Math Bell Ringers for Grades 6–8
This page collects every math bell ringer we have posted for grades 6–8: 2 bell ringers so far, newest first, with a new one added each school day. Each is a 3–5 minute warm-up for middle school students covering quick problems with worked answers: fractions, percents, equations, probability and more. The answer and teacher notes sit in the collapsed box under each prompt, so you can project the page without giving anything away.
Finding the better deal with unit prices
- Store A sells 6 granola bars for $4.50. Store B sells 8 granola bars for $5.60. Which store has the better price per bar?
- How much would you save buying 24 bars at the better price instead of the other one?
Answer and teacher notes
1. Store A: $4.50 ÷ 6 = $0.75 per bar. Store B: $5.60 ÷ 8 = $0.70 per bar. Store B is the better deal.
2. Store A: 24 × $0.75 = $18.00. Store B: 24 × $0.70 = $16.80. You save $1.20. Check: 5 cents saved per bar × 24 bars = $1.20.
Common mistake: picking Store A because $4.50 is the smaller total. The unit price is what lets you compare packs of different sizes.
Homework fractions and a sale price
- A class has 28 students. Three-fourths of them turned in their homework. How many students did NOT turn it in?
- A $40 hoodie is on sale for 25% off. What is the sale price?
Answer and teacher notes
1. 28 ÷ 4 = 7, so one-fourth is 7 students. Three-fourths (21) turned it in, which leaves 7 students who did not.
2. 25% of $40 is $10. $40 − $10 = $30. Shortcut: 25% off means you pay 75%, and 0.75 × 40 = 30.
Free to use. Copy, print, project or adapt any of these for your students. If you share them online, please credit Daily Bell Ringers with a link. Not for resale. License: CC BY-NC 4.0.
Download this set: spreadsheet (CSV) · JSON
Want more? See our ready-made list of math bell ringers and how to run bell ringers in middle school, or make a custom one with the free bell ringer generator.