PROBLEM
SOLVING
Activity 1-
Group Problem Solving
(Tribes, p. 383)
Instructions:
- Have the class meet in
groups.
- Give each group five minutes to come up
with three typical problems that a student might have with another
student--or that a student might have with someone else at the
school.
- Have each group read their problem to
the class. Make sure that the problems are
well-defined.
- Explain that each group will have ten
minutes to brainstorm and list possible solutions. Review the
"Brainstorming" strategy and post the brainstorming rules. Give
each group a large sheet of paper, a felt pen, and three colored
stickers (red, blue, and yellow).
- Write the "Group-Problem Solving"
process on the board:
- Brainstorm for ten minutes. Have one
person record all ideas.
- Each person selects three top choices
with colored stickers (1st choice blue=25 points; 2nd choice
red=15 points; 3rd choice yellow=5 points).
- Add up the total points for each
idea.
- Present your top solutions to the
class.
- If this strategy is used for real-time
problems, you may want to teach the groups how to make a "Group
Action Plan" that will identify tasks, responsibilities and
completion dates.
Suggested Reflection Questions:
Content/Thinking
- What is the value of this
process?
- What other ways can decisions be made in
the group?
Social
- How well did your group honor our group
agreements?
- What social skills did your group use
when doing this strategy?
Personal
- How do you feel about your group's work
together?
- How do you feel about your
participation?
- How do you feel about your action
plan?
Appreciation
- Suggest people make statements of
appreciation: "Thanks for your help . . ." "You made a positive
difference when . . ."
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Activity 2 -
Dear Abby
(Tribes, p. 309)
Instructions:
- Have the class meet in groups, and give
each group a pile of cards on which you have previously written a
concern or problem (real issues) appropriate to your students' age
level.
- Ask group members to each take a turn at
reading a problem out loud from a card to the rest of the group.
Then have them say, "If I were Dear Abby I would suggest this
person (advice)."
- Later (that day or a different one),
distribute blank cards to the groups and ask each group member to
write one real concern or problem on the card, addressing it to
the fictitious news columnist, "Dear Abby."
- Collect the cards and redistribute the
cards back to group members to suggest what they, as "Dear Abby,"
would advise the person to do.
Suggested Reflection Questions:
Content/Thinking
- What type of problems seemed to be the
most frequent?
- Why is being able to solve problems an
important skill?
Social
- How well did your group members listen?
How could you tell?
- What is the link between good listening
and good solutions to problems?
Personal
- What did you feel when you listened to
other students' concerns?
- How did you feel when you were giving a
solution?
Appreciation
- Invite statements of appreciation:
"(name), you were a good listener. . ." "(name), I
liked it when you said. . ."
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Activity 3 -
Client-Consultant
(Tribes, p. 306)
Instructions:
- Have the class sit in
groups.
- Tell the students that each will have a
turn expressing a concern or a problem that he or she may be
experiencing at school. Each person will have a turn at being a
"client" while the other group members are listening as
"consultants."
- Explain that the consultants:
- are to be non-judgmental
- are not to tell the client what to
do
- are to offer alternative suggestions
to the client for solving the problem
- and may ask for additional
information if it seems helpful or necessary.
- Review or remind the students about
their caring listening skills (especially
paraphrasing).
- Allow approximately 10 minutes for each
client's turn.
Suggested Reflection Questions:
Content/Thinking
- What solutions did the consultants find
for your problem?
- Why is having a consultant helpful to
you sometimes?
Social
- What social skills did you need to be a
good consultant?
- How well did the consultants listen? How
could you tell?
- How does this activity affect the
feeling tone in your group?
Personal
- How does it feel to share your own
concern with others?
Appreciation
- Invite statements of appreciation (to
group members): "I felt (feeling) when you. . ." "I cared a lot
when you said. . ."I feel I would like to help you. .
."
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Activity 4 -
Our Treasury
(Tribes, p. 326)
Instructions:
- Ask the community to meet in
groups.
- Give each group a fictitious sum of
money (or paper money), which is to be its group
treasury.
- Tell each group to brainstorm about the
best uses of this money. (Review the brainstorming process if
necessary.) Have the groups make a list of their
ideas.
- Have each group decide what four things
on its list it would spend its treasury on.
- Ask each group to report its decision to
the class.
Suggested Reflection Questions:
Content/Thinking
- What were some of the things you
listed?
- What did you learn about making
choices?
- Why is deciding how to spend money often
difficult?
Social
- How did you resolve differences of
opinion among group members?
- What are the most important social
skills you need when making decisions as a group?
Personal
- How do you feel about the decisions you
made?
- What have you learned about
yourself?
Appreciation
- Invite statements of appreciation: "I
appreciated it when. . ." "I knew what you meant when you said. .
." "I liked it when. . ."
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Activity 5 -
Lost Programs?
(Stories to Talk About, p.
42)
Instructions:
The music room was always locked when it was
not being used. All sorts of instruments and two pianos were housed
in the room.
Paolo looked at the locked door and sighed.
He had arrived in the United States from Argentina a month ago. In
Argentina he was learning to play the guitar--"guitarra," he called
it. His parents had paid for lessons and rented an instrument for
him. He really enjoyed playing it and had surprised himself with how
well and quickly he learned.
But now Paolo had no guitarra. He had heard
his parents talking about how much it was costing them to live in
America--more than they had planned on. He just couldn't ask them for
money to buy himself a guitar. He kept trying to get up enough nerve
to ask Mr. Gunteski, the music teacher, whether there was some way he
could borrow an instrument.
Susan was in Paolo's class. She liked him.
He was so polite and shy. When she saw him looking at the closed
music room door, she said, "It opens right after lunch. You can speak
to Mr. Gunteski then."
Paolo was surprised and embarrassed that
anyone saw him near the music room and said, "Oh! Oh, that's all
right. I don't really need to see Mr. Gunteski." He smiled at Susan
and quickly walked away.
Susan's first class after lunch was in the
room next to the music room. Several times during the week, she would
see Paolo not too far away from the closed door. She talked with him
as they waited for the first class bell. They talked about the school
band and the school play and the major events scheduled for field
day--an activity Paolo knew nothing about. At one point, Paolo
mentioned that he had been learning to play the guitar in Argentina,
and he missed playing it since he came to the United States. The
class bell stopped further talk.
All the students were surprised when, at the
end of the week, the principal called a special assembly for
everyone. All the students were guessing what it might mean. A
special assembly was rare.
"It must be serious," said one
student.
"My dad says Mr. Santorio is steaming about
something. He's really mad!"
"Wow!" another student interrupted. "Can't
wait for this one."
"I can," quipped another. "If it's as bad as
they say, I can wait--forever."
Sure enough, when Mr. Santorio began the
assembly, he was very serious. He announced that sports equipment had
been taken from the supply rooms, and some musical instruments were
missing. The police were helping to investigate because so many items
had been taken.
"If any one of you can help us with any
information, we would appreciate it. We simply don't have enough
money to replace the sports equipment and the missing musical
instruments. The theft is going to affect the sports program of our
school, all our musical events, and even our school play."
Although students left the assembly room
silently, they soon began to grumble.
"Boy, I'd like to meet the people who stole
our sports equipment. Now I know why we haven't practiced all
week."
"I can't take any more violin lessons, Mr.
Gunteski just told me. He says most of our string instruments were
stolen."
The group became silent as everyone thought
about what to do.
Then Gail said eagerly, "Let's be
detectives. Does anyone know anything that might help us get the
things back?"
Susan sat and thought. She remembered
Paolo's frequent visits to the closed music room and his words about
missing playing his guitar. She also thought from things he said that
his family couldn't afford to buy him an instrument. He had blushed
and sort of stuttered when she spoke to him the first day and saw him
outside the room. Did that mean he might be guilty of stealing? He
was really excited about the sports events, too, when she talked to
him about the school schedule. Did he need some equipment to
participate?
She really couldn't believe that Paolo was
guilty. She heard Gail ask her question again. "Does anyone know
anything that might help us get these things back?"
Susan wondered whether the little
information she had could "really help."
Wouldn't she be putting a doubt in
everyone's mind about Paolo? Would she be ruining his
reputation?
Questions for Discussion:
- What would you do?
- Would it be important to find out how
Paolo reacted to the news of the theft? How might you find out
about this?
- Should students "play detective"? Is it
possible for them to investigate such problems? Can they find the
information they need to solve problems like this one?
- If Susan tells what she knows of Paolo's
frequent visits to the closed music room, will Paolo's reputation
be hurt? Is his reputation more important than sharing what might
help to solve the theft?
Write about It:
- Write a note to Paolo telling him what
you are thinking about his possible connection in this case. Ask
him to explain his frequent visits to the music room.
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Activity 6 -
Family Camp Trek
(Tribes, p. 318)
Instructions:
- Ask the class to meet in groups, and
pass out the "Family Camp Trek" worksheets to each
student.
- Tell the students that they are to
imagine that each of their families has been invited on a special
three-month camping trek next summer in Canada. Tell them that
each person may carry one backpack. All the other supplies (food,
medicines, tents, sleeping bags, etc.) are being provided. Say
that each trek group will consist of three families (about twenty
people) and an experienced guide. Explain that each student is to
make a list of important or satisfying things to have in his or
her backpack, because he or she will be away from home for such a
long time.
- Allow the students ten minutes to make
their lists. Then have them share their lists with their
groups.
- Next have each student decide which
three items would be the most important and note them with a
star.
- Again have the students share their
lists with their groups, explaining why these items are more
important to them than others.
Suggested Reflection Questions:
Content/Thinking
- What were some of the things you took in
your packs?
- What was similar/different?
- Why is it important in life to set
priorities?
Social
- What social skills do you need when a
group is setting priorities?
Personal
- What did you learn about yourself during
this activity?
- How did you feel about having to leave
some things out of your pack?
Appreciation
- Invite statements of appreciation: "I
liked it when . . ." "Thank you, (name), for . . ."
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