TCNJ Lesson Plan

Social Problem Solving

Student Name’s: ​Emma Lamperti

School Name: Lawrenceville Elementary School
Grade Level: ​ Pre-K
Host Teacher’s Name:​ Katie Bergan

Guiding and/or Essential Questions

- What are the three steps to solving a social problem?
- What are good ways to solve a problem?
- What are bad ways to solve a problem?
Student Prior Knowledge
- Students have participated in social lessons before and have had an
impromptu/introductory lesson on problem solving the week before this lesson.
Standards

- Social Emotional:
- 0.3.1 Recognize and describe a wide range of feelings, including sadness, anger,
fear, and happiness.
- 0.3.3 Channel impulses and negative feelings, such as anger (e.g., taking three
deep breaths, using calming words, pulling self out of play to go to “safe spot” to
relax, expressive activities).
- 0.4.5 Express needs verbally or nonverbally to teacher and peers without being
aggressive (e.g., “I don’t like it when you call me dummy. Stop!”).
- 0.4.6 Demonstrate verbal or nonverbal problem-solving skills without being
aggressive (e.g., talk about a problem and related feelings and negotiate
solutions).

Learning Objectives and Assessments:

Learning Objectives Assessment

Students will help the teacher sort various The teacher will ask students if the action (ex.
actions into two separate columns on the board; yelling) is a good or bad way to solve a
good ways to solve a problem and bad ways to problem. Then the teacher, or student, will move
solve a problem. the action to the appropriate column.
Students will listen to a scenario and then discuss The teacher will read the scenario out loud to
with a partner how they would feel if they were the students and ask them to turn and talk with
in that scenario and how they would solve the
problem.
Students will converse with teacher and peers
appropriately.
their partner about how they would feel if they
were in the person in the scenario and then how
they would solve the problem. The teacher will
listen to the students conversations and then call
on students to share what they talked about.
The teacher will informally assess this by
looking for students who are: raising their hand,
waiting their turn, taking turns with their partner
and speaking nicely to their teachers/peers.

Materials/Resources:
- Problem solving poster
- Good/Bad ways to solve a problem sort
- Whiteboard and magnets
- Social problem solving scenarios

Step by Step plan:

1. Lesson Beginning: ​The teacher will call the students to the carpet and ask them to sit on a
color spot. Then, the teacher will pair students with the person they are sitting next to,
moving some students around if necessary. Katie, Pam and Stacey will sit next to groups
of students who need more language prompting or guidance. Emma will go over the three
steps to solving a problem with the students, using the poster in the classroom for
reference. (Three steps to solving a problem: 1. How do you feel? 2. What is the
problem? 3. What can you do?) Then, Emma will demonstrate how to solve a problem by
creating a scenario with one of the other teachers.
a. Scenario: “I was playing in the bakery center the other day and I wanted to be the
baker really bad, but Ms. Katie already said she wanted to be the baker. That
makes me feel frustrated and disappointed. The problem is that I can’t be the role
I want to be. I can solve the problem by taking a few deep breaths and choosing
another role.”
2. Ways to Solve a Problem Sort: ​After going over the steps to solving a problem, Emma
will introduce the ways to solve a problem sort. She will explain that there are good and
bad ways to solve a problem and the class is going to work together to sort the actions
into good and bad columns on the board. For each action, Emma will read the action and
ask the students to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to show if it is a good way to solve
the problem or a bad way to solve a problem. She will discuss the students answer and
 move the action to the proper column. After this activity there may be a short movement
break if it seems that the students are becoming antsy.
3. Scenario Cards: E ​ mma will then tell the students they will be pretending to solve some
real problems with their partners. There will be three scenarios that the students will have
to work through with their partners. Emma will read the scenario aloud and then ask the
students to discuss with their partners how that would make them feel and how they
could solve the problem in a kind way.
a. Scenarios:
i. You don’t get called on during a story lab even though you had your hand
raised and were being quiet. How does that make you feel? How can you
fix your problem?
ii. Someone took a toy from you when you were playing in centers. How
does that make you feel? How can you fix your problem?
iii. You wanted to be partners with your friend during group time, but the
teacher partnered you with someone else. How does that make you feel?
How can you fix your problem?
4. Closure: ​Emma will ask students to raise their hand and tell her the three steps to solving
a problem (three students will be called on, one for every step). Students will then be
dismissed from the carpet to line up for playground time.

Key Questions:
- Is this a good or bad way to solve a problem?
- How would that make you feel?
- How would you solve the problem?
- What are the three steps to solving a problem?

Logistics:
Timing:
- Lesson Beginning: 5-7 minutes
- Sort: 5-7 minutes
- Scenarios: 5-10 minutes
- Closure: 2-3 minutes
Transitions:
- Students will be called onto the carpet and asked to sit on a color spot, where they
will remain for the lesson.
- Students will be dismissed from the carpet to line up for playground time at the
conclusion of the lesson.
Classroom Management:
 - “1, 2, 3 eyes on me, 1,2 eyes on you” or “macaroni and cheese, everybody freeze”
will be used if students begin to lose focus.
- Bell will be used to quiet students and focus their attention back to the front of the
class after a turn and talk.

Differentiation Notes
- Students with language or processing needs (DS, JS, BW, EW, JS) will be paired with a
peer and a teacher/assistant in order to receive the proper prompting.