Week 23 · Theme 4 Software Projects, Lessons 1–2 Explorer in Action; Problem-solving Skills · 3 lessons
2
Steps to solve a problem
ICT P4 Term 2, Theme 4: pp. 44–53
GoalFollow steps to solve a problem: understand it, make a hypothesis, test it safely, and learn from a try that does not work.
New words
problem · something that is not working as we wanthypothesis · a smart guess about the cause that you can testtest · a small try that shows whether the guess was righttrial and error · trying, learning from a mistake and trying again
Explanation
Devices sometimes give us problems, and steps make them easier to solve. Step 1: understand the problem. What exactly is happening? Step 2: make a hypothesis, a smart guess about the cause that you can test. Step 3: test your guess, but never do a test that could hurt you or break the device, and ask a grown-up to help. Step 4: did it work? If not, that is fine, because we learn from our mistakes. Ask: what did I learn? Then make a new guess. Trying, failing, learning and trying again is called trial and error. In Term 1 you met common problems and first fixes; now we practise the steps.
Understand the problem→Make a guess→Test it safely→Did it work?→Learn and try a new guess
Worked examples
The speakers give no sound. Guess: the volume is turned down. Safe test: look at the volume control. It was low, so we turned it up and the sound came back.
Habiba’s printer prints nothing. She guesses there is no paper, but there is paper, so the guess did not work. She learned that paper is not the problem. Her new guess: the printer has lost power, and she asks a grown-up to look.
Karim’s kite will not fly. He guesses the tail is too short and makes it longer, but it still does not fly. He learns, then guesses there is no wind, waits for a windy day, and it flies. This is trial and error.
Class activity
Problem detective. Think of a problem you or your family had with a phone or a device; you can invent one. Draw four boxes: Problem, My guess, My test, What I learned. Fill them in. Swap papers with a partner: is their test safe?
Practice
1
What is a hypothesis?
A smart guess about the cause of a problem that you can test.
2
Why must a test be safe?
So nobody gets hurt and the device does not break.
3
Put the steps in order for a keyboard that types nothing: (A) Ask the teacher for help. (B) Notice the keyboard types nothing. (C) Check with a grown-up that it is connected. (D) Try typing again.
