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Problem Solving Skills Worksheet: Five Steps

Critical thinking lesson 19: Problem-solving steps · Set 499 · 40 questions
TalentJR

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.

NameDateTime takenScore ___ / 40
  1. 1.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: see if it helped? (a) step 1 (b) step 5 (c) step 4 (d) step 2
  2. 2.🧩 A big problem feels scary. What helps? (a) wait for luck (b) cry about it (c) split it into parts (d) ignore it
  3. 3.💡 Why think of more than one idea? (a) to confuse people (b) to waste time (c) no reason (d) to find the best one
  4. 4.True or false: “trying again” helps you solve a problem. (a) True (b) False
  5. 5.True or false: “staying calm” helps you solve a problem. (a) True (b) False
  6. 6.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: understand the problem? (a) step 1 (b) step 4 (c) step 5 (d) step 2
  7. 7.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: giving up at once? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
  8. 8.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) trying again (b) guessing wildly (c) making a list (d) asking for help
  9. 9.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: understand the problem or put the plan to work? (a) understand the problem (b) put the plan to work
  10. 10.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) trying again (b) panicking (c) breaking it into parts (d) making a list
  11. 11.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: pick one plan? (a) step 2 (b) step 4 (c) step 1 (d) step 3
  12. 12.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) guessing wildly (b) asking for help (c) panicking (d) giving up at once
  13. 13.True or false: “breaking it into parts” gets in the way of solving. (a) False (b) True
  14. 14.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: guessing wildly? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it
  15. 15.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: breaking it into parts? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it
  16. 16.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: check if it worked? (a) step 3 (b) step 4 (c) step 5 (d) step 1
  17. 17.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: making a list? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it
  18. 18.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: list possible fixes? (a) step 1 (b) step 5 (c) step 3 (d) step 2
  19. 19.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: think of ideas or pick one plan? (a) think of ideas (b) pick one plan
  20. 20.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: ignoring the problem? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
  21. 21.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: check if it worked or list possible fixes? (a) check if it worked (b) list possible fixes
  22. 22.🤝 Who can help you solve a hard problem? (a) nobody ever (b) a rumour (c) a teacher or parent (d) only a stranger
  23. 23.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: think of ideas or put the plan to work? (a) think of ideas (b) put the plan to work
  24. 24.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: choose the best idea? (a) step 1 (b) step 5 (c) step 3 (d) step 2
  25. 25.🚲 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
  26. 26.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) blaming others (b) making a list (c) giving up at once (d) panicking
  27. 27.True or false: “asking for help” gets in the way of solving. (a) True (b) False
  28. 28.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) asking for help (b) trying again (c) making a list (d) blaming others
  29. 29.Which of these helps you solve a problem? (a) giving up at once (b) ignoring the problem (c) panicking (d) trying again
  30. 30.True or false: “panicking” helps you solve a problem. (a) True (b) False
  31. 31.Which of these helps you solve a problem? (a) making a list (b) guessing wildly (c) repeating the same try (d) blaming others
  32. 32.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: try it out? (a) step 3 (b) step 2 (c) step 4 (d) step 5
  33. 33.True or false: “giving up at once” gets in the way of solving. (a) False (b) True
  34. 34.Which of these helps you solve a problem? (a) breaking it into parts (b) guessing wildly (c) giving up at once (d) panicking
  35. 35.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: panicking? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
  36. 36.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: blaming others? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
  37. 37.True or false: “trying again” gets in the way of solving. (a) False (b) True
  38. 38.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: list possible fixes or put the plan to work? (a) list possible fixes (b) put the plan to work
  39. 39.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: put the plan to work or check if it worked? (a) put the plan to work (b) check if it worked
  40. 40.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: see if it helped or list possible fixes? (a) see if it helped (b) list possible fixes

Answer key

  1. step 5
  2. split it into parts
  3. to find the best one
  4. True
  5. True
  6. step 1
  7. gets in the way
  8. guessing wildly
  9. understand the problem
  10. panicking
  11. step 3
  12. asking for help
  13. False
  14. gets in the way
  15. helps solve it
  16. step 5
  17. helps solve it
  18. step 2
  19. think of ideas
  20. gets in the way
  21. list possible fixes
  22. a teacher or parent
  23. think of ideas
  24. step 3
  25. look at what is wrong
  26. making a list
  27. False
  28. blaming others
  29. trying again
  30. False
  31. making a list
  32. step 4
  33. True
  34. breaking it into parts
  35. gets in the way
  36. gets in the way
  37. False
  38. list possible fixes
  39. put the plan to work
  40. list possible fixes

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