Included as artifacts are two examples of teacher created worksheets that are used to help students improve their skills and understanding of the Polya's problem-solving thinking process: (1) Understanding the Problem; (2) Making a Plan; (3) Carrying Out the Plan; and (4) Reflecting Back. The first example is titled Draw a Picture. The second example lists names and jobs.
Often teachers will precede the use of these forms with a discovery lesson like The ABCD Activity. Teachers have also found it helpful to create a set of Thinking Phase Flip Cards for individuals or small groups to assist in thinking about the different phases of the problem-solving process. The thinking phases and set of "Flip Cards" are not used as a rigid set of step-by-step procedures to follow when solving a problem, but are meant to be guidelines and a metacognitive tool for articulating and sharing their thinking with others. A sample problem-solving lesson plan is also included that is designed to focus on the thinking phases and to help students develop the necessary skills and processes for becoming expert problem solvers.
References