will find a valid answer quickly. The productive struggle comes when they realize the problem is asking for the greatest one, which means the first answer they find may not be the right answer. Getting to 51 requires students to search systematically rather than stop at the first number that works.
How to Launch April Magma Mondays
Give students time to read and make a plan before calculating anything
After a few minutes of work, ask: Is this the only answer, or just an answer?
Invite students to share where their first approach stopped working and what they tried next
Avoid confirming the answer too early ā let revisions and rethinking drive the discussion
If you donāt see the Magma Mondays book in your library yet, hereās how to add it to your books:
What to Listen For
Students committing to a strategy and realizing it doesnāt fully work
Students shifting from finishing quickly to checking for other possibilities
Students revising their thinking after testing an approach
Later this month, we will share examples of student work showing where the rethink happened and how those moments opened up conversation.
Magma Mondays are designed to help students see that getting stuck is not a signal to stop. It is a signal to think differently.