Ashley Pasiciel

What Do You Do with A Problem?

Grade/Subject: Language Arts – Grade 4 Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Unit: Making Mindfulness Possible Date: March 2019
OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES
General Learning Outcomes:
1) Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts,
ideas, feelings and experiences.
5) Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to respect, support
and collaborate with others.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
• 1.1.1 – Compare new ideas, information and experiences to prior knowledge
and experiences.
• 1.1.3 – Share personal responses to explore and develop understanding of
oral, print and other media texts.
• 1.2.2 – Use talk, notes, personal writing and representing to record and reflect
on ideas, information, and experiences.
• 5.1.4 – Identify and discuss differences in language used in a variety of school
and community contexts.
• 5.1.5 – Take responsibility for collaborating with others to achieve group goals.
• 5.1.6 – Ask for and provide information and assistance, as appropriate, for
completing individual and group tasks.
• 5.1.8 – use brainstorming, summarizing, and reporting to organize and carry
out group projects.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Interpret how to solve problem through a class reading.
2. Solve a problem as a group.
3. Give opinion to various topics relate to them personally.
ASSESSMENT
Observations: Key Questions:
• See what students know about • How can you solve problem? (L.O
problem solving though group #1, 2 & 3).
discussion. (L.O #1). • What does problem solving mean to
• Facilitate discussion about you? (L.O 1, 2 & 3).
various proposed questions • What do you do with a problem?
during the reading. See what (L.O #1)
students know about the topic • How can you relate to the book?
and how they can personally (L.O #1).
relate to it. (L.O #1). • What are some problem solving
• Make sure students are working strategies? (L.O #1, 2 & 3).
together and communicating • How can we problem solve as a
during the problem solving activity class? (L.O #2)
– promote problem solving and • How can we solve this problem?
communication. Help groups who (L.O #2)
are struggling with this. (L.O #2).
 Ashley Pasiciel

• While students are working • What do you have to do to solve

independently, walk around the this problem? (L.O #2 & 3).
room to make sure they are on • What does classroom community
task and following directions. Put mean to you? (L.O #3).
up an advanced organizer on the • How does solving problems relate
board to keep students on track. to classroom community? (L.O #3).
(L.O #3).
Written/Performance Assessments:
• Over the course of this unit, students will be creating a Me Book (Tribes
activity), where they will reflect on various statements and illustrate a picture to
further show their personal response. The goal in this activity is for students to
think personally to each statement and somehow relate to it. This will be one of
the main project students will work on throughout the unit, therefore, it will be
summative.
• Formative assessments on participation in activities.
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED
• The Alberta Program of Studies.
• What Do You Do with A Problem – Kobi Yamada
• Tribes
MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT
• What Do You Do with A Problem? –Kobi Yamada
• Me Books x 26
PROCEDURE
Introduction:
Hook/Attention Grabber: Today, we will be starting a new unit! Read quote of the day.

Assessment of Prior Knowledge: Today we will be talking about problem solving.

What does problem solve mean to you?

Expectations for Learning & Behaviour:

• Listening to me and eyes on the story when reading. I will be asking questions
after, so pay attention in case I ask you.
• Hands to yourself and no talking when sitting for the reading.
• During activities be respectful of your classmates – follow the tribes
agreements (ask students to review these).
• Participate in activities.
• If you have a question raise your hand.

Advance Organizer/Agenda:
• Make Me Books.
• Take our What Do You Do with A Problem?

Transition to Body: Today we will start with a reading

Body:
Key Questions:
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• How can you solve problem?

• What does problem solving mean to you?
• What do you do with a problem?
• How can you relate to the book?
• What are some problem solving strategies?
Learning Activity #1: Picture Book Reading (L.O #1).
• Students will gather on the floor with a carpet to participate in a group reading.
• I will read the story What Do You Do with A Problem? By Kobi Yamada.
• I will pause at various parts to ask students questions and personally relate to
the story.
Assessments/Differentiation:
• Ask students to think about the story in relation to their own lives (formative).
• Ask various students to volunteer to share.

Key Questions:
• How can you solve problem?
• What does problem solving mean to you?
• What do you do with a problem?
• How can you relate to the book?
• What are some problem solving strategies?
• How can we problem solve as a class?
• How can we solve this problem?
• What do you have to do to solve this problem?
Learning Activity #2: Problem Solving Through Appreciative Inquiry: Human Pretzel
Challenge (L.O #2).
• Students will participate in a team-building, problem-solving activity to help
build classroom community and cooperation.
• Each group will stand in a circle.
• Students will reach out their right hand. They will grab hands with someone on
the opposite side of the circle.
• Students will then reach out their left hand – they will grab hands with a new
person on the opposite side of the circle.
• Students will have to work together to untangle their group.
• Remind students that if someone says ‘ouch’ or ‘that hurts’ to let go.
• Communication can only be done through a whisper.
Assessment/Differentiation:
• Building community, problem solving and building communication skills will be
formatively assessed.
• Make sure all students are included.
• Verbally communicating.

Key Questions:
• How can you solve problem?
• What does problem solving mean to you?
• What are some problem solving strategies?
 Ashley Pasiciel

• How can we problem solve as a class?

• How can we solve this problem?
• What do you have to do to solve this problem?
• What does classroom community mean to you?
• How does solving problems relate to classroom community?
Learning Activity #3: Tribes Activity: Me Book (L.O #3).
• Over the course of this unit, students will create a “Me Book’ full of reflections
and pictures to share things about themselves.
• Each page in the book has an open-ended statement that students will fill in.
they will they illustrate a picture to further display what they think the statement
means to them.
• Students will fill in the first page of this book answering – I can problem solve
by… and To me, classroom community means…
Assessment/Differentiation:
• The end-product of this Me Book will be taken in as a summative assessment.
• Students can draw a picture to further show their ideas.
• Write an advanced organizer on the board so students know what to do.

Sponge Activity: Ticket to Curlew Journal Assignment

Closure:
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning: Great job! Would anyone like to share what
they put in their Me Book?

Transition to Next Lesson: Next class we will be discussing mindfulness.