Ready-to-teach lesson
ELA SKILL LESSON · GRADES 2-3
Ben the Inventor
State the Problem Precisely
TIME
PRIMARY SKILL
OBJECTIVE
STUDENT EVIDENCE
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
30 minutes full · 15 minutes short State a problem in a form that can be acted on Write the problem in one sentence that names both what is wanted and what is in the way, then use that sentence to judge whether a proposed attempt actually addresses the problem.
A one-sentence problem statement plus one brief check showing whether an attempt addresses both the goal and the obstacle.
What has to be in a problem statement before somebody can sensibly try to solve it?
Before teaching
Read or play the complete book before the timed lesson. Keep the book available so claims and evidence can be checked against the text.
- Materials:
- the book, Student Evidence page, pencil.
- Lesson sequence
- TIME
- TEACHING MOVE
- 4 min
- Name the two parts A usable problem statement says what is wanted and what is stopping it.
- 6 min
- Draft the sentence Write one sentence about Ben's problem before discussing the sequence of plans.
- 6 min
- Test whether it is usable Ask whether someone who has not read the story could suggest a possible attempt from that sentence.
- 8 min
- Check one attempt against it Take one of Ben's plans and ask whether it addresses the stated goal and obstacle.
page 1
- 6 min
- Repair the wording Revise the problem statement if the attempt exposes something important that the sentence left out.
ELA SKILL LESSON · TEACHER SUPPORT
Ben the Inventor
State the Problem Precisely
Access routes
- SOLO
- Use the book independently to complete the evidence page. Require book-based support for the reasoning.
- SUPPORTED
- Pause at the key evidence moments. Rephrase the task orally, then have students point to or record evidence before explaining.
- LISTENING
- Use narration and illustrations. Let students respond orally or by selecting from teacher-read options, then justify the choice from the book.
- EXTEND
- Ask students to test the same reasoning move on a second moment or explain why a tempting alternative is weaker.
Teacher guidance
Keep the lesson on state a problem in a form that can be acted on. The source unit places this move inside What they tried next; this standalone version should preserve the source unit's reasoning sequence rather than turn the task into generic problem solving.
Assessment
- A complete statement contains both the desired outcome and the obstacle.
- The problem statement is not presented as the whole Day 1 lesson; it is extracted from the unit's
checkpoint/product language.
- The added attempt-check keeps the skill connected to the source unit's larger work on trying
plans and analyzing what happens.
Short route · 15 minutes 3 min - name/model the skill. 8 min - gather the minimum evidence required on the student page. 4 min - explain the answer and verify it against the book.
page 2
Watch for
A vague situation label, or a problem statement that cannot be used to judge whether an attempt actually addresses the problem.
Source note
This standalone is extracted from the unit's problem-statement checkpoint/product rather than treated as a direct copy of Ben's full Day 1 lesson, whose larger focus is the sequence of attempted plans and their different failure reasons.
STUDENT EVIDENCE · GRADES 2-3
Ben the Inventor
State the Problem Precisely
Name ______________________________________ Date __________________ Write the problem in one sentence. Then test one attempt against your problem statement.
- PART
- YOUR RESPONSE
WHAT IS WANTED
WHAT IS IN THE WAY
ONE-SENTENCE PROBLEM
ONE ATTEMPT
DOES IT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM? WHY?
EXIT CHECK
My problem statement is usable because _________________________________________________ .
TEACHER KEY · GRADES 2-3
Ben the Inventor
State the Problem Precisely
Strong response
A one-sentence problem statement plus one brief check showing whether an attempt addresses both the goal and the obstacle.
page 3
Expected evidence
- A complete statement contains both the desired outcome and the obstacle.
- The problem statement is not presented as the whole Day 1 lesson; it is extracted from the unit's
checkpoint/product language.
- The added attempt-check keeps the skill connected to the source unit's larger work on trying
plans and analyzing what happens.
Watch for
A vague situation label, or a problem statement that cannot be used to judge whether an attempt actually addresses the problem.
Independent success
The student completes the required evidence product and can explain the reasoning sequence without relying only on recall or a teacher-supplied answer.
Unit source
What they tried next · Ben the Inventor by Robin Stevenson
page 4