problem solving lesson plan pdf

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Problem solving

Problem solving lesson plan

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Download the full lesson plan pack including all related resources

Choose to download one or more individual resources

Problem Solving: Lesson plan

Problem solving: Presentation slides

Demonstrating your skills quick fire activity

Problem solving in practice: Interactive worksheet

Our problem solving content focuses on one of these skills and develops understanding of the six stages of problem solving, as well as identifying different types of situations in which young people might already be using these skills. Furthermore, it encourages them to use an adaptive approach, explaining that different types of problems can be approached in different ways.

The activities on this page support your teaching of these skills through an independent activity, quick activities or a full length, curriculum-linked lesson plan. 

Teaching resources:

• Problem solving: Lesson plan and presentation slides – full lesson plan including icebreaker for use with a group of students in the classroom
• Demonstrating your skills: Quick-fire activity  – 10 minute activity for a group of students in the classroom, can be used as an icebreaker for the lesson plan
• Problem solving in practice: Interactive worksheet – activity for independent learning whether remote or in class

Lesson plan

(60 -75 minutes)

This lesson is designed to equip young people with an adaptable approach to solving problems, large or small. It includes a short film and scenarios that encourage development of practical problem solving skills which can be useful for learning, day to day life, and when in employment.

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify problems of different scales and what is needed to solve them
• Illustrate the use of an adaptable approach to solving problems
• Understand that problem solving is a core transferable skill and identify its usefulness in a work setting
• Work on a problem solving activity in a team

The lesson aims to reinforce students’ understanding of the potential future applications of this skill as they move into the world of work, particularly in an activity differentiated for an older or more able group on creating new opportunities.

Quick-fire activity

(5 - 10 minutes)

The demonstrating your skills quick-fire activity focuses on helping young people understand the key skills that are needed in the workplace, including the importance of problem solving.

Students will be asked to name the skills being demonstrated in a variety of scenarios, and identify ways they’re already using those skills in this short activity.

You might find it useful as a starter or icebreaker activity to begin a lesson, or at the end to allow students to put what they have just learnt in the Problem solving lesson into practice.

Interactive worksheet

(20 - 25 minutes)

Please note that students below the age of 14 cannot sign up for their own LifeSkills account. Any independent tasks must be printed or downloaded and provided digitally for them to complete as they are currently hosted on educator pages.

The Problem solving in practice interactive worksheet introduces some of the themes from the full lesson plan and gives students some practical strategies for problem solving, including introducing the six stages of problem solving. The worksheet can be printed or completed digitally, so can be used flexibly to give students practise putting their problem solving skills into action. You might choose to assign it:

• As homework following the Problem solving lesson
• For independent study
• For remote learning

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Other lessons that may prove useful for students to build on these activities include the  Adaptability  and  Innovation and idea generation  lessons. Alternatively, consider encouraging them to apply their skills through  Steps to starting a business  or the  Social action toolkit .

Why not build problem solving in as a focus in your students’ wider curriculum? Refer to our  Content guide to find out how this resources can be used as part of your teaching.

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Why not try one of these next?

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Staying positive and learning through experience are key to succeeding in challenging situations. Try this lesson and help your students succeed at work.

Good leadership styles and effective teamwork can help students excel in their future workplace. Read more about team leader skills in this lesson.

Social action toolkit

Build a comprehensive social action programme and support young people to access enriching experiences that build transferable skills for work.

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79 Problem-Based Lesson Plan Template

Problem-based lesson plan template.

For additional information on Problem-based instruction, please visit our Teaching Strategies page of the MNSU Instructional Design Services .  In order to implement a problem-based instruction lesson in your classroom, there are a few planning steps to consider.  Fill in the blanks with your lesson-specific information in order to plan your problem-based lesson.

1. Develop clear and measurable learning objectives (including cognitive and behavioral objectives) – based on Bloom’s Taxonomy

• Students will be able to {verb} {noun}.

Ex: Students will demonstrate the methods of organismal biologists, including observation, phylogenetics, experimentation, and form/function studies.

2. Identify the learning resources students will need to access at home before coming to class.  These resources are generally what you would normally do in a traditional lecture format class (lecture, videos, etc)

• Reading materials
• Watch instructional video xxx (name of the video) for xx minutes http://www …
• Exercise on worksheets, if any
• Suggest other learning resources

Ex:  Before class on Thursday, please watch instructional video #1.

Learning Resources my lesson will include:

• __________________________________

Technology Resources I will need to create the pre-class learning resources:

3. Prepare the real-world, contextual problem that students will use to explore the content.  You can either create a problem or select one from an existing problem bank.  Follow the guidelines below for both selecting and creating a problem.

Garner’s (2010) suggested PBL problem elements:

• The topic of concern captures the attention and interest of participating students.
• Students are required to make judgments and decisions by analyzing a variety of options in choosing their best course of action.
• The proposed problem has a level of complexity that involves all team members in the data gathering and decision-making phases.
• Questions are open-ended and invite group members to participate.
• There is a direct connection between the PBL scenario and course learning outcomes.

Students should be able to answer the following four questions when working towards a problem solution:

• What do I know (about the problem or issue)
• What do I need to know to solve it?
• How do I get that information?
• How do I apply that information to determine a solution?

You can also use created problems from resources like the University of Delaware’s PBL Clearninghouse

My problem:

Ex: (From A Principles of Organismal Biology course)

200,000 people applied to be a part of the Mars colonization project. The 40 candidates that were selected have asked you, a biologist, to describe for them what plant or animal life might exist on Mars or what life might exist on Mars eventually through colonization, adaptation, and mutation. Based on your knowledge of Earth biology, what might a Mars plant or animal look like? How could you prepare the colonist for creatures or life they might encounter?

4. Define the procedures for in-Class problem analysis that your students will be completing. Let students know if they need to bring or prepare anything before class.   The idea is to create an active learning environment where students interact with the content and the instructor acts as a guide.   Activities should scaffold the students into the problem solution.

• Establish ground rules for participation
• Assign discussion groups or roles in the problem-solving process
• Students define facts and significant information surrounding the problem
• Pose challenging questions to further discussion
• Students define objectives and possible solutions

Activities students will complete analyzing the problem:

Technology Resources my students will need to complete the analysis:

Ex: Create a graphic organizer of your choice (graphic, infographic, flyer, blog, etc) that  illustrates the lineages of life. Categorize them by one of the following: their biodiversity, anatomy, physiology, development, behavior, biogeography, fossil record,  or ecology.  Then hypothesize how the lineage might be extended to include extraterrestrial life and add those branches to your organizer.

5. Identify any post-analysis activities that your students will be completing.

• Shift context – students see problem or solution from another point of view
• Follow up discussion
• Shift time frame – “what’s next?”, “How could this situation be different?”

Activities students will complete post-analysis:

Technology Resources my students will need to complete the post-analysis activities:

Ex: Write a counterargument to your problem solution.  Take the side of those who might not agree with your conclusions.  What alternatives or arguments against your theories exist?

• Create the assessments that you will use for determining students’ mastery of the learning objectives.
• Formative/Summative
• Challenging questions
• Interactive quizzes
• Problem solution presentations

Ex: Using what you have learned in this class, present and describe a lifeform colonist might encounter in the Martian environment. Visuals, such as a drawing, would be useful to help the colonists identify possible lifeforms. Use the scientific method to present your lifeform hypothesis.

Assessment(s) I will use in my problem-based lesson:

Technology Resources my students will need to complete the assessment(s):

7. Verify that your assessments and activities align to the learning objectives.  Do they allow your students to demonstrate that they have achieved the learning objectives?

Maverick Learning and Educational Applied Research Nexus Copyright © 2021 by Minnesota State University, Mankato is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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