Problem Solving Skills Worksheet: Five Steps

Critical thinking lesson 19: Problem-solving steps · Set 248 · 40 questions

Thinking tip (Five calm steps): The steps in order: understand the problem → think of ideas → choose the best idea → try it out → check if it worked. Helps: staying calm, breaking it into parts, asking for help, drawing a diagram, trying again. Gets in the way: panicking, giving up at once, blaming others, repeating the same try, guessing wildly.

1. 1.🚲 Your cycle chain keeps slipping off. What is a good first step? (a) kick the cycle (b) buy a new cycle (c) stop cycling (d) look at what is wrong
2. 2.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: making a list? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
3. 3.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making a list (b) ignoring the problem (c) giving up at once (d) repeating the same try
4. 4.🔁 Your fix did not work. What next? (a) give up (b) blame the tools (c) hide it (d) try another idea
5. 5.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: understand the problem? (a) step 3 (b) step 5 (c) step 4 (d) step 1
6. 6.True or false: “staying calm” gets in the way of solving. (a) False (b) True
7. 7.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: list possible fixes? (a) step 1 (b) step 5 (c) step 2 (d) step 3
8. 8.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) giving up at once (b) guessing wildly (c) panicking (d) breaking it into parts
9. 9.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) panicking (b) staying calm (c) drawing a diagram (d) making a list
10. 10.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) making a list (b) drawing a diagram (c) breaking it into parts (d) giving up at once
11. 11.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: breaking it into parts? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it
12. 12.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: understand the problem or see if it helped? (a) understand the problem (b) see if it helped
13. 13.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) giving up at once (b) staying calm (c) breaking it into parts (d) trying again
14. 14.Which of these helps you solve a problem? (a) repeating the same try (b) ignoring the problem (c) blaming others (d) breaking it into parts
15. 15.🛠️ What is the first step in solving a problem? (a) blame someone (b) give up (c) know what is wrong (d) try any idea
16. 16.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: see if it helped? (a) step 5 (b) step 2 (c) step 1 (d) step 3
17. 17.🧩 A big problem feels scary. What helps? (a) split it into parts (b) ignore it (c) cry about it (d) wait for luck
18. 18.Which of these helps you solve a problem? (a) giving up at once (b) blaming others (c) repeating the same try (d) asking for help
19. 19.True or false: “panicking” gets in the way of solving. (a) True (b) False
20. 20.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: say what is wrong? (a) step 2 (b) step 1 (c) step 4 (d) step 3
21. 21.True or false: “making a list” helps you solve a problem. (a) False (b) True
22. 22.💡 Why think of more than one idea? (a) no reason (b) to find the best one (c) to waste time (d) to confuse people
23. 23.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: check if it worked or choose the best idea? (a) check if it worked (b) choose the best idea
24. 24.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: asking for help? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it
25. 25.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: put the plan to work or choose the best idea? (a) put the plan to work (b) choose the best idea
26. 26.True or false: “ignoring the problem” helps you solve a problem. (a) True (b) False
27. 27.🤝 Who can help you solve a hard problem? (a) a rumour (b) only a stranger (c) a teacher or parent (d) nobody ever
28. 28.True or false: “drawing a diagram” helps you solve a problem. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: pick one plan or put the plan to work? (a) pick one plan (b) put the plan to work
30. 30.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: say what is wrong or list possible fixes? (a) say what is wrong (b) list possible fixes
31. 31.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) breaking it into parts (b) making a list (c) repeating the same try (d) asking for help
32. 32.True or false: “giving up at once” helps you solve a problem. (a) True (b) False
33. 33.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) ignoring the problem (b) blaming others (c) repeating the same try (d) trying again
34. 34.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: blaming others? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it
35. 35.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) panicking (b) staying calm (c) repeating the same try (d) giving up at once
36. 36.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: put the plan to work or see if it helped? (a) put the plan to work (b) see if it helped
37. 37.True or false: “trying again” helps you solve a problem. (a) False (b) True
38. 38.True or false: “guessing wildly” helps you solve a problem. (a) True (b) False
39. 39.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: choose the best idea or list possible fixes? (a) choose the best idea (b) list possible fixes
40. 40.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: trying again? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it

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