Introduction

Problem-solving skills are essential for success in life, and it’s important to teach these skills to middle school students. As educators, we can help students learn how to identify problems, decide whether they are big or small, seek help when needed, and find effective solutions. This blog post will provide you with an easy-to-implement, no-prep activity to help students develop their problem-solving abilities, as well as discussion questions and related skills to further enhance their learning.

No-Prep Activity

This activity is designed to help students practice problem-solving skills without any preparation or materials required from the educator. Begin by presenting a hypothetical scenario to the class, similar to the one provided in the prompt. For example:

Tom has a big math test tomorrow, but he left his textbook at school. He needs the textbook to study, but he doesn’t know what to do. What steps should Tom take to solve his problem?

Encourage students to work in small groups to discuss the scenario and identify the problem, decide if it’s a big or small problem, and come up with possible solutions. After a few minutes, have each group share their ideas with the class. Finally, discuss the different solutions and help students determine the best course of action.

Discussion Questions

After completing the no-prep activity, use these questions to stimulate further discussions about problem-solving skills:

1. Why is it important to identify the problem before attempting to solve it?
2. How can you determine if a problem is big or small? What are some examples of each?
3. Why is it helpful to think of multiple ways to solve a problem? How can this skill be applied in real-life situations?
4. When is it appropriate to ask for help when solving a problem? How can you decide who is the best person to ask for assistance?
5. Can you think of a time when you successfully solved a problem? What steps did you take?

Related Skills

Problem-solving skills are closely related to other important social-emotional learning skills, such as:

• Communication: Effectively expressing oneself and understanding others is crucial for solving problems collaboratively.
• Decision-making: Students need to learn how to make informed choices when selecting the best solution to a problem.
• Empathy: Understanding the feelings and perspectives of others can help students develop better solutions to interpersonal problems.
• Resilience: Learning how to bounce back from setbacks and overcome challenges is an important aspect of problem-solving.

Next Steps

If you’re interested in further developing your students’ problem-solving skills and other social-emotional learning competencies, we encourage you to explore the free sample materials available at Everyday Speech. These resources can help you create engaging and effective lessons that support your students’ growth and development.