Problem-Solving Strategies Have to be Taught
Does it ever surprise you when a student doesn’t know how to solve a problem? Sometimes students don’t have a wide enough array of strategies. Problem-solving strategies give students a mechanism for identifying elements of a problem, determining a course of action, and checking the answer. We have videos, games and presentations to help you teach.
Games with Problem-Solving Strategies
All of our games teach problem-solving to some extent, such as this video on how to solve timeline problems for years before the year 1 (that is Before the Christian Era), which is found in our game AzTech: Meet the Maya. If what you are looking for, though, is general problem-solving strategies, I would suggest these three games.
Visit Spirit Lake: The Game
This game teaches problem-solving strategies, multiplication, division and Dakota history. It plays on Mac and Windows computers. It must be installed on your device.
Visit Making Camp Lakota
- Teaches problem-solving strategies, division and Lakota history. Can be played in English or Lakota. This game is free. Runs on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iOS and Android.
Visit Making Camp Premium
- Teaches problem-solving strategies, multiplication, division, Ojibwe history and English Language Arts. Runs on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iOS and Android.
PowerPoints on Problem-Solving
- PowerPoint: Build a Model
SPANISH PowerPoint: Construye un modelo - PDF: Build a Model
SPANISH PDF: Construye un modelo
- PowerPoint: Start at the End
SPANISH PowerPoint: Comienza desde el final - PDF: Start at the End
SPANISH PDF: Comienza desde el final
- PowerPoint: Throw Out What You Don’t Need
SPANISH PowerPoint: Quita lo que no necesitas - PDF: Throw Out What You Don’t Need
SPANISH PDF: Quita lo que no necesitas
- PowerPoint: Visualize!
SPANISH PowerPoint: ¡Visualiza! - PDF: Visualize!
SPANISH PDF: ¡Visualiza!
Ten Grade 7 PowerPoint Presentations
Ten Math PowerPoints for Grade 7
These math PowerPoints focus on Data Analysis, Statistics, Probability, Ratios, Proportional Relationships, Multistep Problems, Operations, and Geometry. Downloadable as a PPT or PDF file.
Problem-Solving Videos
Our 7 Generation Games videos are available in both English and Spanish as a bilingual option.
Elementary School
- Build a Model – Sometimes it’s easier to understand a problem if you make it solid, using your own model. The Spanish version, Construyendo un Modelo, is included in the web page link.
- How to Solve a Problem: Make it an Easier Problem For elementary school – Make a subtraction problem easier by regrouping. Using the example of subtraction with three-digit numbers, this video shows how to solve a problem by making it into an easier problem.
- Start at the End – Are you not sure what the problem is asking? Here’s a tip, most often what you need to do to solve a problem is at the end.
- Visualize – Think of the problem as a sort of picture.
- Watch in SPANISH – Think of the problem as a sort of picture.
How To Solve Timeline Problems With B.C.E. – This helpful video helps students how to read a timeline and calculate for years that occurred Beyond the Current Era (B.C.E.).
Middle School
- Make it an Easier Problem Solve a problem by making it into two or three easier problems. Appropriate for Grades 3-5.
- Problema más Fácil – (Spanish) Solve a problem by making it into two or three easier problems. Appropriate for Grades 3-5.