Problem Solving and Decision Making Worksheet

Marcus failed his science test even though he thought he understood the material. He feels upset and doesn't know what to do next. What is the best way for Marcus to respond so he can learn from this experience and do better next time?

• Blame the teacher and ignore the grade

• Think about how he studied and ask the teacher for help improving

• Decide science isn't important and stop trying

• Tell his friends that tests don't really matter

Emily and her lab partner disagree about how to set up an experiment. Each thinks their way is best, and they're starting to get frustrated with each other. What is the best way for Emily 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

• Suggest they listen to each other's ideas and try to find a compromise

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

A student 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

Jalen 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

Jasmine is starting a peer tutoring program. She still needs to create sign-up forms, recruit volunteers, schedule and run a training session, and match tutors with students. How much time should Jasmine 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

• She can probably start the next morning

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. What is the best answer?

• 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.

What evidence supports your choice for part A?

• Students ate more comfortably and felt less rushed.

• Teachers said students stayed focused throughout class.

• Students were distracted and learning time decreased.

• Lunch lines were shorter, so everyone was happy.

A class 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

A class notices 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.

Students design a water-saving system for their school garden, but they don't have the tools or materials to build it. What is the MAIN challenge in this situation?

• The idea is not allowed during school hours.

• They lack the resources to test the solution.

• The garden doesn't need any water.

• Saving water is not a real-world problem.