Question Stack Activities Collection

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Bring some self-checking practice that is productive and fun to your math classroom with this collection of free printable question stack activities.

self-checking question stack activities for math class.

Why Question Stacks?

Question Stacks are one of my favorite practice structures to use with students because they can be used for basically any topic, and they are self-checking!

Students know exactly when they need to ask for help. I love that question stacks allow groups of students to work at their own pace. Some will make it through all ten questions. Others may only make it through four.

As long as students are working and asking good questions, I am happy! I also like that students don’t just get to skip questions when they feel like it. This activity is all about perseverance.

Also, once students know how the structure works, all I have to do is pass out the cards. The students know exactly what to do to get started.

How does a Question Stack Work?

Students lay out all of the question stack cards individually with the answer sides facing up. These cards form the “answer bank.”

Question stack answer cards laying on desk.

Students choose one card to flip over. I have them lay this card on top of their laminated question stack template so they don’t get confused.

question stack activity with question card on question stack mat.

Students work out the problem on the card they have just flipped over. When they have decided on an answer, they check the “answer bank” to see if their answer is there.

question card facing up on question stack mat.

If their answer is in the answer bank, they are (most likely) correct. If it isn’t, they know that they have made a mistake. They need to check their work and/or ask for help.

If the answer is in the answer bank, this card is flipped over to reveal a new question. This process repeats until the last question is flipped over. The answer to this card should be at the bottom of the pile if all of the questions have been answered correctly.

students working on question stack activity.

As students progress through the activity, the answer bank shrinks with each question solved. I find that my students’ confidence grows as the answer bank shrinks.

The question that ends up on the very top of the question stack will match the answer at the very bottom of the question stack.

Question Stack Templates

Question Stack Explanation Card

Are your students confused about how a question stack activity works? This question stack explanation card features all of the steps to successfully complete a question stack activity.

Lay out each of the ten cards with the answer side facing up. These cards are your “answer bank.”
Choose one card to begin with. Flip that card over and place it on the space to the right with the question side facing up.
Find the answer to the question shown on the card.
Search your remaining answer cards for the correct answer.
Place the answer card on top of the card to the right so that the correct answer is facing the original question.
You should now have a new question showing. Find the answer to that question.
Continue until you have no more cards remaining in your “answer bank.”
Flip the stack of cards over to reveal your last question. The answer to this question should be the answer card on the other side of the stack. If this is not the case, you have made a mistake somewhere!

Create Your Own Question Stack Template

All you need to create your own question stack activity is a set of 10 questions with unique answers. I have created an easy to use question stack template that tells you exactly where to put your questions and answers so that the activity works flawlessly when printed double-sided.