PROBLEMATIC SITUATIONS

PURPOSE OF THE STRATEGY

For students to understand differing perspectives or problems within a text, the teacher can set up an imaginary situation that students must solve. This strategy utilizes problem solving and decision making skills, allows students to approach text from varying perspectives, creates interest in a story situation, and connects text to student priorities and values.

DIRECTIONS Present a situation to students. Have them read the situation and think about it. Form small discussion groups and discuss how to solve the problem. Have students come up with a rationale for their choices after attempting to come to a group consensus.

EXAMPLE 1. If suddenly you were given the opportunity to live forever, but allowed you to only keep 3 items from your previous life, what would they be? What do you feel that you could not live without? Look at the following list of items. Decide which ones are most important for you and rate them in the first column from 1 - 20. You are left with 3 strangers. You are told that your decision is not yours alone. You have to agree as a group. Discuss your decisions and number your choices from most important to least important in the second column. Be prepared to defend your answers to the rest of the world. Why did you choose these items as a group?

ASSESSMENT

The problematic situation strategy allows you to assess student participation in group activities, thinking/reasoning skills, ability to negotiate decisions, and general ability to make choices based upon priorities and values. It provides an excellent lead-in to a story situation, in that a student can live through the experience prior to reading about it.