Stop, Think, Choose

Grade level

Grades 2–5

Time

About 20 minutes

Topic

Problem solving and decisions

Answer key

Not needed: answers vary

Kids practice

Problem solving, Decision making, Thinking about consequences, Safety

What kids do

Printed on the sheet:

1. Color the lights red, yellow and green.
2. You are building a block tower and a little kid knocks it over.
3. What is the problem? How do I feel?
4. What could I do? Write two choices.
5. My best choice, and why:
6. Write a problem of your own:

Teacher tip

Use a real traffic light picture and hold up each color as you talk.

How to use it

• Talk through the first scenario as a class before kids work alone.
• Ask kids to think of at least two choices before picking one.
• Model your own answer first. Kids open up more when the grown-up goes first.

Watch for

Some scenarios involve safety. Make sure every child knows which grown-ups to tell.

Talk about it

• Who could you ask for help?
• Have you ever been in a moment like this? What happened?

Take it further

Write a class problem-solving chart and use it during real problems.

US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.