Craft Lesson #1

Problem Solving

Resource Materials:
Book: 100th Day Worries by Margery Cuyler
Blank Paper
Pencil
Crayons

Discussion:
Everyone worries at some point about something. This book is about how a little girl worries about bringing enough objects on the 100th day of school. Worrying can cause unneeded stress and troubles for young children. Often times, children worry and are afraid to tell anybody about their problems. Problem solving and thinking through situations are an important part of teachers helping children to stop their worrying.

How to teach it: (K- 1st grade)
Today we are going to talk about worrying. Think of a situation or time that you have worried about something. What was it? How did it make you feel? Write down or draw that situation and picture it in your head.
Now, we are going to think about different things we could do to make that worry go away. What would you do? Play a game? Go outside? Talk to a friend? There are many different options. It is up to us to be problem solvers when we have a worry or a problem to deal with. This lesson may take a couple days as I will have them practice their problem solving when they go home that night. Then the next day we will have discussion and they will talk about how their problem solving technique helped them to feel better and what they did. I will also tell them about my worry situation and what I did to remedy it.