Problem Solving with Emotions
You feel excluded because you weren’t invited to a group project. Should you give in or speak up? Why?
“I would speak up, because being part of the group is important to me. I might say, ‘Hey, I’d really like to help out—can I join you?’”
“I play basketball after school to blow off steam when I’m irritated.” Use blow off steam in a different sentence.
“When Sam guessed the solution right away, his teacher said, ‘You really hit the nail on the head.’
“Blow off steam” – What does this mean? What emotion might lead someone to do this?
“It means to let out frustration. Someone might blow off steam when they feel irritated or exasperated.”
“Put your folder in the bin, then get your planner.”
“First put away your folder, then grab your planner.”
Why did the student eat his homework?
Because the teacher told him it was a piece of cake!
“'Piece of cake' means easy, but he thought she meant the homework was real cake.”
You feel irritated because your friend keeps interrupting you during your story. What’s a respectful way to handle this?
“I’d say, ‘Hey, I really want to finish what I was saying. Can you wait a second?’”
“When Sam guessed the solution right away, his teacher said, ‘You really hit the nail on the head.’ Can you use hit the nail on the head in a new sentence?”
“After pacing and ranting, Ryan finally went outside to blow off steam.”
“Hit the nail on the head” – What does this mean? When might you feel confident using it?
“It means you’re exactly right. I’d feel confident if I solved a tricky problem and someone said I hit the nail on the head.”
“Finish the worksheet, but only the even-numbered problems.”
“Do just the even problems on the worksheet.”
I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down!
“It’s a pun — the book is interesting (hard to stop reading), but ‘anti-gravity’ also means it literally can’t be put down.”
You’re devastated that your sibling broke your model, but it was an accident. Should you hold a grudge?
“No, I shouldn’t hold a grudge. It wasn’t on purpose. I can tell them how I feel and ask them to help fix it.”
“When Mia teased Lana after she lost, it really rubbed salt in the wound.” Can you make your own sentence using rub salt in the wound?
“It rubbed salt in the wound when I failed the test and someone said it was easy.”
“Rub salt in the wound” – What does this mean? Which emotion fits?
“It means to make someone feel worse about something that already hurt. You might feel heartbroken or resentful.”
“Start with step 2, then skip to step 4 after checking with a partner.”
“Begin on step 2. After I talk with a partner, I skip to step 4.”
What did one wall say to the other?
‘I’ll meet you at the corner!’
“Walls meet at corners — so it’s a play on directions and how walls are shaped.”
You feel resentful that your friend always chooses the movie. What can you say to solve the problem?
“I can say, ‘I’d like to pick the movie this time. We can take turns so it feels fair.’”
“Not making the soccer team was a bitter pill to swallow, especially after I practiced all summer.” Can you use bitter pill to swallow in another sentence?
“Losing the contest was a bitter pill to swallow, but Ava handled it with grace.”
“Bitter pill to swallow” – What does it mean? When might you feel disappointed?
“It means having to accept something that you really didn’t want to happen. Like losing a game—you’d feel disappointed.”
“Turn in your homework by Friday unless we have a snow day.”
“My homework is due Friday, unless school is canceled for snow.”
Why don’t skeletons fight each other?
They don’t have the guts.
“‘Guts’ means bravery, but skeletons literally have no stomachs or organs.”
You’re confident in your idea but your group disagrees. How can you express your idea without giving in or being rude?
“I’d say, ‘I understand your idea, but here’s why I think mine could work well too—can we try it first?’”
“When the teacher praised his presentation, Leo felt over the moon.” Can you create a sentence with over the moon?
“I was over the moon when my dad surprised me with tickets to the game.”
“Over the moon” – What does it mean? Could it fit with feeling encouraged or confident?
“It means extremely happy. You might feel encouraged or confident if you nailed a presentation and felt over the moon.”
“You’ll work with a partner today, then reflect independently, and turn it in before the bell.”
“First I work with a partner, then do the reflection by myself, and turn it in before class ends.”
I told my friend I was afraid of speed bumps, but I’m slowly getting over it.
“It’s funny because ‘getting over it’ means overcoming a fear, but it also means literally driving over speed bumps.”