Tasks of

Problem Solving TM

Elementary
Linda Bowers
Rosemary Huisingh
Carolyn LoGiudice

Skill Areas: Problem Solving

Language
Listening
Critical Thinking
Ages: 6 through 11
Grades: 1 through 6

Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

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About the Authors

■ Linda Bowers, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a co-founder and co-owner

of LinguiSystems. She is a speech-language pathologist with
wide experience serving language-disordered students of all ages.
Linda has a keen professional interest in the critical thinking and
language abilities of children and adults.

■ Rosemary Huisingh, M.A., CCC-SLP, is also a co-founder and

co-owner of LinguiSystems. As a speech-language pathologist,
she has successfully served the communication needs of school
children for many years. Rosemary is particularly interested in
childhood language, vocabulary, and thinking skills.

■ Carolyn LoGiudice, M.A., CCC-SLP, coordinates product

acquisitions at LinguiSystems and also develops and edits
products. Carolyn has broad experience as an SLP serving
school-aged children and is especially interested in the
pragmatics and thinking skills of children and adolescents.

Linda, Rosemary, and Carolyn are the authors of the Test Of Problem
Solving 3: Elementary. They are also co-authors of the following:

• The Listening Test

• The WORD Test 2: Elementary
• The WORD Test 2: Adolescent
• Story Comprehension To Go
• Spotlight on Reading Comprehension
• No-Glamour Language and Reasoning
• No-Glamour Language and Reading Cards
• No-Glamour Language and Reading Interactive Software

Illustrations by Margaret Warner

Cover design & page layout by Lisa Parker
Photographs from clipart.com © 2005 Jupitermedia Corp.
 Table of Contents

■ Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

■ General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

■ Identifying Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

■ Determining Causes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

■ Sequencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

■ Negative Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

■ Predicting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

■ Making Inferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

■ Problem Solving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

■ Justifying Opinions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

■ Generalizing Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

■ Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

■ References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

■ Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 3 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Introduction

We introduced the Test Of Problem Solving (TOPS) in 1984. This innovative, standardized test
became popular because it was unique in assessing students’ ability to use language to express
their reasoning. This test was revised and standardized in 1994 as the Test Of Problem Solving –
Revised. To ensure current norms, a revised version was developed and standardized in 2005 –
The Test Of Problem Solving 3: Elementary (TOPS 3: Elementary). Although the test items and
structure have changed over the years, our passion for developing thoughtful students who express
their ideas clearly has remained the same.

As a test, the TOPS 3: Elementary gives a moment-in-time view of a student’s general problem
solving skills. It does not include materials to help students become more thoughtful or to practice
the language patterns they need to express their ideas f luently. For teaching and remediating
expressive language and problem solving skills, we developed this Tasks Of Problem Solving book.

The TOPS 3: Elementary includes these subtests:

• Making Inferences: This task requires the subject to give a logical explanation for
a present perception based on a specific situation.

• Predicting: Predicting requires the subject to grasp a presented situation and make
a likely prediction about what will happen or what would happen if a certain action
were taken in the situation.

• Determining Causes: This task requires the subject to give a logical reason for a
given aspect of a situation.

• Sequencing: Sequencing requires the subject to determine and explain logical,

everyday sequences of events, such as what you need to know or do before taking
action or what to do first in a given situation.

• Negative Questions: The Negative Questions subtest asks why something would
not occur or why you shouldn’t take a given action in a specific situation.

• Problem Solving: This task involves recognizing a problem, thinking of alternative

solutions, evaluating these options, and stating an appropriate solution for a given
situation. It also includes stating how to avoid specific problems.

Instructor’s guidelines and student activities for each of these specific aspects of problem solving
are included in this book. Since general problem solving is a broader area than these skill areas,
we have included other specific skill areas as follows:

• General Information: This section gives students practice in answering various

kinds of wh- and how questions. Answering such questions is fundamental to
higher-level problem solving.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 5 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Introduction, continued

• Identifying Problems: Students practice differentiating problems from non-problem

situations. They also practice restating the problem in their own words.

• Justifying Opinions: Students practice both forming personal opinions and explaining
the rationale for their opinions.

• Generalizing Skills: This section is similar to the photo situations and questions in the
TOPS 3: Elementary. The situations are different from the test, but the types of questions
and skills required to respond appropriately mirror the TOPS 3: Elementary.

The importance of helping students become thoughtful people who express their ideas clearly is well recognized.
To date, though, there is not one widely acclaimed approach to incorporating thinking skills within the school
curriculum. Most of the reasoning/problem solving materials currently available assume that the students
have intact language skills to express their thoughts. Tasks Of Problem Solving is designed to help students
with impaired language and/or problem solving skills. It presents a variety of stimuli for specific aspects of
problem solving, including prerequisite skills, such as answering basic questions appropriately. Since this
book is intended for students only through grade six, higher-level critical thinking skills for adolescents are
not included within the tasks.

The units of Tasks Of Problem Solving are arranged in a general order of complexity, as are the tasks within
each unit. There are no grade levels attached to any particular section or task because all students need to
master the target skills at their own pace.

Some of the activities in this book are presented orally with no written response required. Use your best
judgment about modifying the tasks to allow students to read the stimuli with you or independently, or to
require written responses in order to give students practice expressing themselves in writing.

The tasks in Tasks Of Problem Solving are artificial due to the constraints of this format. We do not have the
built-in context of a textbook or a school study unit, so we needed to create imaginary situations. If you use
the activities as they are presented, they will boost your students’ problem solving skills on similar kinds of
tasks. The ultimate goal, though, is for your students to generalize what they learn to their own lives and
learning experiences. You can improve the likelihood students will apply what they learn through these tasks
if you continuously teach and use appropriate vocabulary to “think out loud.”

As you model and expect your students to use specific vocabulary about what they are thinking, they will learn
to monitor their own thinking processes and to purposely think about how they are thinking—metacognition.
Teach your students some of the words in the Glossary (pages 176-179) and use specific thinking vocabulary
as you present the activities. For example, while working on determining solutions, instead of asking students
“What could the person do to solve the problem?,” ask them “What are the options or choices to solve this
problem?” This approach reminds your students to think of more than one alternative before they leap at the
first solution that comes to mind.

We hope this book enables you to develop and expand your students’ thinking skills and their abilities to reflect
on and express their ideas fluently. We also hope you and your students have fun in the process!

Linda, Rosemary, and Carolyn

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 6 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 General Information

The first step in solving a problem is to gather pertinent information to recognize the problem
and the pertinent details. Students need fluent skills in both posing and answering questions
in order to collect such general information.

This unit offers students practice in answering various types of wh- questions. Answering
such questions is difficult for some students who do not have the general background,
experience, or command of the subject matter needed to answer the questions. Other
students do not understand what type of answer a question requires. They may answer
a when question with a location or a who question with a cause.

• When do we eat breakfast? in the kitchen

• Who dropped the glass? because it was slippery

Answering a wh- question appropriately involves these steps:

• Attend to and understand the wh- question word.

• Understand the overall meaning of the question and relate it to the wh- question word.
• Think of an appropriate response.
• Evaluate the response to make sure it gives the information asked for by the question.
• Verbalize an appropriate response clearly.

■ Introducing Wh- Questions to Students

Training students to answer one type of wh- question at a time reinforces the thinking
needed to discriminate among wh- question words and to discriminate the best answer
from the possibilities.

Before presenting each lesson in this unit, talk to your students about the type of question
featured in each task. Ask your students to generate several questions of this type and to
answer each one appropriately. Where possible, encourage your students to think of more
than one possible answer or more than one way to give the same information in an answer.
This strategy will boost flexible thinking and help your students appreciate other people’s
perspective.

Helpful questions students can ask themselves in order to evaluate their own answers to
questions are listed on page 8.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 7 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 General Information , continued

1 Does it answer the question?

If students have trouble at this level, give them more practice with simple statements followed
by questions for which the answers are in the first statement:

• My dog has white paws. What color paws does my dog have?

Have your students highlight the specific information in the statement that should be in the
answer to the question. Then have them generate their answers orally and/or in writing.

2 Is it the best answer to the question?

It’s not enough to answer a specific question with a grammatically correct, general statement.
The information in a solid answer must be specific and match the intent of the question. Here
is an example of a question along with some potential answers:

question What time is your doctor’s appointment?

answer Today (too vague)
answer After school (better, but still not specific)
answer At 4:30 (good, specific response)

3 Is my answer easy for people to understand and in the right style?

Encourage your students to think about their listener or their reader when they generate answers
to a question. Oral answers should be loud enough to be heard easily. Written answers should
be legible and grammatically correct. The language style of the answer should match the
language style of the question, as well as the context of the situation. Slang is best reserved
for communicating with friends, more formal language is appropriate for written assignments,
and classroom answers should mirror the teacher’s communication style as much as possible.
Teachers should tell students what style is expected in their classrooms, including whether
students are required to use full sentences to answer questions.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 8 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Task 1

■ Read each sentence and question. Then circle the word or phrase in the first sentence that answers
the question.

1 John ate cereal for breakfast. What did John eat for breakfast?

2 Kenya rode the bus to school. What did Kenya ride to school?

3 Ross read a book. What did Ross read?

4 Scott rode his bike to his friend’s house. What did Scott ride to his friend’s house?

5 Ellery’s dog has a new collar. What does Ellery’s dog have?

6 A stapler is stuck behind the desk. What is stuck behind the desk?

7 There are crayons in the box. What are in the box?

8 The vet gave the sick cat some medicine. What did the vet give the cat?

9 An ocean is larger than a stream. What is larger than a stream?

10 Kyle put some garbage bags in the truck. What did Kyle put in the truck?

11 The music was loud. What was loud?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 9 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2

■ Draw a line from each question on the left to its answer on the right.

1 What do you use to wash your hands? A a clock

2 What do you write with? B a bat

3 What do you wear to the beach? C a subway

4 What unlocks a door? D Illinois

5 What does the mail carrier put in your mailbox? E a key

6 What do you need to hit a baseball? F a pencil

7 What number is bigger than 15? G a swimsuit

8 What can you use to tell time? H soap

9 What travels on water? I letters

10 What is the name of a state? J a boat

11 What kind of a train runs underground? K 23

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 10 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3a

■ Read each sentence and question. Then write the answer.

1 The mirror crashed when it hit the floor. ________________________________

What broke?

2 The fifth-grade team made six baskets. ________________________________

What game did they play?

3 What does a driver do at a red light? ________________________________

4 This red shirt matches this scarf exactly. ________________________________

What color is the scarf ?

5 This metal switch has four sharp corners. ________________________________

What shape is the metal switch?

6 What part do a broom and a toothbrush have ________________________________

in common?

7 What part do a piano and a computer keyboard ________________________________

have in common?

8 What number comes next in this sequence? ________________________________

2, 4, 6, __

9 What letter comes between P and R in the alphabet? ________________________________

10 What is today’s date? ________________________________

11 What two numbers add up to seven? ________________________________

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 11 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3b

■ Read each situation and answer the question. Then write the answer.

1 Connor has a wooden sailboat. Brian has a plastic ________________________________

one. The boys floated the sailboats on the water.
What is the same about wood and plastic?

2 Our washing machine and our car broke down ________________________________

in the same week! What is the same about a
washing machine and a car?

3 Brett threw a banana peel and an apple peel in the ________________________________

trash. What does a banana have that an apple has?

4 Liz pulled on her socks and then put her feet into her ________________________________
new basketball shoes. What things went on her feet?

5 Susan picked up her suitcase and her shopping ________________________________

bag by the handles. What did the suitcase and
the shopping bag both have?

6 Orlando bought a pair of socks and gloves. ________________________________

What do we call sets of two things?

7 Marc saved sunflower and watermelon seeds ________________________________

from plants in his garden. What will Marc grow?

8 The work crew painted a solid white line down ________________________________

the middle of the road. What is the line for?

9 “These shelves need to be dusted,” said Bethany. ________________________________

What did Bethany see on the shelves?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 12 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4

■ Where questions need an answer that tells a place. Read each sentence and question. Then circle
the word or phrase in the first sentence that answers the question.

1 Diego’s shoes are under his bed. Where are Diego’s shoes?

2 Our cat is stuck behind the bookcase. Where is the cat?

3 The glasses are on the counter. Where are the glasses?

4 The STOP signs are on each corner. Where are the STOP signs?

5 The hospital is in the middle of the next block. Where is the hospital?

6 The milk is in the dairy case. Where is the milk?

7 The bedroom is at the back of the apartment. Where is the bedroom?

8 The packages are at the top of the stairs. Where are the packages?

9 The plant fell onto the floor. Where is the plant?

10 The magazine is in the library. Where is the magazine?

11 In the tall grass, a lion is lurking. Where is the lion?

12 Polar bears live near the North Pole. Where do polar bears live?

13 Butterflies lay their eggs on plants. Where do butterflies lay their eggs?

14 Carrots, potatoes, and beets grow underground. Where do carrots, potatoes, and beets grow?

15 On her foot, Cindy has a cut. Where is Cindy’s cut?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 13 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5

■ Draw a line from each question on the left to its answer on the right.

1 Where do students learn and study? A in a nest

2 Where do horses graze? B in a hive

3 Where does a plumber work? C in her wallet

4 Where does a baby sleep? D on its wings

5 Where is Kaitlin’s money? E in a crib

6 Where do bats live? F in a cave

7 Where are baby birds hatched? G in a pasture

8 Where can you borrow a book? H in a bathroom

9 Where do we keep milk? I at school

10 Where are the spots on a ladybug? J at a library

11 Where do bees live? K in a refrigerator

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 14 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 6

■ Read each question. Then write the answer.

1 Where do you buy groceries? ______________________________________

2 Where do airplanes land? ______________________________________

3 Where can you mail a package? ______________________________________

4 Where is a barn? ______________________________________

5 Where are skyscrapers? ______________________________________

6 Where can a car be repaired? ______________________________________

7 Where do teachers work? ______________________________________

8 Where is a basement? ______________________________________

9 Where is the moon? ______________________________________

10 Where is a beach? ______________________________________

11 Where do actors perform live? ______________________________________

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 15 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 7

■ Read each sentence and question. Then write the answer.

1 The fifth graders gave their permission slips _____________________________________

to their teacher. Where could they be going?

2 Ethan ordered a waffle cone with strawberry _____________________________________

ice cream. Where is Ethan?

3 Jackson put milk, apples, and bread in a cart. _____________________________________

Where was Jackson?

4 This pizza is very hot. Where was the pizza _____________________________________

a few minutes ago?

5 The students were working quietly when the _____________________________________

fire alarm went off. Where were the students?

6 Where is the letter n in the word spin? _____________________________________

7 Gina watched some workers load luggage _____________________________________

onto the planes. Where was she?

8 Spencer climbed up the ladder to pick apples. _____________________________________

Where were the apples?

9 The emergency room doctor took an X-ray _____________________________________

of Kathy’s knee. Where was Kathy?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 16 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 8

■ Who questions need an answer that names or describes a person or people. Read each sentence
and question. Then circle the words in the first sentence that answer the question.

1 A taxi driver takes people from place to place. Who takes people from place to place?

2 A server brings your food to your table. Who brings food to your table?

3 A clown makes us laugh. Who makes us laugh?

4 An author writes a book. Who writes a book?

5 A mail carrier brings letters to the mailbox. Who brings letters to the mailbox?

6 A police officer protects a city. Who protects a city?

7 A firefighter puts out fires and rescues people. Who puts out fires and rescues people?

8 The principal is the leader of a school. Who is the leader of a school?

9 An artist draws pictures. Who draws pictures?

10 A doctor takes care of sick patients. Who takes care of sick patients?

11 A mechanic repairs cars. Who repairs cars?

12 A teacher helps students read. Who helps students read?

13 A veterinarian takes care of sick animals. Who takes care of sick animals?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 17 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 9

■ Draw a line from each question on the left to its answer on the right.

1 Who cooks at a restaurant? A a hair stylist

2 Who drives a bus? B a teacher

3 Who plays in an orchestra? C a football player

4 Who guards people at a beach? D a dentist

5 Who teaches students? E a bus driver

6 Who flies a jet? F a farmer

7 Who cuts hair? G a chef

8 Who makes a touchdown? H a pilot

9 Who hits a home run? I a lifeguard

10 Who grows acres of food? J a musician

11 Who checks teeth for cavities? K a baseball player

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 18 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 10a

■ Read each situation and question. Then write the answer.

1 A crossing guard stopped traffic while the ________________________________

children crossed the street. Who got the
children safely across the street?

2 An electrician installed new light fixtures in ________________________________

the lobby. Who installed the light fixtures?

3 Jim bought a TV from a salesperson. ________________________________

Who sold Jim the TV?

4 Carpenters put a new roof on our house. ________________________________

Who replaced our roof ?

5 Firefighters responded quickly and put the fire out. ________________________________

Who put the fire out?

6 Astronauts train a long time before going on a space ________________________________

mission. Who goes on space missions?

7 A photographer will take every student’s picture ________________________________

today. Who will take pictures?

8 The audience thought the comedian was hysterical. ________________________________

Who made the audience laugh?

9 Check your books out with the librarian and take ________________________________
them home to read. Who works at the library?

10 A police officer stopped the speeding driver. ________________________________

Who stops speeding cars?

11 An architect uses a computer program to help ________________________________

design buildings. Who designs buildings?

12 Riverside School’s hallway walls were painted ________________________________

last summer. The painter finished the week before
school started. Who painted the hallway walls?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 19 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 10b

■ Read each situation and question. Then write the answer. Remember, a who question needs an
answer that is a person or people.

1 Noah’s mom picked him up from school. ________________________________

Who picked Noah up from school?

2 A nurse gave the baby a shot. ________________________________

Who gave the baby a shot?

3 A police officer captured the thief. ________________________________

Who captured the thief ?

4 Jessica is allergic to pollen. ________________________________

Who is allergic to pollen?

5 Paige is learning to spell. ________________________________

Who is learning to spell?

6 Ms. Holt is a great math teacher. ________________________________

Who is a great math teacher?

7 The children are excited to be going ________________________________

on a field trip. Who are excited?

8 A zookeeper told the tourists how to care for ________________________________

wild animals. Who taught the visitors about
caring for wild animals?

9 The ambulance driver got the patient to the hospital ________________________________

quickly. Who drove the patient to the hospital?

10 Jenny’s dad was happy that she got a part in the play. ________________________________
Who was happy Jenny got a part in the play?

11 Some women canoed down the river. ________________________________

Who canoed down the river?

12 The fishermen caught lots of fish in the nets. ________________________________

Who caught fish in the nets?

13 The hikers used a compass so they would not get lost. ________________________________
Who used a compass?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 20 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 11

■ A when question needs an answer that tells the time something happened. Read each situation
and question. Then circle the word or phrase in the first sentence that answers the question.

1 Reese goes to school at 8:00 in the morning. When does Reese go to school?

2 I eat lunch at noon. When do I eat lunch?

3 Stan was sick yesterday, so he went to the doctor. When did Stan go to the doctor?

4 Isabelle watches cartoons every Saturday. When does Isabelle watch cartoons?

5 The audience clapped at the end of the play. When did the audience clap?

6 Ted closes his eyes when he swims underwater. When does Ted close his eyes?

7 We went on vacation last summer. When did we go on vacation?

8 The boys waved good-bye when their dad left. When did the boys wave?

9 Dylan brushes his teeth after every meal. When does Dylan brush his teeth?

10 Mom filled the car with gas when the gauge was on empty. When did Mom fill the car with gas?

11 Hector was on vacation last week. When was Hector on vacation?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 21 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 12

■ Read each situation and question. Then write the answer. Remember, a when question needs time
for the answer.

1 Chris slept from 9:00 last night to 10:00 _____________________________________

this morning. When did Chris sleep?

2 Tori takes her medicine every four hours. _____________________________________

When does Tori take her medicine?

3 George goes to the dentist after school today. _____________________________________

When does George go to the dentist?

4 Mya’s appointment is at 2:00 on Tuesday. _____________________________________

When is Mya’s appointment?

5 The basketball team practice is scheduled for _____________________________________

6:00 a.m. on Wednesday. When is practice?

6 The movie starts at 7:00 p.m. _____________________________________

When does the movie start?

7 The storm started at midnight. _____________________________________

When did the storm start?

8 Lindsay ate dinner at Denise’s house yesterday. _____________________________________

When did Lindsay eat at Denise’s house?

9 The BMX bike race is this Saturday. _____________________________________

When is the race?

10 We’ll leave the house as soon as Dad gets here. _____________________________________

When will we leave?

11 When Grandma rocks baby Eli, he falls asleep. _____________________________________

When does baby Eli fall asleep?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 22 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 13

■ To answer a how question, you tell the way something happens. Read each situation and question.
Then write the answer.

1 Lucy held her arms out to keep her balance. How did Lucy keep her balance?

2 The children said the pledge together. How did the children say the pledge?

3 Wear layers of clothing to stay warm. How do you stay warm?

4 Gail changed the first letter of the word. How did Gail change the word?

5 Josef wrote X’s on three pictures in the first row. How did Josef mark the pictures?

6 Kareem took the bus to school. How did Kareem get to school?

7 Rachel cut her sandwich in half. How did Rachel cut her sandwich?

8 Dorie knew it would rain because she listened to the weather report. How did Dorie know
it would rain?

9 The falcon picked the mouse up with its claws. How did the falcon pick up the mouse?

10 The monkey hung from the tree by its tail. How did the monkey hang from the tree?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 23 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 14

■ Draw a line from each question on the left to its answer on the right.

1 How did your clothes get wet? A You follow the recipe.

2 How long has the baby been asleep? B It won’t cut.

3 How do you turn on the dryer? C They will patch the hole.

4 How will they fix the tire? D The bell rings.

5 How will we get all this trash to the landfill? E Go left on Sunset Boulevard.

6 How does a chef know that her knife is dull? F I walked home in the rain.

7 How do the students know when recess is over? G Press the button on the left.

8 How do you get to the stadium? J It smells bad.

9 How do you know milk is not safe to drink? I We will take it in a truck.

10 How do you know how much flour to add to H 30 minutes

a mixture?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 24 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 15a

■ Read each situation and question. Then write the answer.

1 Darin can hold his breath for over a minute. ______________________________________

How long can Darin hold his breath?

2 The summer park passes cost $30. ______________________________________

How much are the summer park passes?

3 A turtle inched his way slowly to the pond. ______________________________________

How did the turtle move?

4 Karis put the clean, wet clothes into the ______________________________________

dryer. How did Karis dry the clothes?

5 The sky turned dark just before it rained. ______________________________________

How does the sky look just before it rains?

6 It was so hot outside, it was hard to breathe. ______________________________________

How hot was it?

7 The ad said the store would open at 8:00 a.m. ______________________________________

How do you know when the store will open?

8 Alex flipped the switch, heard a pop, and ______________________________________

then the light went out. How did Alex
know he needed to replace the light bulb?

9 Mom put her car key in the lock, but the ______________________________________
key would not turn and open the door.
How did she know she was at the wrong car?

10 Dad surprised Kevin by getting him tickets ______________________________________

to the game for his birthday. How did Dad
surprise Kevin?

11 Zach put on his shoulder pads, uniform, ______________________________________

helmet, and shoes. How do you know
Zach plays football?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 25 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 15b

■ Read each situation and question. Then write the answer. Remember, the answer to a how
question needs to explain the way you know something.

1 Jennifer moved to a new town and was ______________________________________

lonesome for her old friends. How did
Jennifer feel?

2 Adam was thrilled that he got the lead in ______________________________________

the school play. How did Adam feel?

3 Tammy listed the holidays in order by ______________________________________

month. How did Tammy list the holidays?

4 Finnian used bricks to make a bookshelf, ______________________________________

a doorstop, and a prop to keep the window
open. How many ways did Finnian use bricks?

5 The children used a large cardboard box as ______________________________________

a fort. How did they use the cardboard box?

6 All the shirts are blue. How are they alike? ______________________________________

7 There are 31 days in January. How many ______________________________________

days are in January?

8 How much money does Darrius have if he ______________________________________

has three quarters?

9 There are 12 eggs in a dozen. How many ______________________________________

eggs are in a dozen?

10 Ren passed his test and got his driver’s license. ______________________________________
How did Ren get his driver’s license?

11 Lisa put a bookmark in her book where she ______________________________________

stopped reading. How does Lisa know where
to start reading?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 26 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 16

■ A why question needs a reason for the answer. Read each situation and question. Then write
the answer.

1 It was so cold, Haley wore two sweaters and a jacket. Why did Haley wear so much clothing?

2 Tom’s hair was long. He went to the barber shop. Why did Tom go to the barber shop?

3 Aidan went to the hospital to see his new baby sister. Why did Aidan go to the hospital?

4 Bill put gloves on to take the food out of the freezer. Why did Bill put his gloves on?

5 We rode bikes to the store because it was faster than walking. Why did we ride bikes
to the store?

6 Janet closed the door quietly so she wouldn’t wake the sleeping children. Why did Janet
close the door quietly?

7 Sharon did her homework right after school so she could go to the movie. Why did Sharon
do her homework after school?

8 Landon put his keys in his backpack because he had a hole in his pocket. Why did Landon
put his keys in his backpack?

9 Patti used a potholder to take the dish out of the oven. Why did Patti use a potholder?

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 27 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 17

■ Draw a line from each question on the left to its answer on the right.

1 Why do you look both ways before you A so the animals do not escape
cross a street?

2 Why do doors lock? B to save trees and not

waste resources

3 Why do you wear a seatbelt in the car? C so they can fly

4 Why do fire trucks use sirens? D to protect you in case of

an accident

5 Why do people vote? E to protect people and things

6 Why do some people wear glasses? F to stay healthy

7 Why do people recycle? G to elect someone

8 Why do birds have wings? H to warn us they need to

get through traffic fast

9 Why is there a fence around a pasture? I to see better

10 Why do many people exercise? J to be sure there is no

traffic coming

General Information
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 28 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Identifying Problems

Assuming a student has an age-appropriate fund of general information, the first step in
solving a problem is to recognize the problem and to state it. To help students who have
difficulty recognizing a problem, think aloud in your classroom throughout the day. Make
statements about what you observe and ask your students, “Is this a problem?” For example,
say, “I see that two of our windows are open. Is that a problem?” In addition, drawing
attention to the difference between an insignificant event vs. a problem will help all of
your students improve their skills in recognizing and prioritizing problems.

Using clear, specific language to state a problem lays the foundation for addressing the
problem effectively. Many problems can be stated well in more than one way, so asking
students to restate problems in their own words can be a good way to demonstrate flexible
language use. For example, if the problem is not having enough copies of a book the class
is supposed to read, here are several ways to state the problem:

• We don’t have enough books for everyone to have a copy.

• There aren’t enough copies of the book.
• We need more copies of the book.
• We have more readers than we have books to read.

■ Introducing Identifying Problems to Students

The tasks in this chapter present common problems your students encounter. The general
task is for your students to state the problem in their own words. As your students com-
plete the tasks, encourage them to work in pairs and/or to share their answers so everyone
can learn from each other.

Pre-teach the following vocabulary words and emphasize them throughout the activities
in this chapter: identify, problem, paraphrase, restate (see Glossary, pages 176-179, for
definitions or help your students define each term).

The activity sheets in this chapter can be completed individually, but they will provide
a richer learning experience if you do them orally as a group or in small groups before
your students do them independently or with a partner. For the early activity sheets
with pictures, ask your students to talk about what they notice in each illustration.
Where is it happening? How can they tell? If there are people in the picture, what
do their expressions and body postures suggest? Then ask your students to use these
and other clues in the illustrations to identify the problem depicted. Write the problem
on an overhead or the board. Ask your students, “Does what we wrote say the problem
clearly? Is there anything we could change to describe the problem even better? Is it a
major problem or a small problem?”

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 29 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Identifying Problems , continued

Here are some additional activities to help your students practice identifying problems.

1 Use real-life situations and pictures as much as possible to teach your students to identify
and state problems clearly. The visual information will help everyone be “on the same page”
about the problem even before everyone tries to state it clearly.

2 Use newspaper cartoons for quick lessons in identifying and stating problems. These stories
are usually short and have obvious problems students can readily identify.

3 Keep a weekly bulletin board list of problems that occur naturally in your classroom.
Encourage your students to recognize problems to add to this list. Have a weekly review
to see which problems are no longer problems and which ones should be put on the new
weekly list to be addressed. Here are some problem examples:

• We don’t have much paper left for our printer.

• We have a new class pet. We need to take care of it.
• It’s flu season and lots of people are getting sick.
• Courtney broke her leg. She needs to keep her foot up.
• Our long jump rope is missing.

4 Conversely, keep a classroom list of problems that have been solved. Be sure the problems
are phrased clearly and tell how they were solved. Here are some examples:

• We needed a broken window replaced. A worker put new glass in the window.
• We couldn’t find our stapler. We made an announcement. Someone returned our stapler.
• Our sink was stopped up. A plumber unclogged the drain in our sink.

5 Talk about the problems in story plots. Help your students word these problems clearly
and write the problems on an overhead or the board.

6 Talk about the problems students have with specific assignments or situations. Here are
some examples:

• We don’t know where Tasmania is on the globe.

• We haven’t learned how to write a check yet.
• We don’t know how to spell some of the words we need to write.
• Our mobiles hang down too low from the ceiling.
• We don’t remember what to do if there’s a fire alarm.

Again, you can help your students by modeling clear statements of problems you encounter
and by restating students’ concerns or problems as clearly as possible.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 30 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Task 1a

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

1 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

2 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Identifying Problems
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 31 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1b

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

1 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

2 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Identifying Problems
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 32 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1c

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

1 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

2 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Identifying Problems
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 33 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1d

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

1 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

2 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Identifying Problems
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 34 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1e

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

1 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

2 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Identifying Problems
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 35 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1f

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

1 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

2 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Identifying Problems
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 36 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1g

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

1 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

2 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Identifying Problems
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 37 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1h

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

1 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

■ Look at this picture. What is the problem? Write the problem beside the picture.

2 ___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________

Identifying Problems
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 38 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2a

■ Read each situation. Then write the problem clearly.

1 Morgan is taking a math test. She made a mistake on her paper. Morgan’s pencil does
not have an eraser. What is the problem?

2 Charlie has a goldfish. He keeps it in his room. The water in the bowl is cloudy.
The goldfish is swimming on its side. What is the problem?

3 Pete and his dad are buying food for their family. Pete wants tacos for dinner.
His dad wants to make spaghetti for dinner. What is the problem?

4 Today is March 16. The milk container in the refrigerator says, “Use by March 10.”
What is the problem?

5 Jake and his brother both want to watch TV. Jake wants to watch wrestling.
His brother wants to watch cartoons. What is the problem?

6 The weather is getting warm after the winter. Greg found his sandals from last summer.
His feet do not fit into his sandals. What is the problem?

7 Layla filled a watering can with water to water the plants for her mom. Now water is dripping
all across the kitchen floor. By the time Layla gets to the living room, there is hardly any
water left. What is the problem?

8 David’s loose baby tooth came out at lunch today. He put it in his pocket to take home.
Now he is home and his tooth is not in his pocket. What is the problem?

Identifying Problems
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 39 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2b

■ Read each situation. Then write the problem clearly.

1 Erin stays with her grandma every day after school. Today Erin rings the doorbell, but her
grandma does not come to the door. What is the problem?

2 The class has a field trip today. Everyone but one student brought in a permission slip.
What is the problem?

3 Jack is having trouble seeing the writing on the board. He wants to ask a classmate what it says,
but the teacher says there should be no talking. What is the problem?

4 A visitor to the school parked a big truck in front where the school buses wait for students.
The visitor is somewhere inside the school. School is over for the day and students are
lined up for their buses. What is the problem?

5 Bridget is using a permanent marker to make a poster for the bulletin board. The marker leaks
and Bridget has ink on her hands. She wipes her hand on her white shirt. What is the problem?

6 Michael brought peanut butter cookies for the class today. It’s his birthday. Tony and Mandy
are allergic to peanuts. What is the problem?

7 Rori’s class is taking a test. The time is almost up. Rori hasn’t answered all the questions yet.
What is the problem?

8 Craig and Devon have been building a huge sand castle at the beach. They have been working
on it for three hours. Their sunscreen has washed away in the water. What is the problem?

Identifying Problems
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 40 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Determining Causes

We often ask ourselves “How did that happen?” when we encounter a mishap, such as when
something we bought is missing from our grocery bags. We mentally retrace our steps,
recollect where we drove earlier in the day, and visualize the groceries on the checkout
counter to try to figure out what happened.

Students with language and/or learning disorders may not automatically think through or
use strategies to discover a cause. Rather than analyze the situation to determine the reason
it occurred, these students may just accept what happened without further thinking. This
passive approach does nothing to help them learn via personal experience.

It is important for students to determine causes so that they don’t take things for granted
and will question how and why things happen. Then they can develop strategies to avoid
negative situations as much as possible.

■ Introducing Determining Causes to Students

This chapter is filled with common situations from many contexts so your students can
reflect on their own experiences to determine the cause of each one. For any unfamiliar
situations, prompt your students to determine the cause by detecting any clues and
“connecting the dots” to clarify the situation. Encourage your students to make their
best guesses based on what they do know. Making an educated guess is a great way to
practice the skill of determining causes.

The goal of this chapter is to help students analyze what might have happened in the past
to cause what they are seeing or experiencing now. It is possible that some situations will
have several probable causes. Encourage your students to think of more than one cause
where appropriate to increase their thinking flexibility. It will serve them well in real life.
If a bike tire is flat after school and it’s because of a nail picked up on a construction site,
the student learns to avoid that situation. If the tire is flat because it was cut deliberately,
the solution to the problem will be quite different.

Here are some additional activities to help your students learn to identify and express the
causes of events.

• Throughout the day, draw your students’ attention to a routine event and ask
them to identify the cause or the purpose of the event. For example, as you take
attendance, say, “I’m taking the attendance. Why do I do that?” As you have
your students line up for something, ask, “Why have I asked you to get in line?”

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 41 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Determining Causes , continued

• Make two sets of flashcards, one for events and one for causes. Give your students an
appropriate number of cause and event cards, mixed together. Ask them to match pairs
of events and causes. Here is an example list:

Event A classroom window is open.

Cause The room was too hot.

Event Students need signed permission forms.

Cause The class will go on a field trip.

Event A student is wearing a leg cast.

Cause The student broke a leg.

Event A student is absent.

Cause The student is sick today.

Event Soccer practice is canceled today.

Cause It’s raining today.

Event Fruit has been cut up on a cutting board.

Cause Someone is making a fruit salad.

Event The classroom lights won’t go on.

Cause The power is off.

Event You need a stamp for an envelope.

Cause You want to mail a letter.

Event The classroom globe is missing.

Cause Another teacher borrowed it.

• Help your students identify causes of events in current news articles as well as stories read
in class.

• Teach your students to give the reason they need a favor when they ask someone to do
something for them. For example, “May I borrow a pen? I can’t find my pen in my desk.”

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 42 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Task 1

■ Most things happen for a reason. Read these sentences and write a good reason each
thing happened.

1 A stream is filled with trash. How did that happen?

2 This morning there were no puddles on the playground. This afternoon there are puddles
everywhere. What caused the puddles?

3 The letter Christy sent to her cousin was returned. What caused the letter to be returned?

4 A burnt smell was coming from the kitchen. What could have caused it?

5 There were no empty grocery carts in the grocery store. Why?

6 Traffic was backed up for miles. What caused the traffic to back up?

7 Vanessa was hungry after she got home from school. What caused her to be hungry?

8 Cole woke up a half an hour late. What caused him to wake up late?

Determining Causes
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 43 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2

■ Read each item and mark the answer that makes sense.
Tell why you chose each answer.

1 There was a horrible forest fire. What might have caused it?

" lightning
C a snowstorm
Why? _________________________________________________________________________

2 Austin went into the living room and saw a lamp on the floor and a chair knocked over.
What caused these things to happen?

" Austin’s new puppy was playing in the room.

C Austin’s younger brother and his friends played tag in the room.
Why? _________________________________________________________________________

3 Neal was driving in the desert and saw a detour sign on the road. What was the reason for
the sign?

" The main road is being repaired or resurfaced.

C Ned was driving the wrong direction.
Why? _________________________________________________________________________

4 Jay put white sheets and dark blue towels in the washing machine at the laundromat. When he
took them out, the sheets were light blue. What caused the sheets to turn light blue?

" Jay dyed his sheets light blue.

C The towels were dark blue and the dye spread to the sheets.
Why? _________________________________________________________________________

5 Riley put her watch on in the morning and checked the time at noon. When she got home from
work, her watch was gone. What caused her watch to be missing?

" The clasp came loose and the watch fell off her wrist.
C Riley doesn’t remember that she gave her watch away.
Why? _________________________________________________________________________

Determining Causes
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 44 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3a

■ Most things happen for a reason. Read these sentences and write a good reason each
thing happened.

1 Kelly came out of the grocery store with a gallon of milk. Why?

2 Our dog would not stop barking at the garage door. Why?

3 There was no mail today. Why?

4 Jillian went to soccer practice and then walked with a limp. Why?

5 Pam wrote her book report again. Why?

6 Ned rode his bike to school but walked home. Why?

7 Mallory got a part in the school play. Why?

8 The doctor took Nate’s cast off and told him to use crutches for one more week. Why?

Determining Causes
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 45 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3b

■ Most things happen for a reason. Read these sentences and write a good reason each
thing happened.

1 Hannah put a slice of old bread in a plastic bag. She added some water every day. In a few
days there were gray and blue fungi growing on the bread. What caused the fungi to appear?

2 The plants in our classroom were green and healthy before spring break. After spring break,
the leaves were drooping and turning brown. What caused the change in the leaves?

3 Lauri won the school geography bee. What caused her to win?

4 Tim was near an open window. He heard a knocking sound and opened the door. No one
was there. A woodpecker flew away from a tree. What had caused the knocking sound?

5 A passenger jet landed in Atlanta instead of Miami. A hurricane was spotted off the coast
of Florida. It was headed right for Miami. What caused the jet to land in Atlanta?

6 Uncle Steve bought a new DVD for his niece. Tomorrow she will be 12 years old.
What caused Uncle Steve to buy a DVD for his niece?

7 Shavona went to the office with a note from home. She handed the nurse some medicine.
The principal said, “Welcome back, Shavona!” What caused the principal to say that to her?

Determining Causes
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 46 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4a

■ Most things happen for a reason. Read these sentences

and write a good reason each thing happened.

1 Some bugs feed at night because the temperature is

cooler than in the daytime. Centipedes and snails
are nighttime bugs. If they came out during the day,
they would lose too much water through their skin.

Why do some bugs only come out at night?

2 The owl’s eyes are so large, they cannot move from side-to-side or up and down.
That’s why an owl must turn his head all the way around to see what’s behind him.

Why don’t owls’ eyes move easily?

3 A slug is like a snail without a shell. A slug comes out at night. You can find its trail in
the daytime. Look for a gooey, slimy, silver trail on the dirt. That is mucus. It is so gooey,
it protects the slug from getting injured on sharp things it creeps over.

Why do slugs make mucus?

Determining Causes
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 47 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4b

■ Most things happen for a reason. Read these sentences

and write a good reason each thing happened.

1 If you want a night job, you might consider becoming

an astronomer. Astronomers study objects in space.
They get the best view of space through powerful
telescopes at night.

Why do astronomers work at night?

2 One reason the earth is getting warmer is because carbon dioxide and other gases stay in
our atmosphere and make the temperature go up. Trees use carbon dioxide to make oxygen.
Thousands of trees are cut down each day, so more carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere.

Why is the earth getting warmer?

3 The street was littered with trash. Neighbors came outside to look. Every trash can was
turned upside down. Lids were scattered up and down the street. Animal control officers
were everywhere.

What had happened?

Determining Causes
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 48 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5a

■ Most things happen for a reason. Read these sentences and write a good reason each
thing happened.

1 Tad and his family went to a big amusement park. Everyone in Tad’s family had a map of the
park and a schedule of times they would visit exhibits. Why?

2 In 2005 there was a giant earthquake under the ocean. It caused a tsunami with huge, fast-moving
waves that crashed into land. Many cities were destroyed and thousands of people were killed.
What caused the tsunami?

3 Students in Australia go to school in June, July, and August. It is winter then in the Southern
Hemisphere. These students have summer break in December and January. Why?

4 The girls went for a walk in the woods on a warm summer day. They wore shorts and sleeveless
tops. Each one brought insect repellent. Why?

5 Children grow when they sleep. Special growth hormones get into the bloodstream during sleep.
That’s why it’s important for children to get ten hours of sleep each night. What causes children
to grow?

6 Dream catchers look like webs made of thread. They are hung on a baby’s cradle. Some people
believe the dream catcher will keep bad dreams away from the baby and let the good dreams
go through. Why are dream catchers hung on a baby’s cradle?

7 Reflectors sunk into the middle of the road help drivers see the turns and bends in a road at night.
The reflectors are made of glass and shine when light hits them. What makes reflectors shine?

Determining Causes
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 49 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5b

■ Most things happen for a reason. Read these sentences and write a good reason each
thing happened.

1 Volunteers put out rows of chairs, put up a platform in the front of the chairs, and made sure
the microphones worked. What was happening?

2 Ann chopped lettuce, carrots, and other vegetables and put them in a bowl. She poured some
dressing over them and mixed them until they were coated with the dressing. Why?

3 The plant’s leaves drooped and some leaves were brown. Why?

4 Mackenzie stacked cans of food on the shelf. Suddenly the shelf and all the cans crashed to the
floor. Why?

5 The trees started to sway as the wind got stronger. The sky darkened and lightning lit up the sky.
What was happening?

6 The grass was long and newspapers were lying in the driveway. Why?

7 Everyone in our building had to boil water before we could drink it. Why?

8 A bucket would not hold water anymore. Why?

Determining Causes
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 50 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5c

■ Most things happen for a reason. Read these sentences and write a good reason each
thing happened.

1 When Dan and Jeff came home from school, their dad was sleeping on the couch. Why was
he sleeping?

2 Charlotte picked up a cookie sheet with a thick potholder on her hand. Why would she use
a potholder?

3 A thick cloud of ash blocked the sunlight. It was as black as night. The house shook and things
in the cabinets rattled. What was the cause?

4 Melissa was painting a ceiling. Paint spilled on her hair. Now she can’t comb her hair.
Why can’t she comb her hair?

5 If a rock gets hot enough, it will melt. That’s exactly what happens when lava spews out of a
volcano. Lava is rock that got so hot it melted. What makes rocks melt?

6 Shelly’s puppy ate a bag of marshmallows. Later the puppy got sick. The veterinarian said to
keep people food away from animals. Why did the puppy get sick?

7 A sign in a rest room says Wash your hands often to prevent the spread of disease. What is one
reason disease spreads?

8 Before people learned to grow food to eat, they would migrate to look for food. Today food
is grown on farms and brought to stores around the world. Why don’t people migrate today?

Determining Causes
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 51 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Sequencing

A student with effective sequencing skills can organize both objects and ideas quickly
and logically. Such an arrangement might be sequenced in increasing or decreasing order
according to these and other dimensions:

• numerical order • density • pitch

• alphabetical order • distance • frequency of occurrence
• size • amount • importance
• weight • steps to follow • value
• height • intensity • usefulness
• length • time or date • probability

Many sequences are predictable because they have one obvious order, such as putting socks on
before shoes or nesting boxes according to size. Other sequences could follow several logical
patterns, such as getting ready for school or cleaning a home. More complex sequencing
involves evaluating events or ideas according to importance or some other abstract concept,
such as prioritizing which patients in an emergency room need what treatment in what order.

Most students understand the concept of sequencing by the time they begin kindergarten.
They know some numbers in sequence; they know steps to follow for everyday routines, such
as brushing their teeth or getting dressed; and they have experienced lining up to wait for a
turn, to pay for groceries, etc. School introduces students to academic routines and sequences
like the alphabet, fire drills, knowing the days of the week in order, answering questions in
class, and taking attendance. Most of this kind of sequencing is done orally and involves
much repetition.

Learning to read involves sequencing sounds and learning letter sequences to spell various
sounds and words. Students learn the alphabet and then learn to sequence words in alpha-
betical order with increasing complexity. They also learn how to find words sequenced in
a dictionary.

Math lessons teach students to sequence numbers in various ways. Word or story problems
also teach students to look for key words to figure out which math operations they must do
in what order to solve the problems.

Science lessons teach students to sequence things according to life cycle or physical proper-
ties, such as elasticity or density. Science also teaches students the importance of cause and
effect, another aspect of sequencing. Scientific experiments, like many recipes, often depend
on following steps in a certain sequence in order to yield the proper results.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 52 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Sequencing , continued

Many students have no trouble sequencing numbers, letters, words, or steps to complete a routine
task. Some of these students, though, have difficulty sequencing more abstract ideas or detecting the
sequence within a story, especially if the story is told out of chronological order. We can help these
students by linking their strong concrete sequencing skills to increasingly abstract sequencing tasks.
We can highlight the word cues that signal sequencing, such as first, next, and finally. We can have
them list story events on cards and then sequence the cards to form a time line. We can teach students
to ask themselves questions like these as they read stories:

• What happened first/next/last?

• Why did each thing happen?
• What will each character do next? Why?
• What was the most important problem in the story? Why?
• What do we need to know before we can make our chart?
• What is the last thing you should do before you turn your test in?
• What is the first thing you should do after an earthquake?
• How does a bill become a national law in the U.S.?
• When does a disease become an epidemic?

While students are refining their sequencing skills in school learning, we hope they are also learning
to apply these skills to their personal lives. The activities in this chapter are a mix of academic and
nonacademic contexts designed to help students apply required school sequencing skills to less struc-
tured, nonacademic situations.

Teach your students to value sequencing their ideas and activities as an effective way to organize
themselves and the ways they want to spend their time and energy. Sequencing their assignments
gives them more control over their learning and their productivity. Prioritizing their personal values
helps them make good choices in their behavior and their relationships with others. People who
spontaneously sequence priorities and tasks fluently and purposefully are better able to control their
everyday lives and to respond to emergency situations, such as the tsunami in the Indian Ocean in
2005, than those who only sequence things when instructed to do so.

■ Introducing Sequencing to Students

The list of words in item 4 on page 54 is critical for students to master in order to understand
and talk about the skill of sequencing things, events, and ideas. Some of the words are difficult
to define in language young students ordinarily use in conversation, so discussing these words
individually provides a good opportunity for students to stretch their receptive and expressive
language skills.

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 53 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Sequencing , continued

1 Explain that you and your students will be working on sequencing, putting things in an order
that makes sense, such as the letters in the alphabet, the days of the week, or repeated patterns.

2 Help your students make a list of things we sequence. Write the list so all students can see it.
When the list is finished, talk about which items are sequenced in the same way (by time, by
size, etc.). Here are some ideas to get your students started:

• days of the week • classroom routines

• street numbers • parts of a book
• steps to do projects • story events
• recipes • words (alphabetizing, number of syllables,
order in a sentence)

3 Help your students imagine what life would be like if we didn’t sequence things. For example,
how would we control traffic without traffic signals in cities? How would we know when
buses would arrive if we had no schedules? How would we know what shows would be on
TV without a guide sequenced in some way?

4 Present each word in the list below for discussion. Give examples of ways we use each word.
Ask students to volunteer giving sentences that use the words in a sequencing context.

• after • last
• alphabetical order • least (used when talking about things that
• at last have a collective amount, such as smoke)
• before • meanwhile
• chronological order • most
• decreasing order • next
• event • numerical order
• fewest (used when talking about individual • object
or countable things, such as pencils) • reverse
• finally • sequence
• first • sequencing
• idea • time line
• in order • while
• increasing order

5 Divide your students into groups of four to six and have them line themselves up in order of
each of these descriptions:

• height
• alphabetical order of first or last names
• birth date

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 54 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Sequencing , continued

6 Have your students pantomime or draw illustrations of words or phrases that relate to
sequencing. The other students must guess the word/phrase within two minutes to earn
a point. Here are some words to try for this activity:

• ancient • last • needs improvement • third

• coldest • last week • newest • today
• driest • least important • next Tuesday • tomorrow
• excellent • lightest • now • wettest
• first • longest • oldest • while
• good • middle • recent • widest
• grade three • modern • roughest • yesterday
• heaviest • most gentle • shortest • youngest
• hottest • most important • thinnest

7 Help your students make a list of things that could be sequenced according to each of these
concepts:

• size • numerical order

• amount • speed
• length • power
• weight • cost or value
• height • softness
• smoothness • intensity
• roughness • danger to humans
• number of seeds • distance from your school
• chronological order • distance from the earth
• alphabetical order

Then have your students make posters or displays to illustrate six to eight of these concepts,
depicting at least one sequence for each one. Encourage the designers to explain their posters
or displays.

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 55 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1

■ Count the number of each kind of thing. Write the numbers in the blanks.

1 books ______

2 chairs ______

3 backpacks ______

4 crayons ______

5 markers ______

6 pencils ______

■ Now list the things you counted in order from least to most.

7 ___________________________________

8 ___________________________________

9 ___________________________________

10 ___________________________________

11 ___________________________________

12 ___________________________________

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 56 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2

■ Cut these words apart and arrange them in alphabetical order.

cave race paper land

only butter raisin cause

lemon surely radish beauty

once burrow soap leaf

curve ladder oak learn

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 57 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3

■ Fill in the circle beside each thing you need before you can do each activity.

1 make a grilled cheese sandwich 2 wash your hair

" bread " washcloth

C peanut butter C shampoo
D cheese slices D towel
E frying pan or griddle E water
F grapes F sandals
G knife G camera

3 draw a picture 4 send someone a letter

" camera " person’s address

C crayons C postage stamp
D flashlight D book
E paper E pen or pencil
F stapler F paper
G markers G envelope
H mailbox

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 58 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4

Present one question at a time. Encourage your students to close their eyes and visualize the question.
Then ask students to respond to the question with as much detail as possible. Encourage more than one
response to give students practice in expressing their thoughts. Accept all logical answers as correct.

■ What do you see after ___?

• it rains • you put ice cream into soda

• the sun goes down • you get a haircut
• a glass of milk spills • you touch wet paint with your arm
• you get a mosquito bite • you light a candle
• you blow the seeds off a dandelion • you dive underwater when you swim
• you set the table • bacon is cooked
• you erase a mistake in pencil • you scare a turtle
• a jet takes off • you sharpen a pencil
• a snowman melts • a glass drops on the floor
• birds build a nest • you turn on a light in a dark room
• you plant a seed and water it • you wave to a friend
• you walk barefoot on wet sand • you step on a wad of gum
• you pop a balloon • you cut a square in half
• you hear popcorn pop • a traffic light turns orange or amber
• a stage curtain opens or goes up • you take a bandage off your cut
• you put spaghetti into boiling water • you heat a marshmallow over a fire
• you peel an orange • the sun sets in the evening
• you cut an apple in half • a track race starts
• you put sunglasses on • someone rides a skateboard up a steep ramp
• you get a sunburn • leaves fall off the trees
• you peel a banana • you crack a walnut open
• you fry an egg

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 59 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5

Present one question at a time. Encourage your students to close their eyes and visualize the question,
imagining what sounds they would hear. Then ask students to respond to the question with as much
detail as possible. Encourage more than one response to give students practice in expressing their
thoughts. Accept all logical answers as correct.

■ What do you hear after ____?

• you see lightning • a violinist raises her violin and her bow

• you heat kernels of dried corn • you stick a pin into a balloon

• someone performs for an audience • someone lights candles on a birthday cake

• you turn on a vacuum cleaner • someone dives off a diving board

• you flush a toilet • a car driver slams the brakes hard

• you dial someone’s phone number • baby chicks hatch

• you blow a big bubble with your gum • you put a pencil in an electric sharpener

• a cook dips French fries into hot cooking oil • you toss pieces of bread to ducks in a pond

• you tell someone, “Thank you.” • a big fire starts in a building

• someone squeezes bubble wrap • a baseball pitcher tosses the ball to a batter

• a baby gets angry • you turn a dishwasher on

• you open the drain after a bath • someone rolls a bowling ball down an alley

• you put cold bacon into a hot pan • you put coins into a vending machine

• someone puts a log on a hot fire • you put your head under the water

• you take a bite of a crisp carrot • someone starts to sneeze

• a TV show is over • you put your house key into the lock

• recess is over • you score points in a video game

• a visitor walks up to your front door • you open your door to kids in costumes
on Halloween
• a dog sees a stranger or another dog nearby

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 60 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 6

■ Look at the pictures in each row. Circle the picture that happened first. Draw an X on the picture
that happened last.

A B C

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 61 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 7

■ The steps to do things below are out of order. Write first by the thing you should do first.
Write last by the thing you should do last.

1 buy an ice-cream cone

a ____________________ Decide what flavor you want and what kind of cone.

b ____________________ Tell the server what you want to order.

c ____________________ Pay the server for your ice-cream cone.

d ____________________ Ask for a sample if you’re not sure about the flavor.

2 send an email message

a ____________________ Write the message.

b ____________________ Click on or key in the address.

c ____________________ Click on “send.”

d ____________________ Sign your name.

3 build a snowman

a ____________________ Make a medium-sized ball.

b ____________________ Put the small ball on top of the medium-sized ball.

c ____________________ Make a large ball.

d ____________________ Make a small ball.

e ____________________ Put the medium-sized ball on top of the large ball.

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 62 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 8a

■ Read this story. Then fill in the circle beside the correct answer for each question below.

Dara got a sharp pencil from her desk. She was ready
to take the math test. She had practiced her math facts at
home. Ms. Ward passed out the test papers. Dara took a
deep breath. Then she started doing the test.

1 Which event happened first?

" Ms. Ward passed out the test papers.

# Dara got a sharp pencil from her desk.
$ Dara practiced her math facts at home.

2 Which event happened last?

" Dara took a deep breath.

# Dara started doing the test.
$ Ms. Ward passed out the test papers.

3 When did Dara get a sharp pencil from her desk?

" before Ms. Ward passed out the test papers

# after Ms. Ward passed out the test papers
$ before Dara practiced her math facts at home

4 When was Dara ready to take the math test?

" The story doesn’t say when Dara was ready.

# Dara was ready before she practiced her math facts.
$ Dara was ready after she practiced her math facts.

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 63 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 8b

■ Read the story. Then fill in the circle beside the correct answer for each question below.

Rocky licked his sore paw. He was glad to be free

again, but his paw ached. Rocky had stepped into a trap
this morning. He yelled and hollered for help, but no one
came. Finally a boy found him. The boy set him free.
Rocky dashed away, but before he got far, he turned to
see the boy one more time. Rocky would be the boy’s
friend for life.

1 Which event happened earlier?

" Rocky hollered for help.

# Rocky licked his paw.

2 What made Rocky’s paw sore?

" He licked it too much.

# It was caught in a trap.

3 Which statement is true?

" Rocky licked his paw before the boy set him free.
# Rocky licked his paw after the boy set him free.

4 Which event happened last in this story?

" The boy set Rocky free.

# Rocky yelled for help.
$ Rocky licked his paw.
% Rocky met a new friend.

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 64 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 8c

■ Read the story. Then fill in the circle beside the correct answer for each question below.

Mike’s friends tried to cheer him up, but he was still worried.
His dog, Barney, was just two years old when he got sick. First
the vet gave him a shot. The next day she gave him some pills.
Nothing helped.
The vet told Mike and his mom, “The medicine isn’t helping
Barney. He needs surgery. Is that okay with you?”
Mike and his mom talked it over. They knew surgery was
serious. It could be dangerous. Still, they wanted Barney to get well.
They told the vet, “Go ahead.”
The surgery would happen today. Mike was waiting for a call.
He wanted good news.

1 Which thing happened earliest?

" Barney got sick.

# Mike named his dog Barney.
$ Barney needed an operation.

2 Which thing happened last?

" Mike and his mom told the vet to go ahead.

# Mike waited for a call.
$ The vet said Barney needed surgery.

3 Which things happened at the same time?

" Mike’s friends tried to cheer him up and he was waiting for a call.
# The vet gave Barney a shot and some pills.
$ Barney got sick and Mike waited for a call from the vet.

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 65 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 8d

■ Read the story. Then fill in the circle beside the correct answer for each question below.

Mr. Wong’s class went on a field trip to a museum. Leah and

Kate were buddies for the trip. Before they went to their favorite
room, the one with mummies, they saw a film about ancient Egypt.
Soon it was time for lunch in the museum café.
Leah and Kate sat with their friends for lunch. Then they went
into the gift shop. Kate wanted to buy some postcards. Leah looked
for a poster.
The girls paid for their souvenirs and left the gift shop. They
looked around for the class, but they couldn’t see anyone they knew.
“Let’s go back to the café,” said Leah. “Maybe some of the kids are
still there.”
“I hope so,” said Kate. “Otherwise we’re in deep trouble.
Mr. Wong will be mad for sure!”

1 Which thing happened last?

" Kate and Leah bought souvenirs.

# Mr. Wong’s class had lunch.
$ Kate and Leah went back to the café.

2 Which thing happened earliest?

" Leah and Kate were buddies for the trip.

# Leah and Kate were separated from the class.
$ Leah and Kate watched a movie about Egypt.

3 Which things happened at the same time?

" The class saw a movie and some mummies.

# Some students ate lunch and some students went to the gift shop.
$ Leah and Kate went back to the café and paid for their souvenirs.

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 66 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 8e

■ Read the story. Then fill in the circle beside the correct answer for each question below.

Laura Ingalls lived 90 years. She and her family were pioneers.
They lived in a log cabin. They raised their own food and worked
hard to live. They moved west many times. They rode in a covered
wagon. Pa always took his fiddle with them. He played it at night.
Laura loved to learn. She wanted to be a teacher. She taught
her first class at age 15. She was younger than some of her students.
She loved teaching very much.
Laura married her childhood boyfriend. She told her daughter,
Rose, stories of her childhood. Rose loved to hear the stories. She
urged Laura to write the stories. Children all over the world still
enjoy these stories.

1 Which thing happened first?

" Rose listened to her mother’s stories.

# Laura listened to her dad play his fiddle.
$ Laura wrote stories about her childhood.

2 Which thing happened last?

" Laura got married.

# Laura moved west in a covered wagon.
$ Laura taught students who were younger that she was.

3 When did Laura write her stories?

" She wrote them after she became a mother.

# She wrote them when she was 15.
$ She wrote them during her childhood.

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 67 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 9a

■ Read each pair of actions. Then fill in the circle beside the more important action.

1 " Change your socks every day.

# Wash your hands before you eat.

2 " Do your homework.

# Write an email to a friend.

3 " Fix yourself a snack.

# Make sure your hamster has enough food and water.

4 " Answer the phone.

# Finish reading your comic book.

5 " Talk to your best friend before school starts.

# Be in your seat when school starts.

6 " Finish your math paper.

# Follow your teacher’s directions for a fire drill.

7 " Find the cool pencil you lost.

# Find the library book you lost.

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 68 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 9b

■ Read each pair of actions. Then fill in the circle beside the more important action.

1 " Get enough exercise to stay in shape.

# Watch enough TV to know about the popular shows.

2 " Keep a friend’s secret.

# Be the first one to tell someone a friend’s secret.

3 " Pay attention to what other students are doing.

# Pay attention to what the teacher says and does.

4 " Learn from your mistakes.

# Ignore your mistakes.

5 " Wear clothes that are comfortable.

# Wear clothes that look great.

6 " Listen to music before you go to sleep.

# Brush your teeth before you go to bed.

7 " Take your medicine when you are sick.

# Take your vitamins when you are sick.

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 69 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 10

■ Each value below is important. Some of these values are probably more important to you than
others. Cut the words apart. Then choose ten values that are important to you. Arrange these
ten values in order from most important to least important to you.

cooperation determination equality faith

freedom friendship happiness honesty

honor humility love loyalty

patience peace respect responsibility

simplicity tolerance truth wisdom

Sequencing
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 70 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Negative Questions

Students need strong skills in asking, understanding, and answering questions throughout
their academic training. The activities in this chapter focus on one area of question skills:
understanding and answering negative questions appropriately.

Answering a negative question appropriately involves these steps:

1 Notice and consider the negative marker in the question.

2 Understand the overall meaning of the question and the kind of information
required in a response.

3 Think of possible responses; sort appropriate from inappropriate responses.

4 Verbalize an appropriate response clearly and concisely.

Following that logic, here is an example of a student crafting an answer to a

negative question.

Jamie and her friends are playing baseball.

Why aren’t they using more than one ball?

a The negative marker is aren’t.

b I need to say why they are only using one ball.

c Possible answers:
• They can share the one ball. appropriate
• They don’t know how to play baseball anyway. inappropriate
• You only need one ball in baseball. appropriate
• They have finished playing their game. inappropriate
• They only have one ball. inappropriate
• Only the pitcher pitches the ball. appropriate
• Only one person pitches the ball at a time. appropriate
• Only one ball is in play at a time. appropriate

d “They aren’t playing with more than one ball because you only need
one ball to play baseball.”

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 71 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Negative Questions , continued

Research shows that it is harder for most students to answer negative questions than positive
questions, possibly due to these reasons:

1 Some students have trouble detecting the meaning or deep structure of a question. This
grammar difficulty is compounded by the insertion of a negative marker. Students need
to be able to grasp the underlying structure as well as understand how that structure is
modified by the negative marker.

2 Impulsive students may not detect the negative marker in their rush to answer the question.
These students often answer such a question incorrectly because they don’t read or listen
closely enough to process the negative marker.

■ Introducing Negative Questions to Students

Tell your students they will be learning about a tricky kind of question throughout the activities
in this chapter. They need to master this kind of question to do well on tests and assignments.
The most important thing to learn is to be alert for this kind of question so they know what these
questions are really asking. Understanding a question is critical for answering it appropriately.

1 Explain the phrase negative markers—words that negate or contradict the rest of a statement.
Demonstrate the power of these markers by showing how these words impact a sentence.
Write each word of a sentence from the list below on a separate card large enough for your
students to read from a distance. Ask volunteers to come up and each hold one word of the
sentence. Ask another student to arrange the words to form a good sentence. Then give
another volunteer a card with the negative marker not written on it. Ask the person to
change the whole meaning of the sentence by getting in the right place in the line of words.
Then repeat this task with another sentence from the list below.

• Carlos is scared of worms. • We will have an extra recess today. • It is raining.

• Beth does sneeze a lot. • Nick is the fastest runner. • We are hungry.
• This book is fun to read. • We do like pizza.

2 Review this list of negative markers with your students, asking volunteers to use each one in a
sentence and then say the same sentence without the negative marker.

• not • couldn’t • doesn’t • can’t

• haven’t • nothing • never • isn’t
• shouldn’t • wouldn’t • didn’t
• never • no • won’t

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 72 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Negative Questions , continued

3 Prepare your students for the challenge of answering negative questions by showing them
how to transform positive statements and questions into negative statements and questions.
For example, write this sentence on the board:

• We swim in the pool.

Ask volunteers to add a negative word to make this sentence mean the opposite. Here are
some options:

• We do not swim in the pool.

• We don’t swim in the pool.
• We never swim in the pool.

Note that in the first two options, one needs to add both the negative word not plus a form
of the verb do.

4 Once students have mastered negative words in sentences, talk about turning positive questions
into negative questions. Use the activity on page 75 to give your students practice in this skill.
Then ask them to form small groups and imitate this worksheet with their own questions. Have
the groups trade their lists of questions for another group to turn into negative questions. For
extra practice, repeat this activity but ask your students to generate negative questions for other
students to transform into positive questions.

Note that you can make most positive sentences mean the opposite by inserting a negative
word. That relationship isn’t as strong with positive and negative questions; adding a negative
word to some positive questions gives the question a different social meaning. For example,
compare the intent of these questions:

• Did you close the window?

• Didn’t you close the window?

The first question could be one of these messages:

• a direct request for information about whether someone closed the window
• an accusation (Did YOU close the window?)
• an indirect request for the listener to close the window

The second question could mean any of these messages:

• Why didn’t you close the window?

• an accusation (Didn’t YOU close the window? or Didn’t you CLOSE the window?)
• You just closed the window. Don’t you remember?

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 73 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Negative Questions , continued

English is a complex language and the intent of a message is heavily influenced by context,
nonverbal communication, etc. Negative questions are tricky not only because of grammar;
they are also troublesome because simply deleting the negative marker doesn’t always give
you a true opposite meaning. You still have to do some interpreting to understand the intent
of the message.

Perhaps the most helpful guidance for students is to be alert for any negative words in both
statements and questions and to use their brain power to figure out what the sentence or
question means. Detecting the negative word is the first step; interpreting the statement
or question is the second.

5 Give practice in listening for negative words by asking both negative and positive Who
questions about your students. Students can either raise their hands to answer or move
to designated areas of the room. Either way, have the entire group check for the accuracy
of their answers. Here are some sample questions:

• Who doesn’t have brown eyes? • Who has long hair?

• Who has green eyes? • Who doesn’t have curly hair?
• Who isn’t wearing anything red? • Who doesn’t walk to school?
• Who doesn’t have a letter L in their first name? • Who has a pet?
• Who isn’t wearing a belt? • Who isn’t scared of spiders?
• Who is wearing brown shoes? • Who loves spaghetti?
• Who is taller than ____ (student)? • Who doesn’t wear glasses?
• Who doesn’t have a desk/seat by a window? • Who likes to chew gum?
• Who shouldn’t chew gum in our classroom? • Who doesn’t like spinach?

Many of the questions in this chapter are likely to have multiple possibilities for correct
answers. Answers listed in this book are simply examples; accept other logical answers
as correct. As always, ask your students to explain answers that are too vague or may
seem off-target. If students can justify their responses, give them full credit.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 74 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Task 1

■ Change each question into a negative question.

1 What did you eat for breakfast?

2 Who has had a turn already?

3 Where would you look for your hat?

4 Why did she need a microphone?

5 When can you watch TV?

6 Why does this taste sweet?

7 Who has a blue marker?

8 When did you wear glasses?

9 Who made that noise?

10 Did you get my note?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 75 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2a

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 What doesn’t break?

2 What can’t cut things?

3 What isn’t soft?

4 What isn’t large?

5 What isn’t heavy?

6 What shouldn’t you eat?

7 What animal doesn’t fly?

8 What candy doesn’t have any chocolate in it?

9 What isn’t expensive?

10 What can’t be washed?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 76 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2b

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 What city isn’t in the U.S.?

2 What book doesn’t have any pictures?

3 What instrument doesn’t have strings?

4 What liquid shouldn’t you drink?

5 What coin isn’t worth much?

6 What fruit isn’t sweet?

7 What part of a swimming pool isn’t deep?

8 What boat doesn’t have a motor?

9 What insect doesn’t sting?

10 What paper isn’t for writing on?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 77 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3a

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 Where shouldn’t you store butter?

2 Where shouldn’t you yell?

3 Where wouldn’t you go ice skating?

4 Where wouldn’t ice melt?

5 Where couldn’t a car go?

6 Where can’t we build a bridge?

7 Where shouldn’t you fly a kite?

8 Where shouldn’t you cross a street?

9 Where can’t flowers grow?

10 Where couldn’t you hear a TV?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 78 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3b

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 Where can’t you find a rest room?

2 Where shouldn’t you burp?

3 Where shouldn’t you keep your pencils at school?

4 Where shouldn’t you throw your trash?

5 Where shouldn’t you write something secret?

6 Where wouldn’t you store food that spoils quickly?

7 Where wouldn’t you feel a breeze on a windy day?

8 Where wouldn’t you see your shadow?

9 Where shouldn’t you go without permission?

10 Where wouldn’t you have an outdoor picnic?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 79 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 When wouldn’t you yawn?

2 When don’t you need to brush your teeth?

3 When wouldn’t you need a raincoat?

4 When don’t you need an eraser on your pencil?

5 When wouldn’t you wear sunglasses?

6 When wouldn’t you need a flashlight?

7 When shouldn’t you cross a street?

8 When wouldn’t you feed an animal?

9 When don’t you need to line up?

10 When don’t you need to be quiet?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 80 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5a

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 Why can’t dogs fly?

2 Why can’t you smell things with your feet?

3 Why isn’t candy good for your teeth?

4 Why doesn’t a metal spoon melt in hot chocolate?

5 Why can’t a rooster lay eggs?

6 Why doesn’t a snowman last forever?

7 Why can’t many people walk on their hands?

8 Why can’t a snake hop?

9 Why can’t you bend your arm between your wrist and your elbow?

10 Why can’t you write well with both of your hands?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 81 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5b

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 It rained all night in the campground. Why didn’t the campers get wet?

2 It’s a cloudy day. Why don’t we need sunglasses outside?

3 A train is coming. Why shouldn’t we drive across the railroad tracks?

4 It’s midnight. Why isn’t everyone in New York asleep?

5 We see a bear coming nearby in a park. Why shouldn’t we feed the bear?

6 I mailed a letter this morning. Why hasn’t it been delivered yet?

7 My pen is leaking ink. Why shouldn’t I put it in my pocket?

8 The power went off. Why can’t I use the microwave?

9 I have a fever. Why shouldn’t I go to school today?

10 We are learning about all the states. Why aren’t we learning about Chicago?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 82 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5c

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 Paolo broke his right arm. Why can’t he scratch his right elbow?

2 It’s lunchtime. Why shouldn’t Joel chew gum with his lunch?

3 Shawn’s soup was just boiling. Why shouldn’t he eat it right away?

4 Cutting onions is making Grandma’s eyes water. Why shouldn’t Grandma rub her eyes with
her fingers?

5 The fire alarm just went off in your school. Why shouldn’t everyone run out of the building?

6 You are tired in school today. Why shouldn’t you just fall asleep on your desk?

7 You just saw lightning and heard thunder. Why shouldn’t you swim in the lake?

8 You need to measure the walls in your classroom. Why shouldn’t you use paper clips to
measure the walls?

9 Jordan sprained his ankle yesterday. Why shouldn’t he run today?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 83 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5d

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 You used two sheets of paper for your report. Why shouldn’t you glue the pages together?

2 You like watching fires. Why shouldn’t you play with matches?

3 A stranger offers you a ride home from school. Why shouldn’t you ride with the stranger?

4 You want another dessert. Why shouldn’t you take someone else’s dessert?

5 You don’t like a friend’s new shirt. Why shouldn’t you tell your friend you don’t like the shirt?

6 A jar of peanut butter is only half full. Why shouldn’t you just open a new jar of peanut butter?

7 Someone dropped a glass and it shattered on the floor. Why shouldn’t you walk barefoot on
the floor?

8 It’s raining outside. Why shouldn’t you open your window?

9 Monica is allergic to dairy products. Why shouldn’t she have a milk shake?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 84 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5e

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 Your teacher is talking to the class. Why isn’t everyone paying attention?

2 You found a ten-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Why wouldn’t you throw it away?

3 You slept later than usual this morning. Why isn’t that a problem?

4 You need a new toothbrush. Why wouldn’t you buy a used toothbrush?

5 You see tiny eggs in a bird’s nest. Why shouldn’t you touch the eggs?

6 A stranger knocks on your door when you are home alone. Why shouldn’t you open the door?

7 A classmate can’t work a math problem on the board. Why shouldn’t you make fun of
the classmate?

8 You and your dad are going on a long hike in a mountain park. Why shouldn’t you start
before you tell a ranger your hiking plan?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 85 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5f

■ Circle the negative word in each question. Then answer the question.

1 A strange dog comes toward you on a sidewalk. Why shouldn’t you try to pet the dog?

2 Your library book is way overdue. Why shouldn’t you just ignore the overdue notice from
the library?

3 You will take a plane trip today. Why can’t you take anything sharp with you on the plane?

4 You are waiting for a subway in a station. Why shouldn’t you go into the car until passengers
have had a chance to get out of the car?

5 You are in a movie theater and the main feature is playing. Why shouldn’t you talk a lot to
the person next to you?

6 You call a friend and get the wrong number. Why shouldn’t you get mad and throw the phone?

7 You want to watch a solar eclipse. Why shouldn’t you stare at the sun?

8 It’s snowing outside. Why wouldn’t you swim in an outdoor pool?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 86 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 6

■ For each question, write the letter of the best answer in the blank.

1 ______ What dog has no legs? A an elephant’s shadow

2 ______ What heart is never sour? B a bottle

3 ______ What bow is never tied? C lunch

4 ______ What can you catch that isn’t a ball? D a screwdriver

5 ______ What driver doesn’t need a license? E a hot dog

6 ______ What has a mouth but never talks? F a mushroom

7 ______ Why isn’t a nose 12” long? G a rainbow

8 ______ What word is never pronounced wrong? H a river

9 ______ What nail shouldn’t be hit with a hammer? I a sweetheart

10 ______ What has a neck but no head? J all directions are south

11 ______ What can’t you use until it’s broken? K a cold

12 ______ Why don’t you need a compass at the North Pole? L a coin

13 ______ What is as big as an elephant but weighs nothing? M an egg

14 ______ What room has no windows or doors? N because then it would be a foot

15 ______ What has a head and a tail but no body? O right

16 ______ What wouldn’t you eat before breakfast? P a fingernail

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 87 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 7a

■ Read the story and answer the questions.

“Please write your name at the top of your

paper,” Ms. Kerr said.
Jarred was ready for the math test. He had
studied his math facts. He knew how to work
the problems. If he took his time, he would do
well on the test.
Danielle was very nervous. She had trouble
remembering math facts. What if she got the
wrong answers? What if she didn’t pass the
test? Danielle sighed and picked up her pencil.
“You have 20 minutes to finish the test.
Good luck!” said Ms. Kerr.

1 Why wasn’t Jarred worried about the test?

2 What couldn’t Danielle remember?

3 Why wasn’t Danielle glad about the test?

4 Why didn’t Ms. Kerr take the test herself ?

5 Why couldn’t the students take an hour to finish the test?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 88 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 7b

■ Read the story and answer the questions.

Today was the big day. The Tigers would

face the Bears. Only one team would win.
Which team would win the soccer trophy?
The game would start soon. The teams
were ready. The fans were arriving.
Dark clouds appeared in the sky. A few
drops of rain fell. There was lightning and
thunder. The field was a giant mud puddle
in no time.
The coaches got together. They agreed
to postpone the game. The teams would
have to wait for another day.

1 Why couldn’t both teams win the game?

2 Why wouldn’t they win a football trophy?

3 Why didn’t they play their game today?

4 Why didn’t the fans arrive before the teams?

5 Why shouldn’t people be on a playing field in a storm with thunder and lightning?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 89 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 7c

■ Read the story and answer the questions.

How does wind change the shape of a

desert? That’s what Matt’s class was learning.
First they made a model of a desert. They
put sand in a deep tray. They used a ruler to
spread the sand evenly. Then they put one end
of the tray into a big cardboard box to keep the
sand from blowing all over the room.
Next they turned on a hair dryer. They used a cool temperature and a low air speed.
They blew the sand gently for 15 seconds. Then they wrote their observations.
Next they spread the sand out evenly. They put two flat sticks on top of the sand.
They predicted what the sand would look like after they blew on it with the hair dryer.
Matt turned on the dryer. This time, the sticks made dunes in the sand.

1 Why didn’t the class take a field trip to a desert to learn how wind shapes a desert?

2 Why didn’t each student need to do this experiment independently?

3 Why shouldn’t students try this experiment at home without wearing goggles?

4 Why didn’t the students use a hot setting for the hair dryer?

5 Why didn’t the students use a higher air speed for the dryer?

Negative Questions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 90 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Predicting

Predicting involves thinking about what you know currently about a situation and then
making a logical guess about what will happen in the future. Everyday situations at home
help children learn to anticipate or predict what will happen next as they repeatedly expe-
rience getting dressed, eating meals, getting ready for bed, and other routines. They learn
what to expect in predictable situations, such as birthday parties or holiday celebrations.
Throughout school years, students expand their predicting skills to include more diverse
situations, including situations they have not experienced personally. They learn to predict
what story characters or politicians will do, based on what they know about these personal-
ities and their past experience.

■ Introducing Predicting to Students

The activities in this chapter present two types of predicting:

1 Tasks 1-3 state a common situation and require students to identify or to make
the most logical prediction. These predictions are fairly concrete and have one
prediction that is highly probable.

2 Tasks 4-6 also state a common situation and require students to make a logical
prediction. In most cases, more than one prediction is logical.

Although the situations in this section are presented in a worksheet format, you can
readily adapt them into oral activities. Talking about the questions in small groups gives
students vital practice in both identifying predictions and expressing them to others.

If a student gives an unlikely or unusual prediction for a situation, encourage the

student to justify the prediction. Accept all logical predictions as correct, regardless
of the Answer Key responses. Be aware, though, that a student who consistently makes
unusual predictions based on personal experience or information is at risk for taking
tests with prediction questions. Help such a student to take a more typical perspective
and to know the difference between his unique background and a more “mainstream”
viewpoint.

Encourage your students to make predictions in their personal reading as well as in

curricular lessons. Where appropriate, have them make written predictions so they
can refer back to them to check the accuracy of their original predictions.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 91 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Task 1a

■ Mark the best answer for each question.

1 What will happen if you drop a raw egg?

" The egg will hatch.

# The egg will break.

$ The egg will melt.

2 What will happen if you staple two sheets of paper?

" The papers will rip.

# The papers will have lines on them.

$ The papers will stay together.

3 What will happen if you sniff pepper?

" You will sneeze.

# You will cough.

$ You will sniff salt.

4 What will happen if a mosquito bites you?

" The bite will bleed a lot.

# The mosquito will die.

$ The bite will itch.

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 92 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1b

■ Mark the best answer for each question.

1 What will happen if you keep a library book too long?

" You will have to pay a fine.

# You will have to write a book report.
$ The library will buy you a new book.

2 What will happen if you put ice in a warm place?

B The ice will turn blue.

C The ice will melt.
D The ice will break.

3 What will happen if you put noodles into boiling water?

" The noodles will get soft and hot.

C The noodles will fall out of the pot.
D The noodles will break.

4 What will happen if a book drops into a puddle?

" The book will get the puddle wet.

C The pages of the book will stick together.
D The book will turn over.

5 What will happen if you keep a fish out of water?

" The fish will be thirsty.

C The fish will lie down.
D The fish will die.

6 What will happen if you put a coin into a glass of water?

" The coin will float.

C The coin will disappear.
D The coin will sink.

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 93 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1c

■ Mark the best answer for each question.

1 What will happen if you hold your finger in a candle flame for 15 seconds?

" You will burn your finger.

C You will melt your finger.
D You will burn the candle.

2 What will happen if a hawk grabs a rabbit?

" The rabbit will fight with the hawk.

C The hawk will eat the rabbit.
D The hawk will feed the rabbit.

3 What will happen if you poke a pin into a balloon?

" The balloon will get hurt.

C The balloon will get bigger.
D The balloon will pop.

4 What will happen if you wash dirty clothes?

" The clothes will be ruined.

C The clothes will be clean.
D The clothes will get bigger.

5 What will happen if your teacher is sick for a week?

" You will teach the class.

C You will take care of your teacher.
D You will have a substitute teacher.

6 What will happen if you leave a bar of soap in a sink full of water?

" The soap will get soft and mushy.

C The soap will get clean.
D The water will be full of bubbles.

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 94 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2a

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 Dad lit the candles on Paul’s birthday cake.

Everyone sang to Paul. What will Paul do now?

2 Sara put toothpaste on her toothbrush.

Now what will she do?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 95 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2b

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 Brandon is thirsty. What will he do?

2 Someone left Puff’s cage door open.

What will Puff do?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 96 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2c

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 Ian put his glass of juice in the freezer to

keep it cool. What will happen to the juice?

2 You drew with chalk on the sidewalk. Now it

is raining. What will happen to your drawings?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 97 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2d

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 These brothers just got into their car.

What will they do before the car starts?

2 Mom took out an ice-cream cone.

What will she do next?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 98 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2e

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 This butterfly has just come out of its cocoon.

First it will let its wings dry. Then what will it do?

2 Luis and his dad just put worms on their hooks.

What will they do next?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 99 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3a

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 Baby Laura dropped her rattle. Now she can’t reach it. What will Laura do?

2 Tanner just got out of the bathtub. What will he do now?

3 Aunt Dee got a grocery cart in the store. What will she do next?

4 Mick got bread, peanut butter, jam, and a knife. What will he do now?

5 A fly flew into a cobweb. What will happen to the fly?

6 A bird laid three eggs in her nest. What will happen to the eggs?

7 The sun is about to set for today. What will happen to the daylight?

8 Rosa is in a library. She found two books to borrow. What will she do now?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 100 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3b

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 Jonas aimed his camera at his family. What will Jonas do next?

2 The battery for Heather’s cell phone is running low. What will Heather do?

3 Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. What will friends give to each other?

4 Some food in the refrigerator is moldy. What will happen to it?

5 A mail carrier delivered mail to a mailbox. What will happen next?

6 Olivia planted some seeds in a pot of dirt. What will happen to the seeds?

7 Larry broke his arm and went to the hospital. What will happen to his arm?

8 Tyler poured red paint into white paint. What will happen to the paint?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 101 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4a

■ Mark each answer that could be true.

1 What might happen if you get paint on your pants?

" It might stain your pants.

C It might wash off your pants.
D It might make a hole in your pants.

2 What might happen if you trip over a rock?

" You might fall down.

C You might stumble.
D The rock might fall apart.

3 What might happen if you tease a dog?

" It might lick you.

C It might chase you.
D It might bark at you.

4 What might happen if you scratch your arm too hard?

" You might make your skin bleed.

C Your skin might get infected.
D Your arm might fall off.

5 What might happen if you press too hard with your pencil?

" Your pencil point might break.

C Your fingers might be sore.
D Your writing might be too dark.

6 What might happen if your shoes are too big?

" You might walk out of the shoes.

C You might trip yourself.
D Your feet might shrink.

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 102 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4b

■ Mark each answer that could be true.

1 What might happen if you eat too much for lunch?

" You might be hungry.

C You might have a stomachache.
D You might throw up.

2 What might happen if you are late to school?

" You might be tardy.

C You might be sent home early.
D You might miss part of your class.

3 What might happen if your ice-cream cone has a hole at the bottom?

" The ice cream might melt the cone.

C The ice cream might drip through the cone.
D You might get ice cream on your clothes.

4 What might happen if you don’t buckle your seatbelt in a car?

" The driver of your car might get a ticket.

C The car might not start.
D You won’t be protected in a crash.

5 What might happen if a student forgets to bring a lunch to school?

" The student might go hungry.

C The student might call home to ask for another lunch.
D Other students might share their food with this student.

6 What might happen if you don’t pay attention to your teacher?

" You might not know what’s going on.

C Your teacher might be annoyed.
D You might fall asleep.

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 103 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4c

■ Mark each answer that could be true.

1 What might happen if you have a nightmare?

" You might be scared.

C You might wake up to stop the nightmare.
D You might smile in your sleep.

2 What might happen if you lose a baby tooth?

" A permanent tooth will grow in its place.

C You will get money from the tooth fairy.
D The tooth fairy will brush your teeth for you.

3 What might happen if a car stops on a railroad crossing?

" The car might run out of gas.

C A train might hit the car.
D The car might need to move off the track quickly.

4 What might happen if there is a big earthquake near you?

" The power might go off.

C Lightning might start a fire.
D There might be a new crack in the earth.

5 What might happen if it rains during recess today?

" Students might dance in the rain.

C Students might stay inside for recess.
D Students might have indoor free time in the classroom.

6 What might happen if you miss a test because you are sick?

" You might make up the test later.

C You might make up answers for the test.
D You might ask your teacher what you need to do about the test.

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 104 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4d

■ Mark each answer that could be true.

1 What might happen if you outgrow your jacket?

" You might get a new jacket.

C You might wear a sweatshirt instead of a jacket.
D You might borrow a jacket from someone.

2 What might happen if you win a big race?

" You might win a trophy.

C You might get a headache.
D You might get a prize.

3 What might happen if your teacher gets sick?

" You might have a substitute teacher.

C You might not have to go to school.
D Your class might send the teacher a get-well card.

4 What might happen if you take good care of your teeth?

" Your smile will look healthy.

C You will hear better.
D You won’t get cavities.

5 What might happen if you walk through mud?

" Your shoes will get muddy.

C Your feet will get wet.
D You might leave mud prints where you walk.

6 What might happen if you step on a snake by accident?

" The snake might bite you.

C You might bite the snake.
D The snake might run away.

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 105 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4e

■ Mark each answer that could be true.

1 What might happen if you wave to someone?

" The person might ignore you.

C The person might wave back.
D The person might smile at you.

2 What might happen if you enter a writing contest?

" You might win a prize.

C You might not win a prize.
D You might be in a tie with another writer.

3 What might happen if you find a $100 bill on the sidewalk?

" You might keep the money.

C You might leave the money on the sidewalk.
D You might throw the money away.

4 What might happen if you eat something you are allergic to?

" You might get a rash.

C You might feel sick.
D You might get a headache.

5 What might happen if you slice fruit with a sharp knife?

" You might cut the knife with your fingers.

C You might drop the fruit.
D You might cut your fingers with the knife.

6 What might happen to a balloon if it’s very windy outside?

" It might blow away.

C It might blow into a tree.
D It might blow into something and pop.

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 106 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5a

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 What will happen if you mail a letter

without a stamp on it?

2 What will happen if you step into

wet concrete?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 107 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5b

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 Doug’s grandma only weeded part of her

vegetable garden. What might happen to
her garden if she doesn’t finish weeding it?

2 Malik is wearing new shoes today. They felt

okay this morning, but now his feet are very
uncomfortable. What might happen?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 108 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 6a

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 What might happen if you don’t wear sunscreen in the sunlight?

2 What might happen if you break your pencil point during a test?

3 What might happen if you tell a friend’s secret?

4 What might happen if you don’t feed a pet goldfish?

5 What might happen if you don’t do your homework?

6 What might happen if you eat something you’re allergic to?

7 What might happen if you leave your jacket on the playground?

8 What might happen if you can’t see the board from your seat?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 109 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 6b

■ Write your answers on the lines.

1 Ryan is at soccer practice. He is supposed to leave by 4:30 so he can be home by 5:00.

He forgot to wear his watch today. What might happen?

2 Fiona is going up an escalator in a mall. As she goes up, she sees a good friend coming
down on the other side. What might Fiona do to get her friend’s attention?

3 Becca tried out for the school play last year, but she wasn’t chosen. This year she has practiced
the lines to try out for the part she wants. Tryouts are this week. What might happen?

4 Deon and his dad are fishing. Dark clouds have gathered in the sky, and they hear thunder
getting closer. What might happen?

5 Stephanie was very sick last week. Now she is much better, but she can’t hear well in one ear.
What might happen?

6 Tanya and her best friend both want to sing the solo with the school choir. Tryouts are this
afternoon. What might happen?

Predicting
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 110 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Making Inferences

Making an inference about a situation requires combining what you know or can see with
your previous experience and background information in order to make an educated guess
about what is going on and why. From early childhood, we make lightning-quick inferences
when we meet a stranger. Our brain is wired to help us decide “Is this person a friend or a
foe? Should I approach or avoid this person?” Such inferences are almost intuitive. As we
mature, we refine our ability to discern whether or not to trust strangers, based on personal
experience and increasing knowledge of people in general.

As children work to make sense of their world, they make many inferences about both novel
and everyday situations. Students who consider past experiences as they make inferences
make more accurate guesses about situations. As educators, we want to help all students
become active thinkers who make logical inferences about situations spontaneously.

Beyond making an appropriate inference, students need to be able to express their inferences
well to others both orally and in writing. For example, many language arts test questions
require students to make appropriate inferences about story characters, events, and problems.
Successful students usually also make good inferences about school routines, including antici-
pating what a test will cover and how best to prepare for it.

■ Introducing Making Inferences to Students

The tasks in this chapter assume that students can detect a problem and its likely cause.
Students will be presented with multiple situations and asked to infer in order to answer
questions about those situations. Teach your students to think about everything they
know before they formulate an inference. Remind them of the great help their own past
experience and personal knowledge will bring to their thinking.

For extra enrichment, do the first few items of a task as a group or in small groups.
Give your students lots of practice in expressing their answers orally before they tackle
writing their answers.

When students have completed an activity sheet, encourage them to share their answers
with each other. Where appropriate, point out that there are often several good ways to
express the same inference.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 111 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Making Inferences , continued

Here are some additional activities to help your students improve their skills in making good
inferences.

1 Alert students that good inferences are not necessarily accurate. We can misjudge a situation,
especially if we don’t have all the background information or if our personal experience leads
us to draw a different conclusion about what’s going on. Still it’s better thinking to make the
best inferences we can than not to think for ourselves at all.

2 Post a photo or a picture on a bulletin board and ask your students to look at it carefully.
Then put up two sheets of paper labeled “What We Know for Sure” and “What We Infer.”
As a group, list everything you know for sure about the picture and logical inferences.
Consider adding another sheet of paper labeled “What We Want to Find Out” as a way to
discuss options to check your inferences.

3 Using a CD or an audiotape, play short snippets of various people talking. Tell your students
you want them to listen carefully to each person and make some inferences about the speaker.
They could think about the speaker’s age, sex, motivation, accent, and even appearance. You
may need to model some likely inferences to begin this activity, but your students will soon
volunteer their own thoughts. Ask your students to say (or write) what they infer about each
speaker. Where students have different opinions or inferences, encourage them to explain
their thoughts to the group.

4 Use the words infer and inference frequently as you give examples of your own thinking or
what the class might be thinking. Help your students to formulate a class definition of infer
and inference.

5 When there are school announcements or bulletins, ask your students to infer the reason for
each one. Why was the announcement or bulletin item delivered to students? What are your
students expected to do or think about as a result of hearing or reading the information?

6 When your students spontaneously infer something, congratulate them on their keen ability to
make an inference.

The more you encourage your students to express their inferences orally, the better they will be
able to express themselves in class and outside of school.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 112 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Task 1a

■ Read each situation and answer the question.

1 Tyrone bought a bag of Puppy Chunks. What kind of pet does Tyrone have?
" a goldfish
C a puppy

2 Cactus flowers are in bloom all around you. Where are you?
" in a rain forest
C in a desert

3 The kitchen was clean when Mom went to work. When she came home, it was a mess. Dishes
were in the sink, the counter was messy, and empty glasses were on the table. What had happened?
" Mom forget to clean up her mess.
C Someone fixed a snack and did not clean up.

4 Karen knew as soon as she saw her son that he had passed his math test. How did she know?
B He looked happy.
C He looked tired.

5 Wes knew the Magic Carrot Restaurant was a popular place to eat. How did he know that?
" There was always a long wait for a table.
C Carrots are a healthy food.

6 Zane was in his room. He said, “We must be having bacon for breakfast.” How did he know that?
" He bought the bacon for breakfast.
C He smelled bacon cooking.

7 Abby stopped wearing glasses. She sees as well as she did while she wore glasses.
What happened?
" Abby broke her glasses.
C Abby is wearing contact lenses.

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 113 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1b

■ Read each situation and answer the question.

1 A substitute teacher flicked the classroom lights off

and on. Why did she do that?
" The teacher had a headache.
C The students were being too noisy.
2 Bo was sure there had been an accident on the street.
What made him sure?
" There were no cars on the road.
C Traffic was backed up for blocks.
3 Nikki remembered it was a federal holiday as soon
as she looked in her mailbox. How did she know?
" Her mailbox was empty.
C There was mail in her mailbox.
4 A sign on a restaurant window said The Blue Cow Restaurant is expanding.
Please excuse the mess. What does that mean?
" Business is bad and the Blue Cow has fewer customers.
C Business is good and more customers are eating at the Blue Cow.
5 The sun keeps the earth warm. Without the sun, plants, animals, and people would die.
The sun’s rays can be harmful. Some rays are so dangerous, they can cause skin cancer.
What is the important message in this information?
" The sun’s rays are harmful.
C Something helpful can also be harmful.
6 A police officer asked a driver for his license and proof of registration. Why did he do that?
" He stopped the driver for speeding or breaking a law.
C The driver wanted to help the officer.
7 A student sat on a chair in front of a large screen. The lights were adjusted. Then the student
smiled and the camera clicked. Then the next student sat on the chair. What was happening?
" It was recess.
C It was school picture day.

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 114 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3a

■ Read each situation and answer the question.

1 Sam broke his leg. He had to walk with crutches for three weeks.
Then the doctor put a walking cast on his leg. What had happened?

2 Many homes were destroyed or severely damaged by a storm.

Kendra’s family was lucky. What happened to Kendra’s home?

3 Patients were evacuated to hospitals in nearby cities during the blackout. Why were these
patients moved?

4 Maggie read the schedule and knew she had to take the blue and the orange lines to get to the
airport. She went down the steps to the platform. What type of transportation was she taking?

5 The team put on their uniforms, tied their shoes, picked up their helmets, and walked out onto
the field. What game will they play?

6 The coach moved his team off to the side of the track. He encouraged his athletes to play well
and enjoy the meet. What kind of sporting event was this?

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 115 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3b

■ Read each situation and answer the question.

1 Troy wants to be healthier. He exercises now and eats

healthy foods. What foods will Troy try not to eat?

2 In the morning people were dressed in sweaters and pants.

By afternoon most of them had changed into short-sleeved
shirts and shorts. What happened to the temperature?

3 Insects are attracted to the color yellow. If you wore a yellow shirt outside, what might happen?

4 Rae set the timer for 40 minutes and the temperature for 350 degrees. What is Rae doing?

5 Dark green vegetables have strong antioxidants that help fight some kinds of cancer.
Lily tries to protect herself against disease with food. What foods might Lily eat?

6 Baby squirrels are born in the summer. The adult squirrels make a nest far out on a branch
of a tree. Closer to winter, the adult squirrels make another nest. This one is next to the tree’s
trunk. Why do they build this nest in a different place?

7 Oil and water do not mix. Oil floats on top of water. Birds have oil in their feathers.
How do you think the oil in feathers protects birds?

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 116 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3c

■ Read each situation and answer the question.

1 Amanda watched a robin carry food into the same tree over
and over. “There must be baby birds in that tree,” she thought.
Why did she think that?

2 Every state and national flag in the city is at half-mast. Why?

3 The tournament was scheduled for June 15th at two o’clock in the afternoon. The rain date
was for June 22nd. How do you know the tournament will be held outside?

4 Ben’s cousin goes to school in a large city. He has invited Ben to spend a few days with him
many times. Ben has always said no. How do you think Ben feels about visiting his cousin?

5 The students left the museum. They were quiet and their faces were somber. Some were
crying quietly. A boy laughed and was quickly hushed. What type of museum might these
students have seen?

6 Aunt Brianna pushed her grocery cart to her car. She could not unlock the trunk or the door.
What might be the reason?

7 Fred got shovels out of the garage. He started the snow blower. Fred’s brothers and sisters came
outside to help. What would they do?

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 117 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3d

■ Read each situation and answer the question.

1 If you saw skid marks on the road and tire marks

going into the ditch, what might you think?

2 “You really like sports,” Randy said as he walked

around Erik’s bedroom. How did Randy know?

3 Rashid walked into the room and knew Victor was not ready to go to school. How did he
know that?

4 A pickup truck passed in front of Cassie’s house. “Those people are moving,” Cassie thought.
How did she know that?

5 How might you know the printer is out of paper?

6 Rosa Parks was a brave woman. She also sped up the Civil Rights movement for racial equality
in 1955. Rosa had a seat on a bus. A white person wanted her seat and Rosa said no. What race
was Rosa Parks?

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 118 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3f

■ Read each situation and answer the question.

1 These students are walking around huge

prehistoric animals that roamed the earth
millions of years ago. Where are the students?

2 School was dismissed early after the principal

heard the forecast. What type of weather might
be coming?

3 “Kara must really want to go to the carnival tonight,” thought Mom. Why might Mom think that?

4 This boat does not have a motor. It moves quietly through the water with paddles. What type of
boat is it?

5 Think about where you live. How might things change if twice as many people moved to your
area within a year? Describe what you might see.

6 One bundle of bricks was fastened together with steel wire. Another one was fastened with copper
wire. By the end of the day, the copper wire was loose. What can you say about copper wire?

7 What might happen if highways had no speed limits?

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 119 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3g

■ Read each situation and answer the question.

1 Navarro carried a small box out of a

restaurant. What might be in the box?

2 Cameron had spending money, a bag lunch,

comfortable shoes, a jacket, and plenty
of water. Where might Cameron be going?

3 As soon as the alarm sounded, the students walked calmly to the exits. What might have happened?

4 Karla said she put the larger number on top, put the smaller number below it, and calculated the
difference. What type of math problem did she do?

5 Linda made a list of how two stories were the same. Then she made a list of the differences.
What was she doing?

6 A 14-year-old student won the state spelling bee championship. What will the student do next?

7 Ratings tell us about a product or service. Movies are rated to tell us how safe they are for
children. What would a rating system for cars tell you?

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 120 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3h

■ Read each situation and answer the question.

1 What is the same about all of the things in this picture?

2 Cheryl’s office is on the 45th floor of the building.

How do you know Cheryl works in a city?

3 The baby got up on its wobbly legs. The doe licked her baby’s face. How do you know the
baby is a fawn?

4 The passengers stood in line and went through security. Each one’s boarding pass and
photo identification was inspected by a guard. Each passenger went to the gate. Where
were these passengers?

5 Carrie, Megan, and Beth are walking to school. Carrie and Megan are sisters. Beth is their cousin.
What do you know about these girls?

6 Mr. Smith was grading test papers. “Nancy must have studied a lot,” he thought. What grade
do you think Nancy got on her test?

7 Some insects are drawn to light. They’ll fly around and around the light for hours. If you don’t
want these insects to come near you, what could you do?

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 121 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4a

■ Read each situation and answer the question.

1 Nerve cells carry messages from your body to your brain. If you cut your finger, nerve cells
in your finger tell your brain. Your brain knows the cut is painful and tells muscles to pull your
hand away. Why doesn’t it hurt to cut your hair or fingernails?

2 Race car driving is often thought of as a male sport. Over racing history, only a few women
have entered the sport. Most of them did not do very well at an important race. In 2005,
a young woman named Danica Patrick entered the Indianapolis 500 for the first time. Of all
the women in racing, she had the best qualifying time. She was the first woman to lead a lap,
and she had the best finish among women drivers. Why might this change racing?

3 Radon gas is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and dangerous. The gas seeps out of the earth and floats
up into the atmosphere, usually without hurting anyone. If a house or building is in the way, the
gas seeps in and builds up. If too much radon gets into the building, people get sick. Because you
cannot see, smell, or taste radon gas, some people install radon gas detectors in their homes and
businesses. Why would a radon gas detector be helpful?

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 122 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4b

■ Read each situation and answer the question. Tell how you decided on your answer.

1 For the second time this week, an alligator was found in a family’s pool. Animal control officers
captured the animal and released it into the wild. Alligators in pools and backyard ponds will
increase as more habitats are lost to construction. What is happening?

2 Madison thinks her older sister is rude. When Madison brings friends home, her sister calls them
names and is bossy. Madison’s friends said they don’t like coming over to her house. How do
you think Madison feels?

3 Four boys were driving home from a concert. It was late and the boys were tired. They turned
on the radio, talked to one another, and did their best to stay awake. They fell asleep. The driver
lost control of the car and crashed. The four boys woke up when their car hit a ditch. They were
shaken and bruised. The police officer was grateful they were wearing seatbelts. What saved
the boys’ lives?

Making Inferences
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 123 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Problem Solving

Students encounter numerous problems both within and outside of school. They can
learn to solve problems more effectively if they develop good thinking skills and habits,
including the ones listed below.

Understanding problems What is going on? Who is involved? How does the
problem affect me? Do I have all the information I need
to solve this problem? Have I ever solved a problem
like this before? How can I state the problem clearly?

Sequencing problems Which problem or part of the problem should I tackle

first? Is this a huge problem or a minor issue? Which
part of a particular problem should I work on first?
What steps should I follow in order to solve the
problem?

Determining causes What caused or is causing the problem? What could

I do to eliminate the cause?

Making inferences What missing information might help me solve

the problem?

Brainstorming solutions What are all the ways I can think of to solve the
problem? Who or what do I need to solve the problem?

Predicting What would happen if I used each solution to solve

the problem?

Choosing the best solution Which solution would be the best? Why?

Planning What is my plan to solve this problem?

Evaluating the outcome What happened? Did my solution really solve the
problem? Did it cause a new problem? Should I try
the same solution if the same problem happens again?

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 124 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Problem Solving , continued

■ Introducing Problem Solving to Students

Below are some key terms from the Glossary (pages 176-179) to discuss with your students as a
way to introduce this chapter on problem solving. The terms are grouped according to the general
sequence of problem solving skills above for easy presentation and discussion.

a problem d plan
action/behavior
b analyze effective
angles execution
assume objectives
cause resources
clarify sequence
consider
evidence e evaluate
accurate
c alternatives appropriate/inappropriate
brainstorm
compare/contrast
consequence
options/possibilities/choices/solutions
predict
visualize

Here are some additional activities to help your students learn to be active problem solvers.

1 Invite your students to identify one problem per week that has to do with the school or your
classroom. (Choose problems your students could actually solve vs. issues beyond their
control.) Help your students to phrase the exact problem clearly. Post the problem in your
room and discuss it with your students. Brainstorm possible solutions. Then work with your
students to determine the best solution and to develop a plan to solve the problem. If your
students try to actually solve the problem, help them to evaluate the results of their actions.

2 Talk about problems people have solved in the past as you present lessons from history,
science, or math. For example, how have various cultures or groups dealt with changing
climate conditions or diseases? For language arts, have your students create story problem
charts.

3 Have your students use Task 1, page 126, repeatedly for various problems they encounter,
both in their personal lives and in the curriculum.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 125 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Task 1

■ Use this page to organize your thoughts about a problem.

1 State the problem clearly.

2 Think about the problem. What caused it? Who is involved?

3 List some good solutions. Think what would happen if you try each one.

4 Choose the best solution. Write your plan for what you will do in the order you will do it.

5 Evaluate your actions. Did you solve the problem? Was it a good solution?

Problem Solving
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 126 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2a

■ Read each situation and look at the picture. Identify the problem. Then list two possible solutions
for the problem.

1 Noel wears beads in her hair. It takes a long time to fix

the beads. The soccer coach says no one is allowed to
wear beads or hair decorations. Noel loves to play soccer.

a What is the problem?

b Write two solutions for this problem.

2 Toby’s mom is buying new shoes for him. Toby wants

shoes with Velcro fasteners. His mom wants him to have
shoes with shoelaces.

a What is the problem?

b Write two solutions for this problem.

Problem Solving
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 127 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2b

■ Read each situation and look at the picture. Identify the problem. Then list two possible solutions
for the problem.

1 Gage is having cereal for breakfast this morning.

He likes milk on his cereal.

a What is the problem?

b Write two solutions for this problem.

2 Taryn is visiting a petting zoo with her

family. She loves to feed the animals.

a What is the problem?

b Write two solutions for this problem.

Problem Solving
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 128 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3a

■ Read each situation and answer the questions. Think of the best choice to solve each problem.

1 Jade received invitations for two birthday parties. One is for this Saturday from 1:00 until 3:30.
The other is for this Saturday from 1:30 until 4:00.

a What is the problem?

b What could Jade do?

2 Tucker is making cookies with his dad. The cookies should bake for ten minutes, but no one
set a timer. One tray of cookies has been baking for 20 minutes.

a What is the problem?

b What could they do?

3 Cory just got his first pair of glasses. They felt strange on his face, so he took them off during
lunch at school. Now lunch is over and Cory can’t find his glasses.

a What is the problem?

b What could Cory do?

4 Stacey stayed home from school all last week because she was sick. Now she feels better and
she is back in school. She can’t stop coughing.

a What is the problem?

b What could Stacey do?

Problem Solving
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 129 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3b

■ Read each situation and answer the questions. Think of the best choice to solve each problem.

1 Erica’s parents both work during the day. Her older sister, Taylor, baby-sits Erica after school.
Lately Taylor has been really bossy. She makes Erica clean her room and vacuum. She won’t
let Erica watch any TV.

a What is the problem?

b What could Erica do?

2 Shane and his dad are watching a movie in a theater. His dad chose the movie. Shane liked it at
first, but now he is frightened.

a What is the problem?

b What could Shane do?

3 Miguel is reading in bed at night during a thunderstorm. Suddenly his light goes off. There are
no lights on in his house.

a What is the problem?

b What could Miguel do?

4 Lucas and Theo share a bedroom. They are doing their homework. Lucas likes loud music while
he works. Theo likes it quiet while he works.

a What is the problem?

b What could these boys do?

Problem Solving
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 130 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3c

■ Read each situation and answer the questions. Think of the best choice to solve each problem.

1 Shannon’s family had to move to a different town. Today is his first day in his new school.
Shannon stutters a lot when he is nervous. He is nervous about meeting his new classmates
and talking to them.

a What is the problem?

b What could Shannon do?

2 Cody brought his pet tarantula to school today. He will tell his class about his pet and how he
takes care of it. Emily is in Cody’s class. Emily is terrified of spiders.

a What is the problem?

b What could Emily do?

3 Tasha loves ballet dancing. She practices every day. Today is her recital. She wasn’t nervous
until she peeked out of the curtain and saw the audience. Tasha isn’t sure she can dance in front
of all those people.

a What is the problem?

b What could Tasha do?

4 Jason is on a class field trip to a museum. He is the only student who forgot to bring a lunch.

a What is the problem?

b What could Jason do?

Problem Solving
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 131 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3d

■ Read each situation and answer the questions. Think of the best choice to solve each problem.

1 Mr. Olson asked Phillip to water his garden twice a week while he was on vacation. Phillip only
watered the garden once the first week. The second week, he forgot to water. There was no rain
while Mr. Olson was gone.

a What is the problem?

b What could Phillip do?

2 Brad and Julio are partners for a science project. They need to do some research in the library.
Brad wants to do it after school, but Julio has to go home on the school bus every day.

a What is the problem?

b What could these boys do?

3 Eva likes to sleep as late as she can. Lately she gets up so late, she doesn’t have time to eat
breakfast. By the middle of the morning, Eva is so hungry, she can only think about food.

a What is the problem?

b What could Eva do?

4 It’s Rick’s job to take the trash cans out to the curb once a week. He took the cans out last night
for pickup today. This morning one can is tipped over and the trash is all over the street.

a What is the problem?

b What could Rick do?

Problem Solving
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 132 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Justifying Opinions

Most students already have firm opinions about a wide variety of issues, but they may not
realize it. That may be because we don’t use the word opinion often with young children.
Here are common ways we ask children to state their opinions:

• What is your favorite ____?

• Which kind of shoes do you like better, ones that have shoelaces or
ones that have Velcro fasteners?
• What’s the best thing to do if a stranger asks you to get into a car?
• Should kids on bikes have to wear helmets?
• What is the best kind of pet if you live in an apartment?

Perhaps prefacing questions like the above with “I’d like to know your opinion” would help
students recognize that they have many opinions and that they have been expressing them to
others for a long time.

As students advance in schoolwork, there are expected to both express and justify their
opinions appropriately.

• They need to persuade classmates to vote for a candidate.

• They need to justify their opinions about story characters’ actions.
• They usually give their opinions about books they have read as part
of book reports.
• Working well in groups often requires stating and justifying an opinion
to persuade others to agree so the group can move forward as a team.

Older students and adults are expected to justify their opinions without shouting and without
offending others. Since those skills are often not fully developed until adolescence or early
adulthood, they are beyond the scope of this resource. Sometimes, though, you may observe
a younger student spontaneously justify an opinion deftly and sensitively. If possible, seize
the opportunity such a situation presents as a way to heighten students’ sensitivity to the
importance and effectiveness of expressing your opinions clearly and without being overly
assertive or offensive.

■ Introducing Justifying Opinions to Students

Tell students that they have lots of opinions and that they will be learning to state their
opinions as well as learning to explain or justify their opinions to others. That doesn’t
mean that others will agree with them; it just means people will be sharing their thoughts
with others.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 133 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Justifying Opinions, continued

Have your students help you clarify the difference between a fact and an opinion. This is a
common academic task your students will likely have already mastered. Students who don’t
discern the difference between a fact and an opinion will need additional help to clarify this
difference for them.

Before you present the activity sheets for this chapter, introduce some or all of the following
activities with your students.

Have your students all stand in one area of the room. Designate two other areas within the room as
1 and 2. Tell your students you will offer a choice about something. Each student should listen to
what you say and think for themselves which choice they prefer. Then they should migrate to the
designated area of the room for that choice.

1 Unless you are working with older students, do not expect your students to verbalize the
reasons they make their choices during this early activity. The main purpose of this activity is
for students to realize that their peers do not always think the same way they do; that more than
one choice or opinion is okay for lots of issues. Here are some binary choices as examples:

• Which tastes better, chocolate or vanilla ice cream?

• Which is more fun to do, read a book or play a game with a friend?
• Which is a better pet, a cat or a dog?
• Should students have to wear uniforms to school?
• Which is a better way to move from floor to floor in a mall, an elevator or an escalator?
• Which tastes better, a taco or pizza?
• Should children do chores at home without being paid?

Some students may hesitate to make a definitive choice, and others may simply see which way
their friends decide. Encourage everyone to force themselves to make a choice and to decide
for themselves as much as possible. If a student doesn’t want to make a choice because he can
support both choices for himself, you might want to establish a “both” zone in the room.

2 Review these terms with your students to be sure they understand them. Use these words from
the Glossary in your discussions and encourage your students to do the same.

• opinion/preference
• justify/explain
• reason
• belief
• advice
• persuade

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 134 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Justifying Opinions, continued

Point out that our opinions are often based on personal experience, cultural beliefs, and what
we know about the topic. We can try to persuade others to agree with our personal opinions,
but each person has the right to a personal opinion regardless of what others believe.

3 Ask your students to imagine they are at home and there is a tornado coming. It is about ten
minutes away. They must gather up to five things quickly and then head for shelter. Have
them list the five things they would take. Then divide the class into small groups and ask
students to share their lists, giving the reason they would take each thing with them. Remind
them that they are expressing their personal opinions about which things in their homes are
most valuable to them.

4 A local or national election is a built-in opportunity to have students identify and justify
opinions. Consider having a class election and help your students to state and support reasons
to vote or not vote for various candidates. Another option is to hold a mock campaign/election
for story characters; this option works better if your students aren’t mature enough to make
their opinions/justifications positive vs. offensive or negative.

5 Your students also need to know that we can change our opinions. Sometimes we get
additional information that gives us more insight. Sometimes our tastes or preferences change.
Good thinkers check their opinions over time to keep their thinking flexible and open-minded.
Ask your students to help you make a list of opinions they had when they were much younger
that have changed now that they are older. Have them justify or explain the reasons they
changed their opinions.

6 Have an advice booth in your classroom. Students can write a problem and put it in a basket.
Then designate an advice giver for the day or have students take turns giving advice. The
advice giver should both give advice and justify the advice. Then the student who wrote the
problem (or the other students) should express her opinion about the wisdom of the advice.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 135 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Task 1a

■ Use your own opinions to complete these sentences.

1 I like the name __________________________________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

2 My favorite sport to play is ________________________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

3 The best snack after school is ______________________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

4 I would like to be a ________________________________________________ when I grow up

because _______________________________________________________________________.

5 The best thing about recess is ______________________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

6 The best kind of pizza is __________________________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

7 A good friend should never ________________________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

8 Getting an allowance is ___________________________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

Justifying Opinions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 136 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 1b

■ Use your own opinions to complete these sentences.

1 The best game is ________________________________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

2 One instrument I would like to play is _______________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

3 The best movie is _______________________________________________________________

_

because _______________________________________________________________________.

4 The best holiday is ______________________________________________________________

_

because _______________________________________________________________________.

5 The best time to go to bed is _______________________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

6 Fireworks are ___________________________________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

7 The best way to cure hiccups is to _________________________________________________

__

because _______________________________________________________________________.

8 The most important thing about school is _____________________________________________

because _______________________________________________________________________.

Justifying Opinions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 137 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2a

■ Read each statement. Then check whether you agree or disagree with the statement. Write the
reason for your opinion.

1 Students should speak only English in school. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

2 School should start at 10:00. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

3 Students should be allowed to wear jewelry in school. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

4 Students should be allowed to bring their pets to school. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

5 You should get a holiday from school on your birthday. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

6 Students should get free snacks at school every day. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

7 People should not eat any meat. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

8 Students should be allowed to wear hats in school. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

Justifying Opinions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 138 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2b

■ Read each statement. Then check whether you agree or disagree with the statement. Write the
reason for your opinion.

1 All schools should be closed during the summer. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

2 Students should not have any homework. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

3 Chocolate chip cookies are the best kind of all cookies. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

4 A nonpoisonous snake makes a great pet. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

5 Dog owners should never let their dogs outside without being on a leash. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

6 We should have a Crazy Hat day at our school. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

7 Children should not eat any sugary foods. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

8 Children should not be allowed to watch more than one hour of TV a day. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

Justifying Opinions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 139 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2c

■ Read each statement. Then check whether you agree or disagree with the statement. Write the
reason for your opinion.

1 People in cars or trucks should not throw their trash out of the window. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

2 Everyone should recycle cans, glass, and paper. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

3 Each student should sing a solo in the school concert. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

4 Students should pick up litter around the school without being asked to help. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

5 Kids over age ten should take showers, not baths. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

6 Boys should all wear their hair short and girls should all wear their hair long. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

7 A thunderstorm is frightening. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

8 Earthquakes are not dangerous. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

Justifying Opinions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 140 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2d

■ Read each statement. Then check whether you agree or disagree with the statement. Write the
reason for your opinion.

1 Fisherman should not be allowed to use nets to catch fish. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

2 Students should be allowed to stay after school until 6:00 if they want to. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

3 No one should smoke cigarettes. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

4 No one should wear shoes on a beach by an ocean. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

5 Hiking is too hard to be fun. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

6 Teachers should not give grades for tests. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

7 It’s easy to give a speech to the whole class. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

8 Schools should have free bottled water for students instead of water fountains. † yes † no

Reason _________________________________________________________________________

Justifying Opinions
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 141 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Generalizing Skills

We are born with thinking ability but it takes most of us years to refine our skills in this
area. Maturation, exposure to a wide variety of situations, learning from others, reading,
school instruction, and personal reflection help us build and strengthen our thinking skills
with ever-increasing facility and efficiency.

One way to boost thinking skills is to focus on a specific subskill, such as predicting or
determining causes of situations. The previous chapters in this book each highlight such a
subskill. Mastering each of these subskills should boost your students’ ability to generalize
their learning to other situations. The goal of this chapter is to consciously apply previous
learning to new situations, including using appropriate vocabulary to describe the process
of reasoning to others. Many students will be able to answer the questions readily, but the
challenge is actually in explaining or justifying the thinking applied in order to answer a
question.

■ Introducing Generalizing Skills to Students

Present the situation pages in this chapter after your students have successfully completed
the previous chapters. If time permits, copy the Glossary (pages 176-179) for your stu-
dents and review the terms together. In most cases, you will want to break this list of
terms into shorter chunks for more thoughtful discussion and in-depth mastery of each
term. Some ways to break the Glossary into smaller chunks are listed below.

1 Whenever you can, mention the derivation or root meaning of the word.
For example, the root of the word clarify comes from Latin and means “clear.”

2 As you discuss a term, help your students to list all the variants of the word.
For example, for the word clarify, also list clarification, clarifying, and clarified.

3 Have your students hunt for synonyms (or antonyms) of a word, searching both
this Glossary and other resources (thesaurus, computer references, etc.). Where
words are somewhat but not exactly similar, help your students to clarify the
nuances that give each word a slightly different meaning. For example, consider
and analyze might be considered general synonyms, yet analyze implies more
intense scrutiny than consider.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 142 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Generalizing Skills, continued

4 Some words can be used concretely as well as abstractly. For example, you could demonstrate
how to compare an apple and an orange concretely; your students could see, smell, taste, and
touch the differences between the two fruits. Then you could talk about a more abstract use
of compare to consider how two common situations are the same, such as eating at home
and eating in school. Then you could lead students who have mastered these comparisons to
consider an even more abstract comparison between situations, such as welcoming a guest
at home and welcoming a new student in the class. How are those situations the same? What
do we expect of the greeters in each situation? What are the expectations for the guest or new
student?

As you present a situation page, encourage your students to apply their very best thinking skills
to consider the situation. Present and discuss at least two situation pages as a group to model
appropriate thinking and expressive language that includes students’ thinking processes.

Ask your students to describe what they see in the picture before they read the questions below.

• Who is in the picture?

• What do we know for sure just from looking at the picture?
• What do we think we know?
• What questions do we have?
• How would we describe the situation or the context of the picture?

Then review the questions with your students. Accept all logical responses as correct, especially
for questions involving personal preferences or opinions.

When your students work through these pages independently, have them write their answers on a
separate sheet of paper (written response) or have them give their answers to someone else orally.

For extra enrichment, have your students role-play some of the pictured situations in this chapter.
Encourage the characters to elaborate or modify the situations as they choose. For situations
involving just one person, ask a volunteer to be that person and have another student (or the rest
of the class) interview the character.

As your students become adept in interpreting and responding to these situation pages, give them
other pictures and ask partners or small groups of students to write their own situation descriptions
and questions. Then have them exchange pages with other groups and answer the questions.

Also take advantage of situations occurring naturally in your classroom or your community to help
your students strengthen their thinking skills. With your help, they will become skilled thinkers
and problem solvers for life!

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 143 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Task 1

These girls are sisters. Their mom is in the hospital with a broken leg. They are
making a get-well card for her.

1 How can you tell these girls are having fun making their card?

2 What did they need to think about before they made their card?

3 Why didn’t they just buy a card from a store?

4 What will they do with the card when it is finished?

5 The girls want to call their mom, but she doesn’t have her cell phone with her
in the hospital. The girls don’t know her room number. How could the girls
reach their mom by phone?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 144 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 2

1 What can you tell about this picture?

2 What might be inside the box?

3 Tell the steps for gift-wrapping a box.

4 When will someone open the present?

5 What might the person say when the gift has been unwrapped and opened?

6 Suppose the person already has exactly what this gift is. What could the person do?

7 Why do we wrap gifts?

8 If you didn’t have any gift bags or wrapping paper, what could you use to wrap a
present in a box?

9 Should people write a thank-you note for every gift? Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 145 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 3

This class has a substitute teacher today. The teacher is telling the class about their
assignment.

1 How do you know not all the students are paying attention to the teacher?

2 Kelsey is the girl with braided hair. Why do you think she isn’t paying attention to
the teacher?

3 What might the teacher say if Kelsey doesn’t start paying attention?

4 Kelsey is thinking about her problems at home. She is having trouble getting along
with her new stepmother. What could she do about this problem?

5 If something is bothering you at home, is it a good idea or a bad idea to let your
teacher know about it? Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 146 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 4

These kids just moved into this house.

1 What sport do these children like to play?

2 What steps do you take to break in a baseball glove?

3 Why wouldn’t you wear a baseball glove on each hand?

4 How will these kids make friends in their new neighborhood?

5 What will they do if none of their new friends likes to play baseball or catch?

6 Is it easy or hard to make new friends? Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 147 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 5

For his tenth birthday, Travis got his first pet – a German shepherd puppy.

1 How do you know this is a puppy?

2 What equipment will Travis need for his puppy?

3 The puppy lived with its mother and its sisters and brothers for the
first six weeks of its life. Today is its first day away from its family.
What can Travis do to make his puppy comfortable in its new home?

4 What things should Travis do to take good care of his puppy?

5 The puppy isn’t housebroken yet. What should Travis do if the puppy
makes a mess on the floor?

6 Should Travis be allowed to keep the puppy in his room overnight?

Explain your answer.

7 Would you like to have a puppy as your own pet? Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 148 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 6

Samantha loves ice skating. She practices hard and wants to be in the Olympics
someday. Yesterday she broke her arm.

1 How do you think Samantha broke her arm?

2 Why shouldn’t Samantha ice skate without her doctor’s permission?

3 What needs to happen before the cast can come off ?

4 Samantha is left-handed. What things will it be harder for her to do with a cast on?

5 How can Samantha do her work in school and her homework?

6 Would you like to train for an Olympic sport? Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 149 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 7

Curtis is in trouble. His teacher warned him to stay in his seat and pay attention,
but he kept talking to his neighbors and getting out of his seat.

1 How does Curtis feel? Explain how you know.

2 Why is Curtis being punished?

3 Why wasn’t Curtis surprised when his teacher sent him out into the hall?

4 What will Curtis tell his teacher when she comes out to talk to him?

5 How could Curtis make himself pay better attention?

6 Is sitting on the floor in the hall a good way to punish students who misbehave?
Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 150 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 8

These are students in a school in Mexico. They want to have pen pals in the
United States.

1 How do you know these students know each other?

2 What steps could they take to find pen pals in the United States?

3 Why don’t they want pen pals from another class in their school?

4 What will they write in their first letters to their pen pals?

5 How will they know if their pen pals got their letters?

6 Would you like to have a pen pal in a different country? Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 151 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 9

Keesha’s best friend has just moved to another town far away.

1 How do you think Keesha feels? Explain your answer.

2 What do you think Keesha told her friend before she moved away?

3 What will Keesha do to keep in touch with her friend?

4 What makes a friend a “best friend”?

5 How could Keesha find another best friend?

6 When a good friend moves away, is it important to stay in touch?

Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 152 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 10

Nolan loves to read. He is in his local library. He came to the library with his mom,
but he doesn’t know where she is right now.

1 Why might Nolan not be able to see his mom right now?

2 Why do you think Nolan and his mom didn’t stay together at the library?

3 What should Nolan do? Explain your answer.

4 Who could help Nolan find his mom?

5 How could Nolan and his mom have avoided having to look for each other?

6 Nolan wants to check a couple books out of the library, but he forgot his library card.
What could he do?

7 The library will close in 20 minutes. What should Nolan do if he can’t find his mom
before the library closes?

8 Why shouldn’t Nolan just walk home without finding his mom first?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 153 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 11

This is Chase. He is having a talk with his dad.

1 How do you think Chase feels?

2 How can you tell how Chase feels?

3 What might the dad be saying to Chase?

4 Why do you think Chase is covering his ears?

5 Chase had a fight with a classmate at school. He broke the classmate’s nose.
His dad is telling Chase he will be punished. Do you think Chase should be
punished? Explain your answer.

6 Chase got into a fight because he was angry. What could Chase have done
to avoid getting into a fight?

7 Chase doesn’t think his dad is being fair. What could Chase say to his dad?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 154 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 12

Kim and Jasmine are cousins. Today they are blowing bubbles in Jasmine’s backyard.

1 What do you need to blow bubbles?

2 Is it better to blow bubbles inside or outside? Explain your answer.

3 Why is it hard to catch bubbles?

4 Why shouldn’t Kim or Jasmine taste the bubble liquid?

5 Jasmine and Kim are supposed to play outside while Jasmine’s little brother
takes his nap. What could they do in the backyard besides blow bubbles?

6 Why wouldn’t it be a good idea to go inside to get a snack?

7 Should older children have to be quiet while young children take naps?
Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 155 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 13

Trey is at a movie with his family. His family is sitting many rows behind him.
Trey wanted to be right up front.

1 Why do you think Trey wanted to sit way down in front?

2 Why do you think Trey’s family didn’t want to sit so close to the movie?

3 How do you think Trey will find his family when the movie is over?

4 Where do you like to sit in a movie theater? Explain why.

5 Would you rather watch a movie in a theater by yourself or with someone else?
Explain your answer.

6 What shouldn’t you do while you watch a movie in a theater?

7 Is it better to watch a movie in a theater or at home on the TV?

Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 156 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 14

Andy is visiting his grandpa. His grandpa is getting old and has been very
sick. He has trouble hearing these days. Andy is worried about his grandpa.

1 Why is Andy worried about his grandpa?

2 How could Andy find out how sick his grandpa is?

3 How could Andy make it easier for his grandpa to hear him when he talks?

4 What could Andy do to make his grandpa happy?

5 Andy’s grandpa will need an operation soon. What could Andy do to

remind his grandpa he is thinking about him while he is in the hospital?

6 The hospital doesn’t allow children younger than eight to visit patients.
Do you think that’s a good rule? Explain your answer.

7 What are some things you can do to be nice to older people?

8 What do you think older people should do to be nice to children?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 157 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 15

Bryce is at the breakfast table in his kitchen.

1 Bryce tried to tell his family about a dream he had last night, but no one was interested.
How do you think that made Bryce feel?

2 How do you know Bryce’s dad isn’t interested in a conversation right now?

3 If Bryce’s family doesn’t want to hear about his dream right now, does that mean they
don’t care about him? Explain your answer.

4 How do you know if it’s a good time to tell someone what you’re thinking about?

5 If Bryce’s family doesn’t want to hear about his dream right now, what could they do
or say to let Bryce know they still care about him?

6 Bryce was hungry when he got to the table, but he hasn’t eaten much and now he’s
lost his appetite. Why do you think he isn’t hungry anymore?

7 If you were Bryce’s friend, what would you do or say to make him feel better?

8 Bryce is in a bad mood now. What could he do or think about to make himself happy
again and ready to be with his friends at school?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 158 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 16

Kelsey is sleeping on her desk.

1 How do we know Kelsey is sleeping?

2 Why might Kelsey be sleeping?

3 Kelsey has a cold. The medicine she takes makes her sleepy.
Why should Kelsey be sure her teacher knows about the cold medicine?

4 Is it a good idea to sleep on your desk in your class? Explain your answer.

5 If Kelsey wakes up and doesn’t feel well enough to pay attention, what
should she do?

6 Why do you think Kelsey didn’t stay home from school today?

7 What are some reasons to stay home when you are sick?

8 Do you think the boy sitting behind Kelsey should wake her up?
Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 159 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 17

These children are excited about their new place to play. The city just added new
playground equipment to the park across the street from their apartment.

1 Why do cities have parks?

2 Why don’t all parks have the same playground equipment?

3 What playground equipment should most parks for children have?

4 What are some good safety rules about playing on playground equipment?

5 Should children be allowed to play at a playground without being supervised

by an adult? Explain your answer.

6 Who should take care of any litter on a playground? Explain your answer.

7 Why is it a good idea to wear comfortable clothing at a playground?

8 What would you suggest to make your school playground more fun?
Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 160 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 18

Ali and Kassim raked the leaves in their yard. Then they played in the pile of leaves.
While they were playing, Ali lost his watch.

1 What do you think Ali and Kassim are doing?

2 What plan could they make to be sure they search in a smart way for Ali’s watch?

3 What would you do to help them if you were there?

4 What might help them find the watch besides just using their hands?

5 If they find the watch, how will Ali know if it still works?

6 What might be a reason Ali’s watch came off his wrist?

7 What might happen if one of them steps on the watch by mistake?

8 What should they do if they can’t find the watch before it gets dark?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 161 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 19

Mariska is coming home from school. She is from Russia and her family just moved
to the U.S.A.

1 Mariska doesn’t speak or understand much English. What might be hard for her
at school?

2 What are some good ways Mariska could learn English?

3 Mariska’s teacher doesn’t speak Russian. How can the teacher and Mariska try to
understand each other?

4 What could Mariska’s classmates do to help her understand what to do?

5 How could Mariska’s classmates make friends with her?

6 Mariska loves to draw pictures. She’s very good at drawing. How could she use
her drawing skills to help people understand her?

7 Should all students who move to the U.S. from another country learn to speak
English? Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 162 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 20

James and his dad are fishing.

1 How do we know they are fishing?

2 Where are good places to catch fish?

3 What do you think they are using for bait?

4 What will they do if they catch a fish?

5 Why don’t they each have a fishing pole?

6 Is it fun to go fishing? Explain your answer.

7 Why do people have to have a fishing license to fish in some places?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 163 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 21

These boys are working with their speech-language therapist. They are both hard
of hearing.

1 What does it mean to be hard of hearing?

2 Why might these boys and their teacher be wearing earphones with microphones?

3 If you had trouble hearing from the time you were born, what might be difficult
for you about a classroom?

4 What do you do in your classroom when you don’t hear something well enough
to understand it?

5 If these boys were in your classroom, what could you do to help them?

6 Where would be a good place for these boys to sit in your classroom? Explain
your answer.

7 What could your teacher do to make sure these boys understood what she says?

8 Would it be a good idea for these boys to be on a soccer team? Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 164 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 22

Ky is practicing his soccer skills.

1 What are some skills Ky might be working on for soccer?

2 Why do people need to practice a sport if they can already play it?

3 Why doesn’t Ky need teammates to improve his soccer skills?

4 Besides practicing his kicking and dribbling skills, what can Ky do to make sure
he stays well so he can keep playing soccer?

5 How could a soccer coach help Ky play better soccer?

6 What could Ky learn from his teammates to become a better player?

7 Which is more important, practicing to improve your sports skills or doing your
homework? Explain your answer.

8 Ky wants to be a professional soccer player someday. What should he do to try

to reach his goal?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 165 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 23

Amber and Mia are best friends. They live in the same apartment building. They see
each other every day.

1 Amber and Mia are not in the same class. How do they see each other every day?

2 Why do you think they might be best friends?

3 Why can’t they always be in the same class at school?

4 Sometimes Amber and Mia share their secrets with each other. How do they know
their secrets are safe with each other?

5 What might happen if they told their secrets to other people?

6 Amber and Mia want to earn money. Would it be a good idea for them to baby-sit
a neighbor’s four-year-old together?

7 How could the girls decide what to charge for baby-sitting?

8 What would be a good way for you to earn money with a friend?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 166 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 24

This is a family picture of the Jordans.

1 Where might this family be?

2 What season of the year is it? Explain how you know.

3 What did the family need to do before the photographer snapped the picture?

4 Why aren’t the parents wearing hats?

5 The family ordered a large print of their picture. What do you think they will
do with it?

6 One of the boys thinks he looks weird in the picture. He doesn’t want any of
his friends to see it. What could he tell his parents?

7 Would you like be in a picture of your family that lots of people would see?
Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 167 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 25

These kids are posing for a photographer. The photographer wants their pictures for a
catalog that sells kids’ clothing.

1 How do you know these kids are not standing on the ground?

2 What emotions or feelings do you think they are trying to show?

3 What do you notice about their clothing?

4 The photographer has taken 15 shots of these kids jumping. Why do you think the
photographer took so many shots when he only needed one shot of them jumping?

5 Why do these models need to do what the photographer tells them to do?

6 What shouldn’t they do while they are posing for the photographer?

7 How do the models know if their faces look happy?

8 Would you like to model children’s clothing for a catalog photographer? Explain
your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 168 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 26

This is a tarantula. The science teacher brought it to show his students in class.

1 What is the tarantula crawling across?

2 How big do you think this tarantula is?

3 What would you need so you could measure this tarantula?

4 Why wouldn’t you give someone a tarantula as a pet?

5 What would this tarantula do if you put it on the floor or the ground?

6 What might make a tarantula bite someone?

7 The science teacher wants each student to write a report about tarantulas.
How could the students find good information for their reports?

8 Should the teacher make each student hold the tarantula? Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 169 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 27

Luke and his family are on vacation. They are staying in a cabin on a lake.

1 Luke is sitting on a rock near the edge of the water. How does he know the waves
won’t get him wet?

2 What kinds of animals might Luke see in the shallow water?

3 Luke misses his friends at home. There is no one his age to play with here at the
lake. What are some things Luke could do without his friends?

4 Luke wants to write a letter to his best friend. What will he need to write and mail
the letter?

5 What is another way Luke could stay in touch with his friend at home?

6 There are lots of games inside the cabin. How could Luke find someone to play
a game with him?

7 Luke knew there wouldn’t be any kids his age at the lake. What could he have
brought with him to keep from getting bored?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 170 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 28

Ramon is at the community pool. He loves being in the water, but he doesn’t know
how to swim.

1 Why do you think Ramon doesn’t know how to swim?

2 How could he learn how to swim?

3 Why should he stay in the shallow end of the pool until he learns how to swim?
Explain your answer.

4 All of Ramon’s friends are good swimmers already. How do you think Ramon
feels about that?

5 Ramon doesn’t want his friends to know he can’t swim. He pretends he needs
to stay in the shallow part of the pool to watch out for his younger brother.
Is that a good idea? Explain your answer.

6 Should Ramon admit to his friends that he doesn’t know how to swim?
Explain your answer.

7 Who could help Ramon learn how to swim?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 171 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 29

This is an ambulance helicopter.

1 What do you think an ambulance helicopter does?

2 How does the pilot of an ambulance helicopter know where she needs to go and when?

3 Where does an ambulance helicopter take patients?

4 What kinds of equipment do you think would be inside an ambulance helicopter?

5 Which would travel 60 miles faster, an ambulance or an ambulance helicopter?

Explain your answer.

6 Why doesn’t an ambulance helicopter need to use a siren?

7 What kind of space does the ambulance helicopter need in order to land?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 172 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 30

Josh is taking notes from his science book.

1 Why do students sometimes take notes about what they read?

2 How can students use their notes to study for a test?

3 Sometimes Josh writes too fast and his handwriting is sloppy.

Why could that be a problem?

4 Why do you think Josh isn’t writing with ink instead of pencil?

5 Why doesn’t Josh just use a computer instead of writing by hand?

6 Should all students have computers at their desks? Explain your answer.

7 Josh really likes science. What are some ways he could learn more
about science outside of school?

8 What kinds of jobs are good for people who really like science?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 173 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 31

Tommy’s dad wants him to be more active in sports. He bought Tommy a baseball
glove and he asks Tommy to play catch with him every evening after supper.
Tommy plays with him sometimes, but he doesn’t enjoy it. He’d rather read a book.

1 Why do you think Tommy’s dad wants him to be more active in sports?

2 Why do you think Tommy doesn’t care for sports?

3 Why does Tommy play catch with his dad sometimes, even if he doesn’t enjoy it?

4 Should Tommy play more sports to please his dad? Explain your answer.

5 Should Tommy explain to his dad how he feels about sports? Explain your answer.

6 Why do many parents give their children advice about what to do or learn?

7 Why don’t children always enjoy the same things their parents do?

8 What do you hope your children would enjoy doing? Explain your answer.

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 174 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Task 32

These students are in the library. Their teacher told them to work together on their
science project.

1 These students are in the same class, but they aren’t friends. Should they tell
the teacher they don’t want to work together? Explain your answer.

2 They have a list of books and internet sources to look at for their project.
What could they do to make the most of their time?

3 What would be a good way for them to share what they find out with each other?

4 Would taking notes about what they each read be helpful? Explain your answer.

5 How could they decide which one of them will do the written report?

6 How could they decide how to present their science project to the class?

7 If they don’t have enough time to do their project during school, what could they do?

8 How will the teacher know that these students worked well together even if they
aren’t friends?

Generalizing Skills
Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 175 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.
 Glossary

accuracy correctness

accurate correct, on target

action movement, something you do

adapt to change something to make it work for you

advice suggestions to someone about what to do about a situation

alternatives possible choices or options for solving a problem

analyze to think about the parts or features of something to help you

understand how it works

angles different ways to analyze a task or a problem

apply to use

appropriate suitable, fitting

assess to take a close look at something and analyze it

assume to believe something is true, even when you don’t know all the facts

assumption information you believe to be true without any evidence

attitude your way of looking at situations or how you feel about something

behavior what you do, your actions

belief something you think is true; your idea or opinion

brainstorm to let your brain think of all the new ideas or alternatives to solve
a problem or do something

cause the reason something happened, what made something happen

choice something you choose; an option

classify to organize things into groups

clarify to explain

comfort zone an area in which you are sure of your actions and thoughts; the
physical distance a person likes to maintain without people coming
any closer

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 176 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Glossary, continued

compare to examine two things and determine how they are alike

compromise to make adjustments in what you want in order to reach agreement

with someone

conclusion a final judgment after you have considered all the evidence and ideas

consensus agreement among a group of people

consequence what happened or would happen as a result of an action

consider examine, think about

constructive criticism helpful suggestions to improve something

contrast to examine two things to determine how they are different

cooperate to work well with someone

creativity the ability to use your brain to think of new ideas or ways to do things

criteria a rule or standard to evaluate or test something

current situation what is happening now

describe to represent something in words, to paint a mental picture

effective helpful, successful

efficiency effectiveness

elaborate to expand upon what someone says

empathy to feel what it’s like to be in someone else’s situation, to understand what
someone else thinks and feels

environment everything around you

evaluate to examine solutions or options to determine the best one, to reflect on

how effective a solution to a problem was

evaluation a critical examination of something to see if it meets the criteria

evidence facts, proof

execution the carrying out of a plan of action

experiences actions you have taken or things that have happened to you

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 177 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Glossary, continued

explain to describe how or why something works or is true

feedback a response to what someone does or says

flexible willing and able to change your thoughts and attitudes

form an opinion to decide your view or attitude about an issue

generalize to learn something and then apply it to similar situations or ideas

hypotheses a thoughtful guess or theory about an idea or behavior you want to test

identify to point out or recognize something

imagine to form a picture in your mind, to pretend or daydream

impulsive acting or speaking without considering the consequences first

inappropriate not correct or acceptable

ineffective unhelpful or useless

inflexible unwilling to adapt your thoughts based on new or additional information

investigate to search for evidence, causes, or information

issues problems or situations, topics to think about

justify to explain why you made a decision, took an action, or hold an opinion

language a communication system shared by a group

memorize to rehearse something well enough to remember it without any help

modify to change a plan, idea, or solution

monitor to keep track of progress or actions

motivate to encourage, to give yourself or someone else a reason to do something

objectives actions to take to achieve a specific goal

open-minded flexible, willing to consider new ideas or opinions

opinion what you believe or feel about an issue

option a choice or alternative to solve a problem or take an action

organize to arrange things thoughtfully and logically

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 178 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Glossary, continued

original novel, creative, not copied or imitated

paraphrase to restate a message in different words

perspective a person’s point of view about an issue or a situation

persuade to coax or encourage someone to do something or to change an opinion

plan sequenced steps to follow to achieve a goal

possibilities things that could happen or could be accomplished

precise exact

predict to guess what will happen or the consequence of an action

preference something you prefer over other choices

problem a challenge to solve

reason why something happened; cause

resources tools to provide information or assistance for a project or a problem

restate to paraphrase or repeat what someone said

role model someone you respect and would like to be like

sensitive aware of other people’s thoughts and feelings

sequence to arrange things in a logical order

similarities ways things or ideas are alike

solutions ways to solve or answer problems

strategy a plan to complete an objective, a job, or a plan of action

summarize to repeat information briefly, keeping the main ideas and leaving out the details

thinking patterns habits in ways of thinking about things or ideas

thought an idea

visualize to picture in your mind how something looks or how something would happen

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 179 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 References

• Armbruster, B.B., Lehr, F., and Osborn, J. (2001). Put Reading First: The Research Building
Blocks for Teaching Children to Read—Kindergarten Through Third Grade. Washington,
D.C.: The Partnership for Reading.

• Armstrong, T. (2003). The Multiple Intelligences of Reading and Writing. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

• Bowers, L., Huisingh, R., and LoGiudice, C. (2005). TOPS 3: Elementary. East Moline, IL:
LinguiSystems, Inc.

• Bowers, L., Huisingh, R., LoGiudice, C., and Orman, J. (2003). No Glamour Language &
Reasoning. East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems, Inc.

• Bowers, L., Huisingh, R., LoGiudice, C., Johnson, P., and Orman, J. (2005). Spotlight on
Reading Comprehension: Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions. East Moline, IL:
LinguiSystems, Inc.

• Costa, A.L. (1991). Teaching for Intelligent Behavior: Outstanding Strategies for
Strengthening Your Students’ Thinking Skills (workshop resource handbook).
Bellevue, WA: Bureau of Educational Research.

• Davis, K.C. (2001). Don’t Know Much About Planet Earth. New York, NY:
Harper Collins Publishers.

• Halfman, P. (2001). 100% Language: Activities for Language Comprehension—

Primary and Intermediate. East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems, Inc.

• Harlow, R. and Morgan, G. (1991). 175 Amazing Nature Experiments. New York, NY:
Random House.

• Huisingh, C. and Huisingh, R. (2003). Science Trek: A Reading Comprehension Game.

East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems, Inc.

• Huisingh, R., Bowers, L., Johnson, P., LoGiudice, C., and Orman, J. (2003).
Story Comprehension To Go. East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems, Inc.

• Parry, T. and Gregory, G. (1998). Designing Brain-compatible Learning. Arlington Heights,

IL: SkyLight Professional Development.

• Petreshene, S.S. (1994). Brain Teasers! West Nyack, New York: The Center for Applied
Research in Education.

• Tagholm, S. (2001). The Complete Book of the Night: Wonder, Workers and Wildlife.
Kingfisher, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 180 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Answer Key

■ General Information Page 13 Page 17

1. under his bed 1. A taxi driver
Page 9 2. behind the bookcase 2. A server
1. cereal 3. on the counter 3. A clown
2. the bus 4. on each corner 4. An author
3. a book 5. in the middle of the next block 5. A mail carrier
4. his bike 6. in the dairy case 6. A police officer
5. a new collar 7. at the back of the apartment 7. A firefighter
6. A stapler 8. at the top of the stairs 8. The principal
7. crayons 9. on the floor 9. An artist
8. some medicine 10. in the library 10. A doctor
9. An ocean 11. In the tall grass 11. A mechanic
10. some garbage bags 12. near the North Pole 12. A teacher
11. The music 13. on plants 13. A veterinarian
14. underground
Page 10 15. On her foot Page 18
1. H 7. K 1. G 7. A
2. F 8. A Page 14 2. E 8. C
3. G 9. J 1. I 7. A 3. J 9. K
4. E 10. D 2. G 8. J 4. I 10. F
5. I 11. C 3. H 9. K 5. B 11. D
6. B 4. E 10. D 6. H
5. C 11. B
Page 11 6. F Page 19
1. the mirror 1. a crossing guard
2. basketball Page 15 2. an electrician
3. stop 1. in a grocery store 3. a salesperson
4. red 2. at an airport, on a runway 4. carpenters
5. a square, a rectangle 3. at a post office 5. firefighters
6. bristles, handles 4. on a farm 6. astronauts
7. keys 5. in a city 7. a photographer
8. 8 6. at a repair shop/mechanic’s/ 8. the comedien
9. Q gas station 9. the librarian
10. Answers will vary. 7. in a school 10. a police officer
11. 1 + 6, 2 + 5, 3 + 4, 7 + 0 8. below a building, in the ground 11. an architect
9. in the sky, in space 12. the painter
Page 12 10. by an ocean/lake
1. They float. 11. on a stage Page 20
2. They have motors/engines. 1. his mom
3. peel/skin Page 16 2. a nurse
4. socks and basketball shoes 1. on a field trip 3. a police officer
5. handles 2. in an ice-cream shop/a restaurant 4. Jessica
6. pairs 3. in a grocery store 5. Paige
7. sunflowers and watermelons 4. in the oven 6. Ms. Holt
8. separating traffic lanes 5. in their classrooms 7. the children
9. dust 6. at the end 8. a zookeeper
7. at an airport 9. the ambulance driver
8. on a tree 10. Jenny’s dad
9. in a hospital/at a medical clinic 11. some women
12. the fisherman
13. the hikers

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 181 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Answer Key, continued

Page 21 8. When he flipped the light switch, he Page 34

1. at 8:00 in the morning heard a pop and then the light went out. 1. Bees are chasing the girls.
2. at noon 9. Her key didn’t work. 2. The dog chewed up a sock.
3. yesterday 10. He got him tickets to the game.
4. every Saturday 11. He put on football gear. Page 35
5. at the end of the play 1. The boys are fighting over a ball.
6. when he swims underwater Page 26 2. Food dropped on her clothes.
7. last summer 1. lonesome
8. when their dad left 2. thrilled Page 36
9. after every meal 3. in order by month 1. The kids in masks are scaring a
10. when the gauge was on empty 4. three little boy.
11. last week 5. as a fort 2. The boy is sick.
6. They are all blue.
Page 22 7. 31 Page 37
1. from 9:00 last night to 10:00 8. 75¢ 1. The bird popped a balloon.
this morning 9. 12 2. One dog is running away.
2. every four hours 10. He passed his test.
3. after school today 11. She used a bookmark. Page 38
4. at 2:00 on Tuesday 1. The guitar’s handle is broken.
5. at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday Page 27 2. A tornado is coming.
6. at 7:00 p.m. 1. It was very cold.
7. at midnight 2. He needed a haircut. Page 39
8. yesterday 3. to see his new baby sister 1. Morgan needs an eraser to erase
9. this Saturday 4. to protect his hands from the cold food her mistake.
10. as soon as Dad gets here 5. because it was faster 2. The water is cloudy and it’s making
11. when Grandma rocks him 6. so she wouldn’t wake the children the fish sick.
7. so she could go to the movie 3. They disagree about what to buy
Page 23 8. because he had a hole in his pocket for dinner.
1. She held her arms out. 9. to protect her hands from the hot dish 4. It is past the milk’s “Use by” date,
2. together so the milk might be sour.
3. You wear layers of clothing. Page 28 5. They want to watch different shows.
4. She changed the first letter. 1. J 6. I 6. Greg’s feet have grown too big
5. He wrote X’s on them. 2. E 7. B for his old sandals.
6. He took the bus. 3. D 8. C 7. The watering can is leaking.
7. She cut it in half. 4. H 9. A 8. The tooth fell out of his pocket.
8. She listened to the weather report. 5. G 10. F
9. with its claws Page 40
10. by its tail 1. Erin doesn’t have a baby-sitter.
■ Identifying Problems Grandma might be sick.
Page 24 2. One student can’t go on the trip
1. F 6. B Page 31 without a permission slip.
2. H 7. D 1. A girl is tracking mud on the floor. 3. He can’t see the board well enough
3. G 8. E 2. The curtain is on fire. to read the writing.
4. C 9. J 4. The buses can’t park in their space
5. I 10. A Page 32 until the truck is gone.
1. The boy knocked over the milk. 5. She got ink on her white skirt.
Page 25 2. The girl is about to trip over the It is stained.
1. for over a minute toy car. 6. Tony and Mandy are allergic to
2. $30 peanuts, so they can’t have any
3. slowly Page 33 cookies.
4. She put them in the dryer. 1. A boy is messing up the cake’s 7. He won’t finish the test. He won’t
5. dark frosting. do well on the test.
6. so hot, it was hard to breathe 2. A dog is digging up flowers. 8. They will be sunburned.
7. by reading the ad

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 182 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Answer Key, continued

■ Determining Causes Page 47 8. They can get food in stores without

1. The temperature is cooler than in hunting or traveling.
Page 43 the daytime.
1. Someone dumped trash into the water. 2. The owl’s eyes are so large, they
2. It rained. cannot move from side-to-side or ■ Sequencing
3. The address was wrong or incomplete. up and down.
There was no stamp on it. 3. It protects them from getting injured Page 56
4. Some food burned in the oven or on sharp things they creep over. 1. 4 7. backpack
on the stove. 2. 2 8. chairs
5. All the empty carts were taken outside. Page 48 3. 1 9. pencils
There were as many shoppers as there 1. That is when they get the best view 4. 6 10. books
were carts. of space. 5. 5 11. markers
6. There was an accident. There is 2. The earth is getting warmer because 6. 3 12. crayons
construction going on. carbon dioxide and other gases
7. She hadn’t eaten for a while. stay in our atmosphere and make page 57
8. He didn’t set his alarm. No one the temperature rise. beauty curve lemon race
woke him up. 3. Animals had attacked the trash cans burrow ladder oak radish
and made a mess. butter land once raisin
Page 44 cause leaf only soap
1. A; Lightning can hit a tree and start Page 49 cave learn paper surely
a fire. 1. They wanted to plan their schedule
2. B; A puppy wouldn’t knock a chair and know where to go. Page 58
over. 2. a big earthquake under the ocean 1. A, C, D, F
3. A; A detour is common for roadwork. 3. Summer is in December and January 2. B, C, D
4. B; Dye from dark towels could spread in the Southern Hemisphere. 3. B, D, F
to white sheets in the laundry. 4. There would be bugs in the woods. 4. A, B, D, E, F, G
5. A; She would remember if she gave 5. Growth hormones make children
her watch away. grow while they sleep. Page 59
6. The dream catchers will protect the Answers will vary.
Page 45 baby from bad dreams.
1. She needed milk at home. 7. The glass in them shines when light Page 60
2. The dog heard or smelled something hits it. Answers will vary.
in the garage.
3. It was Sunday or a holiday. Page 50 Page 61
4. She hurt her leg during practice. 1. They were getting ready for a
performance or a speech.
A B C

5. She corrected her mistakes.

6. His bike was stolen or he forgot it. 2. She was making a salad. 1

7. She said her lines well. 3. They needed water.

8. His leg needed to get stronger before 4. The cans were too heavy for the shelf.
he walked on it without support. 5. A thunderstorm was happening. 2

6. The owners were away.

Page 46 7. The water was contaminated.
1. Adding water to stale bread made 8. The bucket leaked. 3

the fungi grow.

2. The plants weren’t watered during Page 51
the break. 1. He was tired or sick. 4

3. She studied well. 2. to protect her hand from the hot

4. The woodpecker pecked on a tree. cookie sheet
5. The hurricane made it unsafe to 3. There was a volcanic eruption nearby.
land in Miami. 4. The paint is keeping her hair stuck Page 62
6. He thought she would like it for together. 1. c – last, d – first
her birthday. 5. Heat makes rocks melt. 2. b – first, c – last
7. Shavona had been out of school 6. It ate marshmallows. 3. b – last, c – first
while she was sick. 7. People don’t wash their hands, so they
spread germs on whatever they touch.

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 Answer Key, continued

Page 63 Page 76 Page 80

1. C 3. A 1. doesn’t, Answers will vary. 1. wouldn’t, Answers will vary.
2. B 4. C 2. can’t, Answers will vary. 2. don’t, Answers will vary.
3. isn’t, Answers will vary. 3. wouldn’t, Answers will vary.
Page 64 4. isn’t, Answers will vary. 4. don’t, Answers will vary.
1. A 3. B 5. isn’t, Answers will vary. 5. wouldn’t, Answers will vary.
2. B 4. C 6. shouldn’t, Answers will vary. 6. wouldn’t, Answers will vary.
7. doesn’t, Answers will vary. 7. shouldn’t, Answers will vary.
Page 65 8. doesn’t, Answers will vary. 8. wouldn’t, Answers will vary.
1. B 9. isn’t, Answers will vary. 9. don’t, Answers will vary.
2. B 10. can’t, Answers will vary. 10. don’t, Answers will vary.
3. A
Page 77 Page 81
Page 66 1. isn’t, Answers will vary. 1. can’t, They don’t have wings.
1. C 2. doesn’t, Answers will vary. 2. can’t, You only smell things with
2. A 3. doesn’t, Answers will vary. your nose.
3. B 4. shouldn’t, Answers will vary. 3. isn’t, Candy has lots of sugar, which
5. isn’t, Answers will vary. can give you cavities.
Page 67 6. isn’t, Answers will vary. 4. doesn’t, Metal must be much hotter
1. B 7. isn’t, Answers will vary. than hot chocolate to melt.
2. A 8. doesn’t, Answers will vary. 5. can’t, Only a female/hen can lay eggs.
3. A 9. doesn’t, Answers will vary. 6. doesn’t, Snow melts when it gets
10. isn’t, Answers will vary. warm enough.
Page 68 7. can’t, Many people don’t have good
1. B 5. B Page 78 balance or don’t practice.
2. A 6. B 1. shouldn’t, Answers will vary. 8. can’t, You need legs to hop; a snake
3. B 7. B 2. shouldn’t, Answers will vary. has no legs.
4. A 3. wouldn’t, Answers will vary. 9. can’t, There is no joint between your
4. wouldn’t, Answers will vary. wrist and your elbow.
Page 69 5. couldn’t, Answers will vary. 10. can’t, One hand is more dominant
1. A 5. A 6. can’t, Answers will vary. than the other.
2. A 6. B 7. shouldn’t, Answers will vary.
3. B 7. A 8. shouldn’t, Answers will vary. Page 82
4. A 9. can’t, Answers will vary. 1. didn’t, They were in a waterproof tent.
10. couldn’t, Answers will vary. 2. don’t, The sun isn’t shining.
Page 70 3. shouldn’t, The train might hit us.
Answers will vary. Page 79 4. isn’t, Some people work at night.
1. can’t, Answers will vary. 5. shouldn’t, Bears are wild animals.
2. shouldn’t, Answers will vary. They could hurt you.
■ Negative Questions 3. shouldn’t, Answers will vary. 6. hasn’t, It is still in the mail.
4. shouldn’t, Answers will vary. 7. shouldn’t, It would leak ink in
Page 75 5. shouldn’t, Answers will vary. your pocket.
1. What didn’t you eat for breakfast? 6. wouldn’t, Answers will vary. 8. can’t, It needs power to run.
2. Who has not had a turn already? 7. wouldn’t, Answers will vary. 9. shouldn’t, You are sick and might
3. Where wouldn’t you look for your hat? 8. wouldn’t, Answers will vary. spread your germs.
4. Why didn’t she need a microphone? 9. shouldn’t, Answers will vary. 10. aren’t, Chicago isn’t a state.
5. When can’t you watch TV? 10. wouldn’t, Answers will vary.
6. Why doesn’t this taste sweet?
7. Who doesn’t have a blue marker?
8. When didn’t you wear glasses?
9. Who didn’t make that noise?
10. Didn’t you get my note?

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 184 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Answer Key, continued

Page 83 Page 86 ■ Predicting

1. can’t, It’s in a cast. 1. shouldn’t, It might bite you.
2. shouldn’t, He might swallow the gum. 2. shouldn’t, Your fine will get bigger. Page 92
3. shouldn’t, It’s too hot. It might burn 3. can’t, It is not allowed. 1. B 3. A
his mouth. 4. shouldn’t, It’s rude and you would 2. C 4. C
4. shouldn’t, The onion juice would be blocking the doorway.
irritate her eyes even more. 5. shouldn’t, Other people couldn’t Page 93
5. shouldn’t, People could get stuck. hear the movie. 1. A 4. B
Teachers need to know where their 6. shouldn’t, That could break the 2. B 5. C
students are. It could cause chaos. phone and wouldn’t help you call 3. A 6. C
6. shouldn’t, You would miss what the your friend.
class is learning. 7. shouldn’t, It could hurt your eyes. Page 94
7. shouldn’t, Lightning might hit the 8. wouldn’t, It’s too cold outside. 1. A 4. B
water. You could get electrocuted. 2. B 5. C
8. shouldn’t, It would take too long. Page 87 3. C 6. A
A tape measure would be faster. 1. E 9. P
9. shouldn’t, His ankle needs to heal. 2. I 10. B Page 95
3. G 11. M 1. He will blow out the candles.
Page 84 4. K 12. J 2. She will brush her teeth.
1. shouldn’t, No one could read the 5. D 13. A
second page. 6. H 14. F Page 96
2. shouldn’t, You could start a fire. 7. N 15. L 1. He will drink from the fountain.
3. shouldn’t, You could be kidnapped. 8. O 16. C 2. Puff will escape.
4. shouldn’t, The other person might
want dessert. You already had Page 88 Page 97
a dessert. 1. He had studied well. 1. It will freeze.
5. shouldn’t, It might hurt your 2. math facts 2. They will wash away.
friend’s feelings. 3. She was worried she might not do well.
6. shouldn’t, You shouldn’t waste the 4. She’s the teacher. Page 98
peanut butter in the old jar. Use it first 5. There was a time limit. 1. They will buckle their seatbelts.
because it won’t be fresh as long as a 2. She will put ice cream into the cone.
newer jar. Page 89
7. shouldn’t, You could step on glass 1. A game has only one winner. Page 99
and cut your feet. 2. They were playing soccer. 1. It will fly.
8. shouldn’t, Rain might come through 3. There was a thunderstorm. 2. They will put their fishing lines into
the window. 4. The fans would have to wait too long the water.
9. shouldn’t, Milk shakes are made of for the game to start.
milk and ice cream, which are dairy 5. Lightning could strike them. Page 100
products. 1. She will cry.
Page 90 2. He will dry off with a towel.
Page 85 1. They didn’t live near a desert. 3. She will put groceries into her cart.
1. isn’t, Something else is going on. 2. They could learn as well as a group. 4. He will fix a sandwich.
2. wouldn’t, It is valuable. 3. Sand could get in their eyes. 5. It will get stuck in the web.
3. isn’t, It’s not a school day. 4. They didn’t need heat for the 6. They will hatch.
4. wouldn’t, You wouldn’t want experiment. 7. It will fade away and it will be
someone else’s germs. 5. It would blow the sand too hard. dark outside.
5. shouldn’t, They might break. 8. She will check out her books.
The parents would be upset.
6. shouldn’t, The stranger could
hurt you or kidnap you.
7. shouldn’t, It isn’t nice to make
fun of someone doing his best.
8. shouldn’t, The ranger could search
for you if you got lost or didn’t
come back in time.

Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 185 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.

 Answer Key, continued

Page 101 Page 109 Page 116

1. He will push a button on the camera 1. You might get sunburned. 1. He will avoid junk food and foods
to take a picture. 2. You might need another pencil or high in fat or sugar because they
2. She will recharge her battery. need to sharpen the one you have. don’t keep you healthy.
3. They will exchange valentines. 3. The friend might be mad and 2. It got hotter because people wanted
4. Someone will throw it away. embarrassed. lighter clothing.
5. Someone will take the mail out 4. It might get sick or die. 3. You might get an insect bite because
to open it and read it. 5. You might not learn. You might insects are attracted to yellow.
6. They will grow into plants. have to stay after school. 4. She is baking/cooking because she
7. It will get a cast on it. 6. You might get a rash. turned on a timer and set the baking
8. It will be pink. 7. Someone might take it. temperature.
8. You might not know what to do 5. She might eat spinach or broccoli
Page 102 for the lesson. because they are dark green vegetables.
1. A, B 4. A, B 6. The babies are bigger now, and the
2. A, B 5. A, B, C Page 110 trunk protects them from cold wind
3. B, C 6. A, B 1. He might get home late. or snow.
2. She might wave and call her name. 7. Oil helps them float better because
Page 103 3. She might be chosen for the part. oil floats on water. Oil keeps rain
1. B, C 4. A, C 4. It might rain. from soaking into the birds’ feathers.
2. A, C 5. A, B, C 5. She might need a hearing test or
3. B, C 6. A, B, C need to go to a doctor. Page 117
6. One of them might be chosen. 1. The bird carried the food without
Page 104 eating it. The bird took lots of food
1. A, B 4. A, C into the tree.
2. A, B 5. B, C ■ Making Inferences 2. Flags fly at half-mast when someone
3. B, C 6. A, C important dies.
Page 113 3. A rain date was set and you only need
Page 105 1. B 5. A to care about rain for an outdoor event.
1. A, B, C 4. A, C 2. B 6. B 4. He doesn’t want to visit because he
2. A, C 5. A, B, C 3. B 7. B always finds a reason not to.
3. A, C 6. A, C 4. A 5. Maybe it was a history museum and
the war exhibit upset them.
Page 106 Page 114 6. It was the wrong car because her key
1. A, B, C 4. A, B, C 1. B 5. B didn’t work.
2. A, B, C 5. C 2. B 6. A 7. They would shovel snow because
3. A, B 6. A, B, C 3. A 7. B there are shovels for them to clear
4. B the driveway, sidewalk, etc.
Page 107
1. It won’t be delivered. Page 115 Page 118
2. You will make footprints. 1. His leg had healed a little because he 1. A car had an accident because it
could walk on it now without crutches. left tire marks into the ditch.
Page 108 2. It wasn’t hurt or severely damaged. 2. He saw sports pictures and sports
1. The weeds might take over the 3. They were moved to places with equipment in Erik’s room.
vegetables. electricity. 3. Victor wasn’t dressed yet or was
2. He might take his shoes off for 4. She was taking a subway/train. still sleeping.
a while. He might get blisters. 5. football because football players 4. There was a lot of furniture in the
He might get new shoes. wear helmets truck.
6. track and field because the team 5. The computer or the printer might
was by a track and a track event give you a message or beep.
is called a “track meet” 6. She was African-American/black.

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 Answer Key, continued

Page 119 ■ Problem Solving 2. a. Shane is frightened by the movie

1. They are in a museum. he is seeing.
2. a storm, a blizzard, a heat wave Page 127 b. Shane could tell his dad how he
3. Kara did her homework and 1. a. Noel can’t have beads in her feels and ask to leave the movie.
cleaned up her room. hair and play soccer. 3. a. Lightning caused the power to
4. a canoe b. Noel could choose not to go off.
5. There would be much more traffic play soccer. b. Miguel could try to go to sleep
and many more buildings. Noel could take the beads out or try to find a flashlight.
6. Copper wire stretches more than of her hair or clip them out. 4 a. The boys share a room and they
steel wire. 2. a. Toby and his mom disagree don’t agree about how to study.
7. There might be more accidents about the best shoes for Toby. b. One boy could work somewhere
because people would drive faster. b. They could buy both pairs of shoes. else or Lucas could use earphones
Toby could choose this pair and to listen to his music.
Page 120 his mom could pick his shoes for
1. leftover food him the next time. Page 131
2. on a field trip or a hike 1. a. Shannon is nervous about meeting
3. There was a fire alarm. Page 128 new classmates and stuttering.
4. a fraction, subtraction 1. a. There isn’t any more milk in b. Shannon could smile and try not
5. comparing and contrasting the carton. to talk much until he is more
6. She will go on to the national b. Gage could check in the fridge comfortable.
spelling bee. for more milk. 2. a. Emily is terrified of spiders and
7. how safe they are, what kind of gas Gage could eat his cereal Cody brought his tarantula to class.
mileage they get, how much they cost without milk. b. Emily could move away from the
2. a. A goat is nibbling on her hair. tarantula or ask Cody to take the
Page 121 b. Taryn could leave the petting zoo. tarantula to another room after
1. They are round. Taryn could walk away from everyone has seen it.
2. Tall buildings are only in cities. the goat. 3. a. Tasha is nervous about dancing
3. A doe is a mother deer. for the audience.
4. They were in an airport. Page 129 b. She could just do her best and try
5. They get along with each other. 1. a. Both invitations are for about the to forget how she feels.
They are relatives. same time on the same date. 4. a. Jason has no lunch with him.
6. She got an A. b. She could decide which party to b. Other students could give Jason
7. You could wear dark clothing go to and explain to the other host. some of their food or Jason could
and avoid being near lights. 2. a. The cookies have been baking too wait to eat till he gets home.
long. They won’t taste good.
Page 122 b. They could throw the cookies out Page 132
1. Your hair and fingernails have no and use a timer for the next batch. 1. a. Mr. Olson’s plants didn’t get
nerve cells in them to feel pain. 3. a. Cory has lost his new glasses and enough water while he was away.
2. More girls and young women might he needs them to see well. b. Phillip could offer to pay for new
want to become race drivers. b. He could check at the lost and plants or to do other chores for
3. The detector would help because found or have his teacher make an Mr. Olson.
it would tell how much radon is announcement to see if anyone has 2. a. The boys can’t find a good time
in the building. seen his glasses. to work on their project together.
4. a. Stacey is coughing a lot in class. b. They could explain to the teacher
Page 123 b. She could get a drink of water, and ask for another time to go to
1. Alligators are running out of space ask to be excused, or ask to see the library.
to live because buildings are taking the nurse. 3. a. Skipping breakfast makes Eva
up their homes. Alligators are trying hungry by the middle of the
to find new water sources, including Page 130 morning.
home pools; Reasons will vary. 1. a. Erica doesn’t like Taylor being b. She could get up earlier or bring
2. Madison is mad at her sister for being so bossy. a snack with her.
rude and making it uncomfortable for b. Erica could talk to Taylor and/or 4. a. The garbage is all over the street.
Madison’s friends to visit; Reasons talk to her parent. b. Rick could put the garbage back
will vary. in the trash cans and clean up
3. Wearing their seatbelts saved their the mess.
lives; Reasons will vary.

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 Answer Key, continued

■ Justifying Opinions Page 147 3. It would be more interesting to

1. baseball have a pen pal from another place.
Pages 136-141 2. You punch it and oil it and catch 4. They will say who they are and tell
Answers will vary. a ball with it. what they like to do. They will ask
3. You only need one to help catch questions for their pen pals to answer.
the ball. 5. They will get letters from their
■ Generalizing Skills 4. They will be friendly and try to pen pals.
play with the neighbors. 6. Answers will vary.
5. They will still play with each
Page 144
other or at school. Page 152
1. They are smiling.
6. Answers will vary. 1. She is sad because she misses
2. what materials and supplies they need,
her friend.
what design to make
Page 148 2. “I will miss you. Let’s stay in touch.”
3. It’s more personal to make your
1. It has fluffy fur and its ears are 3. She will write and email her friend.
own card.
tipped down. She will call her on the phone.
4. They will take it to their mom when
2. dog food, food and water bowls, 4. Answers will vary.
they visit her.
chew toys, a flea collar 5. She could spend time with someone
5. They could call the hospital and ask
3. He can stay around the puppy and be interested in what that person
for their mom’s room phone number.
and talk quietly to it. does and thinks. She could listen to the
4. brush it, feed it, give it water, other person carefully and be friendly.
Page 145
play with it, walk it 6. Answers will vary.
1. Someone will get a gift.
5. clean it up
2. (anything small enough to fit into
6. Answers will vary. Page 153
the box)
7. Answers will vary. 1. She might be in another room or
3. Get wrapping paper, tape, a bow or
behind a row of books.
ribbon, and scissors. Lay out enough
Page 149 2. They each got interested in something.
paper to cover the box. Wrap the
1. She fell while she was skating. 3. He should look for his mom.
paper around the box and tape it
2. She might fall and do more damage 4. A librarian could help him find his
together. Put a bow on the box or
to her arm. mom.
tie a ribbon around the box.
3. Her bone needs to heal. 5. They could have decided a place to
4. when all the guests have arrived
4. write, brush her teeth, comb her hair meet at a certain time.
5. Thank you.
5. She can listen to her teacher and ask 6. He could wait till he finds his mom
6. The person could exchange it in
to give her answers by talking instead or he could ask the librarian for help.
a store for something else or just
of writing. 7. He should tell an adult he needs help
keep it anyway.
6. Answers will vary. to find his mom. He should try to
7. so people are surprised when they
call someone at home or another
open the gifts
Page 150 parent/neighbor.
8. paper bag or newspaper
1. He feels sad because he looks sad. 8. Something could happen to him and
9. Answers will vary.
2. He bothered other students and didn’t his mom would be worried because
do what the teacher asked him to do. she can’t find him.
Page 146
3. He knew he was misbehaving.
1. The girl in front is looking off to
4. I’m sorry. I will behave. Page 154
the side, not at the teacher.
5. He could think about how he would 1. angry
2. She has a problem she is thinking
feel if he misbehaved again. 2. He is frowning and pinching his
about or she is bored.
6. Answers will vary. lips together.
3. “Kelsey, please pay attention.”
3. He might be telling Chase about
4. She could talk to her dad or a friend.
Page 151 something Chase did or didn’t
5. Answers will vary.
1. They are very close to each other do right.
and smiling. Some of them are 4. He doesn’t want to hear what
touching others. his dad says.
2. They could email a school. 5. Answers will vary.
6. He could have walked away.
7. “I don’t think you’re being fair.”

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 Answer Key, continued

Page 155 4. The person isn’t busy doing something Page 161
1. bubble solution and a bubble wand else and looks at you like he or she 1. They are searching for Ali’s watch.
2. outside so the bubbles don’t get is interested to hear what you want 2. They could start in one small area
anything wet inside to say. and gradually widen their search.
3. They pop easily. 5. “Bryce, I’d love to hear about 3. I would feel under the leaves to help
4. It is made of soap and isn’t good your dream later. How about find the watch.
for you. this afternoon?” 4. a metal detector or a rake
5. They could do cartwheels or chase 6. He feels too sad to be hungry. 5. He will listen to it and see if it moves
each other. 7. “Don’t worry, they were just busy as time goes by.
6. They might wake Jasmine’s brother up. or something. It just wasn’t the right 6. The clasp came undone accidentally.
7. Answers will vary. time to tell them about your dream.” 7. The watch might break.
8. He could think about what he will 8. They should go home.
Page 156 do at school today and what’s going
1. He likes to see movies at a close on with his friends at school. Page 162
distance from the screen. 1. understanding her teacher and other
2. They wanted to see all the details Page 159 students
of the movie, not a close-up view. 1. She’s resting her head on her arms 2. She could hang around other kids
3. He will look for them in the lobby. and her eyes are closed. and she could watch TV.
4. Answers will vary. 2. She might be tired or too sleepy to 3. They can point and use gestures.
5. Answers will vary. stay awake or she might be sick. 4. They could demonstrate what to do.
6. talk to other people, talk on a 3. so her teacher will understand why 5. They could play games that don’t
cell phone she acts so sleepy need talking.
7. Answers will vary. 4. No; You will miss out on the lesson. 6. She could draw what she is thinking
5. She should ask her teacher if she or talking about.
Page 157 can go see the nurse. 7. Answers will vary.
1. His grandpa might get sicker and die. 6. She felt okay this morning before
2. He could ask his grandpa or his parent. school started. Page 163
3. He could make sure his grandpa is 7. so you don’t spread germs, so you 1. They have a fishing pole.
looking at his face and he could talk don’t get sicker, so you get some 2. on docks, on beaches, in lakes,
loudly and slowly. rest to get better in rivers, in ponds
4. He could spend time with his grandpa 8. Answers will vary. 3. Answers will vary.
and do whatever his grandpa wants 4. They will take it home and eat it.
to do. Page 160 5. They only brought one pole.
5. He could make a card for his grandpa 1. so people can walk and play outdoors 6. Answers will vary.
or call him on the phone or visit him. if they don’t have backyards or other 7. so people won’t kill too many fish
6. Answers will vary. places to be outside in an area
7. write them notes, call them, read 2. Each park gets to choose its own
with them, play games with them, equipment Page 164
listen to them 3. swings, slides, climbing equipment 1. You can’t hear very well.
8. spend time with them, play with them, 4. Don’t push anyone, take turns, 2. They can hear sounds more loudly
listen to them, send them notes watch out for other kids when you with earphones.
are swinging. 3. It might be hard to know what people
Page 158 5. Answers will vary. say when you can’t see them talking.
1. lonely, like no one cares about him 6. The people who drop things should 4. Answers will vary.
2. He’s reading the newspaper instead pick them up because they made 5. You could be a buddy and help them
of talking to anyone. the mess. understand what to do.
3. It might just mean right now they 7. It’s easier to run and play in 6. They should sit near the front so
are not in the mood to hear about comfortable clothes. they can hear the teacher.
his dream. 8. Answers will vary. 7. She could ask them to repeat what
she said.
8. Answers will vary.

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 Answer Key, continued

Page 165 6. They shouldn’t talk to each other Page 173

1. dribbling, running, kicking or sneeze. 1. to help them study, to learn the
2. Practice helps you improve your skills. 7. They can feel their smiles. information
3. The skills he is working on can be 8. Answers will vary. 2. They can review their notes and
done alone. memorize information.
4. He can eat healthy foods, exercise, Page 169 3. If he can’t read his writing, he can’t
and get enough sleep. 1. someone’s hand study from his notes.
5. A coach could watch him play and 2. about as big as the palm of your hand 4. In case he wants to change something,
tell him what he could do even better. 3. a ruler pencil is easy to erase.
6. He could learn different moves or 4. The person might not want a tarantula 5. He doesn’t have a computer at his desk.
ways to play the game. as a pet. 6. Answers will vary.
7. Doing your homework because getting 5. It would run around. 7. He could check out science topics
a good education is more important 6. It might be frightened or angry. on the internet, go to a library, visit
than playing sports. 7. They could look for information in a science museum, or take a science
8. He should be a good student and the library or on the internet. class outside of school.
practice playing soccer. 8. Answers will vary. 8. scientist, engineer, pharmacist, doctor,
science teacher
Page 166 Page 170
1. They live in the same apartment 1. He knows the lake is calm and the Page 174
building. waves won’t get much higher than 1. He wants his son to be in good
2. They are about the same age and go what he has already seen. physical shape. He wants him to get
to the same school. 2. tadpoles, crawfish, minnows lots of experience working on a team.
3. Students can’t choose which classes 3. read a book, go for a walk, talk 2. Answers will vary.
they will be in. with a parent 3. He wants to please his dad. He likes
4. They trust each other. 4. paper, a pen/pencil, an envelope, spending time doing something with
5. They couldn’t trust each other with a stamp, his friend’s address his dad.
secrets anymore. 5. email, phone 4. Answers will vary.
6. Answers will vary. 6. He could ask the people in his family. 5. Answers will vary.
7. They could ask what other baby-sitters 7. toys or books he likes 6. Parents want to teach their children
are charging or what the parent is used to prepare them for life.
to paying a baby-sitter. Page 171 7. Sometimes children have different
8. Answers will vary. 1. He never had swimming lessons. opinions or preferences than their
2. He could take lessons or ask someone parents.
Page 167 to show him how. 8. Answers will vary.
1. in their backyard, at a park 3. so his head will stay above the water
2. fall because there are leaves on the 4. He is embarrassed to be the only one Page 175
ground and they are wearing clothes who can’t swim. 1. Answers will vary.
for cold weather 5. Answers will vary. 2. They could divide the work and
3. They needed to stay still and look 6. Answers will vary. share information with each other.
at the camera. 7. a lifeguard, a parent, a friend who 3. They could take notes on what they
4. Their heads aren’t cold. knows how to swim learn and make copies for each
5. They will frame it and hang it in other. They could tell each other
their home. Page 172 what they learn.
6. Please hang this picture in your 1. It takes sick or injured people to a 4. Yes; If they take notes, they won’t
bedroom or somewhere none of hospital quickly. have to spend so much time together.
my friends will see it. 2. Someone radios or contacts the pilot 5. They could flip a coin. They could
7. Answers will vary. to give directions. think about which one writes better.
3. to the nearest hospital 6. They could share their ideas and
Page 168 4. stretcher, oxygen, blood pressure pick the one they both like the best.
1. Their feet are not touching the ground equipment, medicine 7. They could meet before or after
and their ankles are bent. 5. an ambulance helicopter because it school or over the weekend.
2. happiness, excitement doesn’t have to make any stops and 8. The teacher will hear or read
3. It looks comfortable. can fly faster than an ambulance their report and see how they
4. He wants to make sure he has choices can drive treat each other.
so he can choose the best picture. 6. It doesn’t need to warn traffic.
5. They are getting paid to be models. 7. It needs a flat, open space.

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Tasks Of Problem Solving: Elementary 190 Copyright © 2005 LinguiSystems, Inc.