Courseversity

Problem and solution

Primary EducationGrade 4English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G04-ELA-U04-L0545–60 min

You will learn

  • Find the problem.
  • Find the solution.
  • Use signal words.
  • Judge the solution.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Ask: What is wrong?
  2. Ask: How is it fixed?
  3. Look for signal words.
  4. Decide if it worked.

Words to know

problem
something that needs to be fixed
solution
a way of fixing a problem
effective
working well
obstacle
something that makes a task harder

1. Discover: Too much plastic

Many towns face a plastic waste problem. Plastic bags block drains and cause flooding. One solution is a reusable bag campaign. A school in Lagos gave each family a cloth bag and held a monthly clean-up day. Within a year, fewer bags were found in the drains, and floods were less serious.

Think: How effective was the solution?

2. Understand: Fixing what is wrong

Idea 1: Problem

A problem needs fixing: bags block drains and cause floods.

Idea 2: Solution

A solution is a way to fix it: cloth bags and clean-up days. Signal words: one solution, to solve this, the answer was.

Idea 3: Judge it

Ask if the solution is effective. Evidence: fewer bags in drains, milder floods. Name any obstacle, such as needing everyone to take part.

Remember: Find the problem and the solution, then use evidence to judge how well the solution works.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Problem

What is the problem?

  1. Blocked drains.

Answer: plastic bags block drains and cause flooding

Example 2 (We do it together): Solution

What was the solution?

  1. Cloth bags.

Answer: cloth bags and monthly clean-up days

Example 3 (You try): Effective

How do we know it worked?

Show the steps and answer
  1. Evidence.

Answer: fewer bags in drains and less serious floods

Did you know?

Many cities now charge for plastic bags or ban them to cut waste.

Why this matters

Problem-solution thinking helps you improve things around you.

4. Explore: Fix it

Plan a solution.

  1. Choose a local problem.
  2. Describe it.
  3. Suggest a solution.
  4. Say how you would know it worked.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can solve problems.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The problem is ___.
  • One solution is ___.
  • It worked because ___.
  • An obstacle is ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. Something that needs fixing is a ___.

problem

Question 2. A way of fixing a problem is a ___.

solution

Question 3. Working well means ___.

effective

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. Something that needs fixing is a ___.
  2. A way of fixing a problem is a ___.
  3. Working well means ___.
  4. Something that makes a task harder is an ___.
  5. Plastic bags blocked the ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. What did families receive?
  2. How often was clean-up day?
  3. What was less serious after a year?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Does a solution fix a problem?
  2. Can we judge a solution with evidence?
  3. Do all solutions work perfectly?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Describe a school or town problem and suggest a solution with evidence it could work.

Show a sample answer

a problem-solution note

Another one. Find a problem in your community and write a solution with one piece of evidence.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can find the problem.
  • I can find the solution.
  • I can use signal words.
  • I can judge the solution.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A problem is something that needs ___.

2. A solution is a way of ___ a problem.

3. Effective means ___.

4. An obstacle makes a task ___.

5. What is the problem?

6. What is the solution?

7. What happened to floods?

8. What happened to bags in drains?

9. What is a possible obstacle?

10. Which phrase signals a solution?

11. Which is evidence the solution worked?

12. Why judge a solution?

Challenge 1. Which sentence states a problem?

Challenge 2. Which sentence states a solution?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Ask: What is wrong?
  • Ask: How is it fixed?
  • Look for signal words.
  • Decide if it worked.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Chronological organisation. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is a problem? [1 mark]
  2. What is a solution? [1 mark]
  3. What problem does the passage describe? [1 mark]
  4. How do we know the solution worked? [2 marks]
  5. Explain how to analyse a problem and solution text. [3 marks]

Total: 8 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. something that needs to be fixed [1]
  2. a way of fixing a problem [1]
  3. plastic bags block drains and cause flooding [1]
  4. fewer bags in drains [1]; floods less serious [1]
  5. find the problem [1]; find the solution [1]; judge it using evidence [1]

Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. Something that needs fixing is a ___.
  2. A way of fixing a problem is a ___.
  3. Working well means ___.
  4. Something that makes a task harder is an ___.
  5. Plastic bags blocked the ___.
  6. What did families receive?
  7. How often was clean-up day?
  8. What was less serious after a year?
  9. Does a solution fix a problem?
  10. Can we judge a solution with evidence?

Homework

Find a problem in your community and write a solution with one piece of evidence.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. Something that needs fixing is a ___. problem 1
2. A way of fixing a problem is a ___. solution 1
3. Working well means ___. effective 1
4. Something that makes a task harder is an ___. obstacle 1
5. Plastic bags blocked the ___. drains 1
6. What did families receive? a cloth bag 1
7. How often was clean-up day? monthly 1
8. What was less serious after a year? the floods 1
9. Does a solution fix a problem? yes 1
10. Can we judge a solution with evidence? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 problem; 2 solution; 3 effective; 4 obstacle; 5 drains. Level 2: 1 a cloth bag; 2 monthly; 3 the floods. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 no.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Find the problem Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Find the solution Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Use signal words Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Judge the solution Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: find the problem; find the solution; use signal words; judge the solution.

Prerequisite knowledge. Compare and contrast.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 4 » Reading: Foundational Skills; Grade 4 » Reading: Literature; Grade 4 » Reading: Informational Text. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RI.4.3 and RI.4.5; Cambridge Primary English Stage 4 (non-fiction). These sources informed the lesson.

Keep learning

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