Problem Solving Skills Worksheet: Five Steps

Critical thinking lesson 19: Problem-solving steps · Set 74 · 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) kick the cycle (c) look at what is wrong (d) buy a new cycle
2. 2.🤝 Who can help you solve a hard problem? (a) only a stranger (b) nobody ever (c) a rumour (d) a teacher or parent
3. 3.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: pick one plan? (a) step 4 (b) step 5 (c) step 3 (d) step 1
4. 4.🛠️ What is the first step in solving a problem? (a) blame someone (b) know what is wrong (c) try any idea (d) give up
5. 5.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: drawing a diagram? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
6. 6.True or false: “trying again” gets in the way of solving. (a) True (b) False
7. 7.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: understand the problem? (a) step 4 (b) step 1 (c) step 2 (d) step 3
8. 8.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: breaking it into parts? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
9. 9.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) repeating the same try (b) trying again (c) asking for help (d) drawing a diagram
10. 10.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: repeating the same try? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
11. 11.Which of these helps you solve a problem? (a) panicking (b) staying calm (c) guessing wildly (d) ignoring the problem
12. 12.True or false: “blaming others” gets in the way of solving. (a) False (b) True
13. 13.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: understand the problem or see if it helped? (a) understand the problem (b) see if it helped
14. 14.🛠️ 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
15. 15.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: put the plan to work? (a) step 4 (b) step 1 (c) step 3 (d) step 5
16. 16.True or false: “making a list” gets in the way of solving. (a) False (b) True
17. 17.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) panicking (b) blaming others (c) staying calm (d) repeating the same try
18. 18.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: making a list? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it
19. 19.🛠️ 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
20. 20.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) drawing a diagram (b) giving up at once (c) asking for help (d) staying calm
21. 21.🛠️ 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
22. 22.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: see if it helped or list possible fixes? (a) see if it helped (b) list possible fixes
23. 23.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) staying calm (b) guessing wildly (c) trying again (d) breaking it into parts
24. 24.True or false: “asking for help” gets in the way of solving. (a) False (b) True
25. 25.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) panicking (b) trying again (c) staying calm (d) drawing a diagram
26. 26.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: list possible fixes or try it out? (a) list possible fixes (b) try it out
27. 27.🔍 Which is the odd one out? (a) giving up at once (b) guessing wildly (c) breaking it into parts (d) blaming others
28. 28.True or false: “breaking it into parts” gets in the way of solving. (a) True (b) False
29. 29.💡 Why think of more than one idea? (a) to confuse people (b) no reason (c) to find the best one (d) to waste time
30. 30.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) trying again (b) breaking it into parts (c) blaming others (d) asking for help
31. 31.🧩 A big problem feels scary. What helps? (a) split it into parts (b) ignore it (c) wait for luck (d) cry about it
32. 32.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: staying calm? (a) gets in the way (b) helps solve it
33. 33.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: check if it worked or pick one plan? (a) check if it worked (b) pick one plan
34. 34.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: try it out or pick one plan? (a) try it out (b) pick one plan
35. 35.🛠️ Which problem-solving step is this: check if it worked? (a) step 4 (b) step 3 (c) step 5 (d) step 1
36. 36.🛠️ Does this help solve a problem, or get in the way: panicking? (a) helps solve it (b) gets in the way
37. 37.🛠️ When solving a problem, which comes first: think of ideas or pick one plan? (a) think of ideas (b) pick one plan
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.Which of these gets in the way of solving? (a) making a list (b) trying again (c) staying calm (d) guessing wildly
40. 40.True or false: “making a list” helps you solve a problem. (a) False (b) True

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