ERIC Number: ED198053
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1980-Jun
Pages: 41
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Problem Solving with the Elementary Youngster.
Swartz, Vicki
This paper explores research on problem solving and suggests a problem-solving approach to elementary school social studies, using a culture study of the ancient Egyptians and King Tut as a sample unit. The premise is that problem solving is particularly effective in dealing with problems which do not have one simple and correct answer but rather require originality, flexibility, and fluency for solution. A review of research indicates that although problem solving is very important for young children and can be systematically incorporated into a program for training, it is currently a relatively neglected skill in elementary education. To stimulate problem-solving skills among children, the author suggests that classroom teachers use a teaching approach based on seven steps--play, question, hypothesize, research, children share, teacher shares, and evaluate thinking. The sample culture unit based on King Tut and the ancient Egyptians begins with a brief teacher introduction of Egyptian culture and then directs students to participate in a variety of activities including drawing a time line, locating Egypt on maps and globes, role-playing pyramid building and King Tut's burial, posing questions touched upon in the play about King Tut and pyramid building, hypothesizing about possible answers to these questions, researching answers from teacher-prepared charts and readings, and discussing and evaluating answers in class. The document concludes with suggestions on selecting problem-solving topics and identifying social studies learning objectives. (DB)
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Opinion Papers; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Fall Conference of the Washington Organization for Reading Development (Spokane, WA, October 25, 1980).