Problem Solving and Critical Thinking Quiz

Ms. Keller failed her AOT test even though she thought she understood the material. She feels upset and doesn’t know what to. What is the best way for her to respond so she can learn from this experience and do better next time?

• Blame Mr. Valle

• Think back about her steps and ask the teacher for help.

• Decide science isn’t important and stop trying

• Tell his friends that tests don’t really matter

Answer explanation

The best response for Ms. Keller is to reflect on her study methods and seek help from her teacher. This approach promotes learning from mistakes, rather than blaming others or giving up.

Dayana and Taiylor are dance partners. They disagree about how to set up a new dance for Ms. Maritnez. Each thinks their way is best, and they’re starting to get frustrated with each other. What is the best way for Them to handle the disagreement so they can work together and complete the experiment?

• Tell the teacher her partner is wrong and ask to switch partners

• Stick to her opinion no matter what and ignore her partner

• Share an idea for them listen to each and try to find a compromise

• Decide to let her partner do everything so they don’t argue

Answer explanation

The best way for Dayana and Tailor to handle their disagreement is to share ideas, listen to each other, and find a compromise. This approach fosters collaboration and helps them work together effectively.

Jesse wants to help his school become more eco-friendly. He’s thinking about recycling, reducing waste, and planting a garden, but he feels stuck. What’s the BEST next step?

• Set goals, gather supplies, and assign responsibilities

• Choose the most popular idea and ask a teacher to lead it

• Start working on all three ideas, and adjust based on which one takes off

• Focus on getting approval first and worry about the plan later

Answer explanation

The best next step is to set goals, gather supplies, and assign responsibilities. This structured approach ensures Jesse's eco-friendly initiatives are organized and effective, increasing the likelihood of success.

Summer and Dayanna is starting a peer tutoring program. They still needs to create sign-up forms, recruit volunteers, schedule and run a training session, and match tutors with students. How much time should they expect to need before the program is ready to launch?

• About one day

• 2–3 days if everything goes smoothly

• A week or more to complete all key steps

• They can probably start the next morning

Answer explanation

Summer and Dayanna need to complete several tasks, including creating forms, recruiting, training, and matching tutors. These steps typically require a week or more to ensure everything is organized and ready for launch.

Alison suggests starting a recycling program at school. She creates posters and places bins in the cafeteria. After a week, she notices students aren’t using the bins correctly, and no one knows where the posters came from. What might have improved the success of her plan?

• Adding more posters with bigger words

• Getting teachers involved in the planning process

• Throwing away the recycling bins and starting over

• Asking for a reward each time someone recycles

Answer explanation

Getting teachers involved in the planning process would have increased awareness and support for the recycling program, helping students understand its importance and how to use the bins correctly.

Read the following excerpt and determine if the solution works in the short term or long term. To solve the problem of students not having enough time to eat lunch, a school allows them to bring their food to the next class and eat during the first five minutes. Right away, students stop rushing through their meals and feel more satisfied. However, teachers begin to notice that students are distracted and take longer to focus once instruction begins.

• The solution worked well only in the short term.

• The solution had only long-term benefits.

• The solution worked equally well in the short and long term.

• The solution was never effective.

Answer explanation

The solution allowed students to eat and feel satisfied initially, indicating short-term success. However, the distraction during class shows it was not sustainable, confirming it worked well only in the short term.

Ms. Wallace wants to start a student-run school store to raise money for field trips. Which resources would be MOST important for getting started? Select TWO correct answers.

• Inventory of school supplies or snacks to sell

• A location or space to set up the store

• A list of everyone’s favorite snacks

• A new school mascot costume

• A timer for classroom games

Answer explanation

To start a school store, having an inventory of items to sell and a location to set up the store are essential. These resources ensure that there are products to offer and a space to conduct sales.

The thinkers see that students often miss important announcements and due dates. What is the BEST solution to address this problem and plan for implementation?

• Post weekly updates in the classroom and online.

• Tell students to listen better.

• Assign one student to share all announcements.

• Remove due dates so there’s nothing to forget.

Answer explanation

Posting weekly updates in the classroom and online ensures that all students have access to important announcements and due dates, addressing the issue effectively and promoting better communication.

Mr. Valle starts a kindness wall where people can leave encouraging notes. He thinks that it makes students feel more supported, but later some students start leaving off-topic or silly messages. What is the unintended consequence of this solution?

• The wall became a helpful way to spread kindness.

• Everyone began writing more notes.

• Not all messages were used appropriately.

• Students became better at spelling.

Answer explanation

The unintended consequence of Mr. Valle's kindness wall is that not all messages were used appropriately, as some students left off-topic or silly messages instead of encouraging notes.

A problem-solving meeting is most effective when:

• Only one person does all the talking

• Everyone gets a chance to speak

• The problem is ignored

• Solutions are not discussed

Answer explanation

A problem-solving meeting is most effective when everyone gets a chance to speak, as this encourages diverse perspectives and collaborative solutions, leading to better outcomes.