Problem Solving Skills Worksheet: Five Steps

Critical thinking lesson 19: Problem-solving steps · Set 267 · 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) stop cycling (b) buy a new cycle (c) kick the cycle (d) look at what is wrong
2. 2.🤝 Who can help you solve a hard problem? (a) a teacher or parent (b) nobody ever (c) only a stranger (d) a rumour
3. 3.🧩 A big problem feels scary. What helps? (a) split it into parts (b) cry about it (c) ignore it (d) wait for luck
4. 4.True or false: “panicking” helps you solve a problem. (a) False (b) True
5. 5.True or false: “staying calm” helps you solve a problem. (a) False (b) True
6. 6.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: understand the problem or choose the best idea? (a) understand the problem (b) choose the best idea
7. 7.True or false: “repeating the same try” helps you solve a problem. (a) True (b) False
8. 8.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: guessing wildly? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
9. 9.True or false: “trying again” gets in the way of solving. (a) True (b) False
10. 10.True or false: “giving up at once” helps you solve a problem. (a) False (b) True
11. 11.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) drawing a diagram (b) trying again (c) giving up at once (d) staying calm
12. 12.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: choose the best idea or put the plan to work? (a) choose the best idea (b) put the plan to work
13. 13.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) repeating the same try (b) panicking (c) giving up at once (d) drawing a diagram
14. 14.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: giving up at once? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it
15. 15.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: say what is wrong? (a) step 2 (b) step 4 (c) step 3 (d) step 1
16. 16.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: understand the problem or pick one plan? (a) understand the problem (b) pick one plan
17. 17.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) trying again (b) blaming others (c) staying calm (d) asking for help
18. 18.💡 Why think of more than one idea? (a) to find the best one (b) no reason (c) to confuse people (d) to waste time
19. 19.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: check if it worked? (a) step 3 (b) step 2 (c) step 4 (d) step 5
20. 20.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) making a list (b) drawing a diagram (c) breaking it into parts (d) repeating the same try
21. 21.🛠️ What is the first step in solving a problem? (a) give up (b) blame someone (c) try any idea (d) know what is wrong
22. 22.Which of these helps you solve a problem? (a) blaming others (b) guessing wildly (c) trying again (d) ignoring the problem
23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) staying calm (b) panicking (c) trying again (d) asking for help
24. 24.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: try it out or think of ideas? (a) try it out (b) think of ideas
25. 25.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: list possible fixes? (a) step 3 (b) step 5 (c) step 1 (d) step 2
26. 26.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) trying again (b) staying calm (c) drawing a diagram (d) ignoring the problem
27. 27.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: choose the best idea? (a) step 3 (b) step 1 (c) step 4 (d) step 5
28. 28.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: drawing a diagram? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
29. 29.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: put the plan to work? (a) step 3 (b) step 2 (c) step 4 (d) step 5
30. 30.True or false: “trying again” helps you solve a problem. (a) True (b) False
31. 31.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: list possible fixes or say what is wrong? (a) list possible fixes (b) say what is wrong
32. 32.Which of these helps you solve a problem? (a) panicking (b) breaking it into parts (c) ignoring the problem (d) blaming others
33. 33.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) trying again (b) breaking it into parts (c) guessing wildly (d) asking for help
34. 34.🔁 Your fix did not work. What next? (a) give up (b) hide it (c) blame the tools (d) try another idea
35. 35.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: understand the problem? (a) step 1 (b) step 4 (c) step 5 (d) step 3
36. 36.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: trying again? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it
37. 37.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: put the plan to work or pick one plan? (a) put the plan to work (b) pick one plan
38. 38.True or false: “ignoring the problem” helps you solve a problem. (a) False (b) True
39. 39.True or false: “staying calm” gets in the way of solving. (a) True (b) False
40. 40.True or false: “blaming others” gets in the way of solving. (a) True (b) False

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