Lesson 1 - Problem Solving

• To be able problem solve successfully in pairs.

Problem solve, positive, excited, happy, resilience, solution, risk tasker, confidence, teamwork, growth mindset, personal best, determination, happy, proud.

• Develops character building (resilience, confidence, and independence) and supports learners physically and mentally.
• Supports pupils to lead and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

• Various PE equipment (see resource cards).
• Personal Challenge resource cards.

Discussion question: Ask pupils if they are happy or sad when they solve a problem. Ask them when they last had to solve a problem and how it made them feel. Did they solve the problem or not?

Active learning: Children will play a game of “Duck Duck Goose”. Children will form a circle with 1 child within the middle. This child will point at children within the circle at random and will continue to as many children until the child points at another child and says “Goose”. This child should leave the circle and run around (clockwise) away from the child in the middle around the circle and back to their place without being tagged. Rotate the child in the centre throughout the 5 minute period.

Using a selection of challenge cards (8-10 depending on group size).

(Due to the age of the children it is recommended that you model each station to them before they are set off onto this main activity).

Split the children into pairs (depending on the class size). Spread the visual resource cards out and start each pair on one of these cards. Children will then attempt to complete the challenge on the card. These challenges will test their mental and physical skills. Rotate the children around the room to ensure they access all cards through the lesson. The resource cards provide information on how to support differentiation with each task and you may have to model this to specific children.

Explain and listen:

• Ask the children what they enjoyed about problem solving?
• Ask the children how they felt when they were successful? Emotions?
• Reward the children for their effort, attitude towards problem solving and resilience towards the lesson.

• Form a circle at the end of the lesson to talk about what the children enjoyed and what they didn’t enjoy.
• Encourage children to describe how they felt when they came across a problem, i.e. happy, sad, angry, frustrated.
• To extend the children’s learning ask them what did they learn from each other? Did they see their friend complete a challenge? What did they do well and what could they improve on?