Problems come in all shapes and sizes, but the first step in solving a problem is to identify just what the problem is. Through a series of games and activities, middle schoolers learn first to identify a problem, decide on a solution,...

Middle schoolers apply all they have learned in the Problem Solving module by participating in a contest to see which group can build the tallest tower using only sheets of paper and masking tape.

Middle schoolers continue to study the problem solving process by identifying the pros and cons of different options they listed on their "How Could I Do This" activity sheet from the previous lesson. After weighing the options, they...

"What should I do?" "How should I do it?" Middle Schoolers learn that answering these two questions is the key to solving problems. They begin with the first two steps of the Decision Making Process (gathering information and identifying...

An activity that focuses on workplace ethical dilemmas asks groups how to respond to a series of scenarios. First, the class brainstorms a list of ethics that apply to employers, then a second one that applies to employees. Using their...

Being able to get along with a variety of personalities in the workplace is a key job skill. To gain insight into the importance of this skill, class members take on roles of various personality types and work in groups to try to build a...

A Networking BINGO game asks participants to find scholars who share a variety of the same interests and characteristics. Categories include everything from shoe size, to biggest fear, to intended college major.

Sometimes the interview process includes negotiating for what you want. Here's an activity that guides job seekers to achieve The Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA). Participants take on the role of job seekers and...

Creating a complete and professional-looking job application is an essential part of the employment process. Class members review sample applications for an entry-level position to determine who should be interviewed for the job.

Resumes are key to the job search process. Class members examine sample job postings and critique sample resumes to understand how to craft a strong resume.

Talk about a reality check! High schoolers complete a lifestyle survey indicating their preference for housing, entertainment, etc., and then calculate the salary required to support those choices. Finally, they research the types of...

After completing an evaluation worksheet that asks learners to rate their skills honestly, individuals create an action plan that includes specific steps to improve in these areas.

For many high schoolers, what they want to be when they grow up can be very intimidating. Here's an activity that gets them thinking about their interests and how they might connect these interests to future jobs. After watching a short...

Employability skills are difficult to measure but are essential in the workplace. Introduce high schoolers to employability skills with the Human Knot activity. Groups of six grab hands to form a human knot and untangle themselves. The...

Why did Henry Ford want to invent a car for the masses? Why did Henry Ford locate his factory in Detroit? Why did Henry Ford encourage the idea of a 5-day work week? Young innovators find the answers to these and other question in a unit...

This optional lesson introduces the class to the idea of a minimum spanning tree. The activity focuses on determining an algorithm that will find the most efficient path in a network to transfer data. 

Young programmers investigate the Single Source Shortest Path problem by working in paris to devise their own algorithm. They then progress to using Dijkstra's Algorithm to solve the problem. 

Class members choose a current social, political, environmental, or economic problem presented in Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America, research this problem and a variety of suggested solutions, before...

It is a-maze-ing how lost one can get. Teams reconstruct a simple maze and solve it. Participants create an algorithm that a robot would follow in order to solve the maze as well. The activity includes an extension directing pupils to...

Encourage learners to think deeply about the information they read or hear. Through a series of life skills worksheets, your pupils will consider the need for objectivity, identifying missing information, and problem solving.

This resource provides learners with three different methods for solving long division problems. The same problem is used to show each of the methods, which include guess and check, repeated subtraction, and the classic method. This may...

In this guess and check worksheet, students use the strategy guess and check to solve math word problems containing one and two digit numbers. Students complete 6 problems.

In this problem solving strategy worksheet, students read one story problem about collecting shells. Students answer 5 questions that outline the guess and check method. Students solve the problem.

In this guess and check learning exercise, students solve 5 word problems using guess and check and show their work. Houghton Mifflin text is referenced.