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Unit Topic: Problem Solving

Grade level:Kindergarten
Stage 1 Desired Results

Content Standard/Established Goals(s):

Social Studies: SWBAT identify and resolve conflicts IOT engage in multiple perspectives and
personal problem solving.

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Students will try to be able to exhibit empathetic behavior towards others during conflict.
Students will be active listeners during social and academic problem solving especially when
team work is required to reach a desired goal.
Students will direct themselves towards the peace corner in order to take ownership over their
conflict. They will begin to use the peace corner as an aid to solving social conflict.
Metacognition will play an important role in students ability to achieve the above. Prior to the
anticipated unit, I will be unpacking meaning of emotional vocabulary using student participation
to aid their understanding. I will also be tracking student progress through formative assessments
and anecdotal records. Adjustments to the unit and preparatory lessons will be made and
differentiated based on what students need to achieve unit goals.
Understanding(s)
understand how things make them feel
identify and make plans for resolving social
conflict.
understand that their words and actions affect
how others feel.
how to express their emotions in a sentence.
how to express why it is important to know
how you feel
understand what it means to be an active
listener

Essential Question(s):
What does it mean to be a problem solver?
Why might it be important to be a problem
solver?
How can problem solving help our school,
our community and our world?
What makes good teamwork?
How can we resolve conflict in the
classroom?

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Student objectives (outcomes): Students will

know
How to peacefully address social conflict
using a peace corner
How to use puppets/theater to work through
conflict and step outside of themselves
Why it is important to be a problem solver
ways to address problems peacefully
How Henri Matisse dealt with his problems(in
late life was in a wheelchair and very ill. Used
collage materials and poles to create work
from his wheelchair or bed)

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Students will be able to

use I statements to communicate their

feelings.
Co-write a scenario involving a problem and
a solution
Reflect and dissect conflict to find the root of
the problem and the best way to solve it.
feel confident when faced with a difficult
social or academic problem.
know that being a problem solver doesnt
mean not asking for help. It means knowing
when and how to ask for help.
Use a peace corner to resolver personal
conflicts.
work as team in order to build a tower(the
marshmallow challenge)
identify a problem in their community and
make a plan to solve it(collectively)

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):

Students ability to use the peace corner using

I statements and emotional vocabulary.
Students will be assessed on their active
listening understandings, eye contact and
closure(handshake, hug and high five)
Students will be able to explain how their
actions might make others feel
Students will begin to take ownership over
their own problems
Students will be able to identify problems,
feelings and possible solutions outside of their
own context

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Other Evidence:

KWL chart
anecdotal evidence observing active listening
skills and growth
Use yes or no cards for students to hold up to
show they agree or disagree with peers when
students share what they notice about Henris
problem.
Check list of student understanding and
group chart will be made to make predictions
about how Matisse might have felt.
Students will contribute in the making of an
anchor chart for the Peace Corner. We will
create a section reminding us when it is
appropriate to use the peace corner. Student
will help create sentence starters for Peace
Corner. Will will brainstorm to decide what
our Peace Corner will look like?
Product results=How is structure built? Can
students reflect accurately on their
teamwork? If they did it again what things
would they change to improve their results?
What were strengths and weaknesses
observed in their teamwork? After activity
students will be asked, What makes good
teamwork?
Acting out student written skits using
puppets. Puppets encounter specific problems
and then find a solution
Vision drawings and statements that narrate a
commitment to using the peace corner in the
classs established way
Social Story Assessment-Students recreate
the story of Abiyoyo using picture cards
Outcome of Marshmallow Challenge

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Stage 3 Learning Plan

Be Learning Activity
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Objectives/Goals

Formative Assessment

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Brain Storm and role play to

build understanding of social
conflict
Turn and talk brain storm
discussing qualities that make
up good problem solvers and
why. Followed by practice role
playing familiar social
story(Holly Owl and Bunny.
Refer to lesson plan for info on
prior context regarding puppet
problem)

SWBAT generate ideas about

what qualities model problems
solvers have IOT understand
how to problem solve.

Creating the Peace Corner

Students will contribute in the
making of an anchor chart for
the Peace Corner. We will
create a section reminding us
when it is appropriate to use
the peace corner. Student will
help create sentence starters for
Peace Corner. Will will
brainstorm to decide what our
Peace Corner will look like?

SWBAT create rules and

norms for a classroom peace
corner IOT engage in
successful and empowering
problem solving

SWBAT role play a social

conflict resolution scenario
IOT understand elements of a
successful conversation.

Anecdotal checklist tracking

use of I statements and
listening skills(ability to repeat
partners spoken ideas).
Ability to role play using
group discussed qualities
problem solvers share.

Anecdotal use of peace corner.

Do students use I statements
and emotional vocabulary as
practiced? Do they use the
peace corner appropriately?
Check list for each section on
assessment.

Envisioning best self using SWBAT create their own goals Students will draw a picture of
for how they want to use the
them using the peace corner.
Peace corner
Students will draw a picture of peace corner IOT maintain
themselves in the peace corner intrinsic motivation towards
being model problem solvers
and use a sentence starter to
narrate the picture. Pictures
will be laminated and bound
into a book that goes in the
peace corner. Book will be
used as a reference for students
to remind themselves of their
established goals.

They will complete a sentence

starter that says, When I use
the peace corner I
will Students will
be assessed on how they finish
the sentence. Students should
be able to describe themselves
using behavior/language/group
discussed norms for the peace
corner.

Making art from Henri

Matissess perspective as a
problem solver
Students will experiment with
collage materials to consider
the perspective of matisse as
an artist in his later years. They
will use colored paper to create
shapes specific to their desired
mood. Students will also
experiment with different
modes of pattern using their
shapes.

Students will complete a

sentence starter= If I were
Henri Matisse I would cut out
these shapes because they
make me feel like I can

SWBAT recognize and explain

how colors, shapes and their
environment make them feel
IOT understand Henri
Matisses perspective as a
problem solver

Observing land snails as

problem solvers
Students have already spent an
introductory period observing
land snail behavior. Students
will observe snails interacting
in their habitat while
answering questions. What
kind of problems will they
have when they need to eat?
What do they do when it
rains? What does the snail
do when it is touched?

SWBAT make predictions

based on scientific observation
IOT understand how land
snails live as problem solvers

KWL CHARTAssessment of
student recorded wonderings
and anecdotal observation of
students interaction with
snails. I will be pushing them
to ask themselves, If you
were this snail what problems
do you think you might have?

Solving problems of the past:

multicultural literature/
folktalkes
Students will act out the story
of Abiyoyo taking turns
playing roles of village people,
father, son, and Abiyoyo.
Afterwards we will discuss
what would happen if the
characters did something
different. Students will use
social story picture cards to
rewrite Abiyoyo.

SWBAT identify and analyze

problems from a picture book
folk tale IOT explore multiple
solutions to problems

Students will use social story

pictures to rewrite Abiyoyo.
They must choose from a
selection of picture
cards(illustrating action such
as violence, handshakes,
hugging, writing letters,
ignoring, etc.). The order of
their story must make sense
and be a new solution to the
problem.

Teamwork in engineering
and architecture:The
Marshmallow
Challenge(Activity based on
Tom Wujecs work). Students
will work in teams of 4. They
will have 18 minutes to create
towers using raw spaghetti,
tape, string and a
marshmallow. The only rule is
that the marshmallow must sit
at the top of the structure and
not additional materials may be
supplied. This will not be
presented as a competition but
as a challenge in working
together to achieve a common
goal. Problem solving skills
come into play because it
requires students listen to each
other, communicate ideas and
compromise.

SWBAT to work as a team

IOT create a free standing
structure using unconventional
building materials

Product results=How is
structure built? Can students
reflect accurately on their
teamwork? If they did it again
what things would they
change to improve their
results? What were strengths
and weaknesses observed in
their teamwork? After activity
students will be asked, What
makes good teamwork?

Planning for Problems

Potential problem: You are
going to a sleep over at a
friends house. Your friends
family makes you dinner but it
isnt as good as the kind you
eat at home. When it is 7:00
your friends mom says it is
bedtime but your bedtime at
home isnt until 8:00pm. You
are starting to feel so angry and
homesick and you start to cry.
You call your mom and she
picks you up and takes you
home. Next week your friend
asks you over for a sleepover
an dyou really want to go but
you are scared of getting
homesick again! What can you
do?
Students will create a
homesick letter for their
potential sleepover bags. In it
will include advice for their
future selves on what to do
when they have a homesick
problem.

SWBAT create a plan for

dealing with an anticipated
problem IOT understand how
to plan ahead for a potential
problem

Students will draw items in a

bag that represent comforting
images of home. They will
complete sentence starters that
say, I will bring this to my
sleepover because it makes me
feel BLANK when I am
BLANK.

Problem Solving on the stage

Students put on puppet show
where they act out their cowritten work.

SWBAT perform co-written

stories using puppet theater
techniques IOT increase
metacognition as a problem
solver

Students co-written and

illustrated and puppet
performance assessing
identification of problem,
authentic solution(ensures all
characters feelings are
considered when solving
problem, and sense of story).
Students will also be asked to
identify story problems from
their peers puppet shows.

SWBAT identify problems in

their peers plays IOT
empathize with multiple
perspectives