Teachers are always focusing on incorporating essential life skills into lessons. This involves compromise, collaboration, and critical thinking. There are so many skills that students learn while in school that they will need throughout their lives. The problem solving process is one that is important for upper elementary students, which is what we will discuss in this article.

 One of the main skills students learn involves solving problems. Students will need to solve problems in other classes and in all outlets of life. It is essential that students have plenty of practice with problem-based learning. 

Luckily, utilizing the problem solving process in social studies is an amazing way to incorporate standards and life skills!

Understanding PBL

Teaching is full of acronyms! While many understand PBL to be Project Based Learning, it could also be called Problem-Based Learning. Problem-Based Learning is a student centered approach where students learn about a subject by working in groups to solve an open ended problem. This allows students to explore something happening in their community.  

Problem-Based Learning is an amazing way to get away from directly teaching facts and concepts. Let’s drive into the 6 steps to implementing this type of learning when utilizing the problem solving process in social studies.

Problem Solving Process Scenario

As we travel through the 6 steps, keep in mind the following real-world scenario. 

A developer applies to install a small wastewater treatment plant right near your neighborhood. Use the problem solving process to create a solution.

Step 1: Identify the Problem 

What is the main problem that is faced? In this case, there is a small wastewater treatment plant, and it’s going to be installed near a playground, school, home, and business. 

Step 2: Gather Information 

What information do you know about wastewater treatment plants? Research will show how they are not healthy for communities at all. During the water cleaning process, they are treating it. This will cause those chemicals to travel through the neighborhoods.

Step 3: List and Consider Options 

What are the range of options to address the problem? In other words, what can we do to address these problems? For example, can we contact a local news station and get their help to spread the word? Can we put up flyers or signs? Is there a way to contact state representatives? Can we talk about tying into a city sewer line? During this step, it is essential to think about all options when creating a solution. 

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Step 4: Consider Advantages and Disadvantages 

When utilizing the problem solving process in social studies, it is essential to consider both pros and cons. This means exploring the advantages and disadvantages of each possible solution. For example, developers will have to pay to tie into the sewer lines. However, the disadvantage is that the neighborhood’s property values might go down. On top of this, the people might get sick from the smell in the air. This may make it unsafe to play outside. 

Step 5: Choose and Implement a Solution 

This is the time to pick the best solution to the problem. So, students can either vote on this or have a discussion in a mock city council meeting format. In this situation, it would be best if it was possible to tie into the nearest city waste line. This would prevent the wastewater treatment plan from being built! 

Step 6: Evaluate Effectiveness 

Whenever there is a solution to a problem, it is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness. It is important to identify how to evaluate the solution and make adjustments for future problems. This may mean speaking to more representatives, electing the appropriate people, or keeping informed with the city decisions. 

Utilizing the problem solving process in social studies is an amazing way to build critical thinking skills and collaboration! It works with any type of real world problem, so the options are endless. Students will love working through the 6 steps while gaining confidence, pride, and excitement in their work.