I think learning to problem solve is a very important skill for students to learn because it is something that can be used everyday - in math, at reccess, in the classroom, etc.
To start off we discussed various problem solving strategies we practice daily. We then discussed how problems make us feel. The majority of my class admitted that when they have a big problem, they often feel down.
Next, we read the book What Do You Do With A Problem. The whole class felt like they related to the main character in the book.
We then discussed how we can solve friendship and emotional problems at school. My students came up with a range of strategies. I think this was a valuable part of this lesson because often when students have an issue on the playground, the biggest issue is figuring out how they can final a solution.
I gave students a task to solve in groups. I went back and fourth on a couple group activities, but decided on the Human Pretzel Activity. The first time students tried this they had to get untangled without speaking. This was very difficult for groups. The second time, I allowed they to communicate with their group. I put an emphasis on kind and positive communication because I didn't want students yelling. I was impressed to discover how quickly groups were able to get untangled. My recomendation for this activity is to put an emphasis on safety. My rule was that if someone in the group said 'ouch' everyone had to let go and start over - this worked great!
After the actvity, we discussed what we learned and what problem solving in action looks like.
Lastly, students wrote a personal reflection to connect the the activity.
My class loved this approach to hands on learning, and I would do this activity again in the future.
Yamada, Kobi. What Do You Do With A Problem?. Compedium, 2016.