Problem and Solution in Narratives

Active learning helps Grade 1 students grasp problem and solution in narratives by making abstract concepts concrete. When children physically act out conflicts or draw solutions, they connect emotions and actions to story events more deeply than passive listening allows.

• Grade 1
• Language Arts
• 4 activities
• 20 min–35 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the main problem faced by a character in a narrative.
2. Explain how a character's actions lead to the resolution of a problem.
3. Predict at least one alternative solution a character could have used to solve their problem.
4. Describe the sequence of events that led from the problem to its solution.

Problem-Based Learning

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Pair Retell: Problem-Solution Cards

Partners read a short story together and draw two cards: one for the problem, one for the solution. They explain the character's actions linking the two, using sequence words like first and then. Pairs share one card pair with the class on chart paper.

Prepare & details

Explain how a character's actions lead to solving a problem.

Facilitation Tip: During Pair Retell: Problem-Solution Cards, circulate to prompt students who get stuck by asking, 'What was the first thing that went wrong?', guiding them to start from the problem.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to research materials

Materials: Problem scenario document, KWL chart or inquiry framework, Resource library, Solution presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Problem-Based Learning

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Small Group Role-Play: Fix It Scenarios

Groups receive a story problem prompt, like a spilled picnic. They act out the original solution, then improvise two alternatives. Discuss which works best and why, recording ideas on a group chart.

Prepare & details

Predict different ways a character could have solved their problem.

Facilitation Tip: For Small Group Role-Play: Fix It Scenarios, assign roles by character need, not personality, so groups focus on solving problems collaboratively.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to research materials

Materials: Problem scenario document, KWL chart or inquiry framework, Resource library, Solution presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Problem-Based Learning

⏱ 35 min·Whole Class

Whole Class Mapping: Story Board Walk

Project a familiar story. Class brainstorms and adds sticky notes to a large chart for problem, actions, and solution. Students walk the board, adding predictions for other endings.

Prepare & details

Assess the effectiveness of a character's solution to a story's problem.

Facilitation Tip: When running the Whole Class Mapping: Story Board Walk, model how to draw arrows between events to show cause and effect, not just a timeline.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to research materials

Materials: Problem scenario document, KWL chart or inquiry framework, Resource library, Solution presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Problem-Based Learning

⏱ 20 min·Individual

Individual Draw: My Solution

Students select a class-read story, draw the problem and their own solution. Label actions taken. Share in a gallery walk, noting effective choices.

Prepare & details

Explain how a character's actions lead to solving a problem.

Facilitation Tip: With Individual Draw: My Solution, give sentence starters like 'I think the character should ... because ...' to scaffold written responses.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to research materials

Materials: Problem scenario document, KWL chart or inquiry framework, Resource library, Solution presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Start with simple, relatable problems like a lost toy or a rain-soaked picnic. Avoid overcomplicating with multiple problems at first; build from one clear conflict to layered ones. Use think-alouds to model how you identify a problem and brainstorm solutions before reading. Research shows young children benefit from repeated exposure to the same structure across different stories and genres.

What to Expect

Successful learning shows when students can name a problem in a story, describe at least one attempt to solve it, and identify the outcome. They should also compare solutions and explain why one strategy might work better than another in a given context.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Small Group Role-Play: Fix It Scenarios, watch for students who blame characters for problems. Correction: Provide role cards that describe the problem from the character's perspective, such as 'I wanted to play outside, but it started raining.' This shift focuses attention on the situation, not the person.

What to Teach Instead

Provide role cards that describe the problem from the character's perspective, such as 'I wanted to play outside, but it started raining.' This shift focuses attention on the situation, not the person.

Common Misconception

During Whole Class Mapping: Story Board Walk, watch for students who assume the first solution always works. Correction: Use arrows to mark multiple attempts and outcomes on the storyboard, labeling each try with 'First try,' 'Second try,' or 'Final solution.'

What to Teach Instead

Use arrows to mark multiple attempts and outcomes on the storyboard, labeling each try with 'First try,' 'Second try,' or 'Final solution.'

Common Misconception

During Pair Retell: Problem-Solution Cards, watch for students who identify only one problem. Correction: Provide sets of cards with two or three problems linked by the same character or event, and ask students to sort them in order to show how problems build on each other.

What to Teach Instead

Provide sets of cards with two or three problems linked by the same character or event, and ask students to sort them in order to show how problems build on each other.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After Individual Draw: My Solution, collect drawings and written sentences to check if students can identify the problem, describe one action taken to solve it, and explain the outcome in their own words.

Discussion Prompt

During Small Group Role-Play: Fix It Scenarios, circulate and ask groups: 'What was the biggest problem your character faced? How did they try to fix it? What happened in the end? Could they have tried something else?' Listen for evidence of problem identification, solution attempts, and reflection on outcomes.

Quick Check

After Whole Class Mapping: Story Board Walk, pause at a key moment and ask students to turn to a partner and explain the problem the character is currently facing and predict what they might do next to solve it. Listen to partner discussions to assess understanding of cause and effect.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to create a second, alternative solution in Individual Draw: My Solution and explain why it might work better.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide story cards with pictures and key words during Pair Retell: Problem-Solution Cards to reduce cognitive load.
• Deeper exploration: Have students write a new ending for a familiar story during Small Group Role-Play: Fix It Scenarios, then compare it to the original solution.

Key Vocabulary

Problem	A difficulty or challenge that a character in a story needs to overcome.
Solution	The way a character solves the problem or difficulty they face in a story.
Character	A person or animal who takes part in the action of a story.
Action	Something a character does in a story that helps to solve a problem.