Teaching LinkedIn Mini Sudoku #353: students cross-check row, column, and region before every pencil mark. Board has 12 givens on 6×6 cells. Walk through 24 forced fills using naked and hidden singles.
Board spotlight: Most fills come from scanning rows and columns for cells where only one digit fits — classic naked-single territory. Region geometry (6 regions, 6 cells each) shapes which unit yields the next hidden single.
Lesson segment 1: ask which unit is complete enough to force R2C6=6, R1C6=4, R1C5=5, R1C3=6. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Lesson segment 2: ask which unit is complete enough to force R1C4=3, R2C3=5, R2C5=2, R2C4=1. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Lesson segment 3: ask which unit is complete enough to force R3C3=3, R4C3=1, R4C5=6, R3C5=4. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Lesson segment 4: ask which unit is complete enough to force R3C4=5, R3C2=6, R4C2=5, R4C4=2. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Lesson segment 5: ask which unit is complete enough to force R5C2=3, R5C3=4, R5C4=6, R5C1=5. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Lesson segment 6: ask which unit is complete enough to force R6C1=6, R6C2=1, R6C3=2, R6C4=4. Highlight Naked single, Naked single, Naked single, Naked single — students should narrate eliminations aloud.
Mid-solve checkpoint: 12 cells remain after the first half of the chain. Row-scan heavy boards often accelerate once two or three regions close — watch for hidden singles in tight blocks.
Late game: final batches collapse quickly when rows and columns near completion. Every row, column, and region contains digits 1–6 with no repeats. Completed path: R2C6=6, R1C6=4, R1C5=5, R1C3=6, R1C4=3, R2C3=5, R2C5=2, R2C4=1, R3C3=3, R4C3=1, R4C5=6, R3C5=4, R3C4=5, R3C2=6, R4C2=5, R4C4=2, R5C2=3, R5C3=4, R5C4=6, R5C1=5, R6C1=6, R6C2=1, R6C3=2, R6C4=4.
Recap for students: 12 givens, 24 deductions, one unique grid. Practice naked singles first, then hidden singles per unit.