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• Dragon Tales - "Puzzlewood"
  At home, Max and Emmy are working on a cow puzzle, but a discouraged Max says it's too hard. When the kids are summoned to Dragon Land, they find their friends lost in a forest of puzzles. The gang enlists the help of a Dragon-Fairy, who tells them they'll have to go through three doors, and solve three "match-it" puzzles, to find their way out of Puzzlewood. When they have trouble remembering what the Doors want them to find, they try a number of strategies: repeating the directions to themselves, drawing a picture of the object before they find it, and having each of them remember a different part of the object. Eventually, the gang solves the three puzzles necessary to leave Puzzlewood. Back home, Max and Emmy use their new skills to finish their cow puzzle.
• Cyberchase - "Problem Solving in Shangri-La"
  Hacker is holding the kids captive aboard the Grim Wreaker, when a storm forces the Wreaker to land on a snowy mountaintop. They are taken prisoner by a peaceful but mysterious Zen Master, who devises a game of strategy to test their problem solving skills. The winner of the game will be set free; the loser will remain a prisoner. In the battle of brainpower, the kids discover that each of them has a different way of solving problems and that, despite anger and frustration, they need to be tolerant of these differences. Hacker, of course, has his own way of solving problems. Working together, the kids find a way to defeat Hacker and gain their freedom.

Do in Class

• Arthur: Share Tactics - Have students work together to divide crayons and crackers evenly.
• Berenstain Bears: Problem Solving Circle - Learn to identify, discuss and resolve problems. (Section 3)
• Between the Lions: Follow the Directions - Reward children with hidden treasure after they use clues to solve this treasure hunt.
• Cyberchase: Dot Decoder - Develop problem solving skills in this decoding game. Each black dot represents a letter of the alphabet; it is your job to decode the secret message. (PDF)
• Cyberchase: Gotcha Game - Help kids think about and develop strategies for tackling hard problems. (PDF)
• Dragon Tales: A Snowman for All Seasons: Finding the Best Place for the Chilly Snowman - Conduct an experiment to discover the best spot for Chilly the Snowman to stand outdoors on a warm day.
• PBS Parents Guide to Early Math: I Spy! - Discuss attributes and reasons why you did or did not choose an object as you play this familiar game.
• PBS Parents Guide to Early Math: Race to the Finish - Expand your knowledge of probability; choose the spinner that gives you the greatest chance of landing on the square you want or avoiding the one you want to miss - as you "Race To the Finish!"
• Postcards from Buster: Is it Bigger than a Bathtub? - Discover the identity of a mystery object by asking questions and developing problem solving skills.
• ZOOM: Paper Puzzle - Solve the challenge to assemble a collection of paper strips of different sizes into two equal-length rows. (PDF)

Play Online

• Arthur: The Effective Detective - Practice problem solving and comprehension skills to identify a character based on descriptions.
• Arthur: Go! George, Go! - Map a successful route to help George deliver ice cream to his friends in this online game.
• Cyberchase: Crossing The River - Help Dr. Marbles and the Cybersquad cross the river.
• Sagwa: Tangrams - Practice problem solving techniques with these tangram puzzles.
• ZOOM: Goldburger to Go! - Use logic to make this complicated online machine complete a simple task.

Read

• The Grapes of Math
  By Greg Tang and Harry Briggs
  Published February 2001 by Scholastic
  This picture book for children 8-12 provides entertainment while teaching problem solving skills. Each of sixteen problems is presented pictorially and verbally and is accompanied by a hint for solution. An appendix supplies the answers and reveals how the hint provides a quicker solution. See if you can come up with your own strategies.
• Math-Terpieces
  By Greg Tang and Greg Paprocki
  Published July 2003 by Scholastic
  Tang's stated mission is to make math and problem solving a part of every child's life. His approach is always fun. In his latest book he uses elements from familiar paintings instead of numerals to teach addition and problem solving strategies. The book features the work of twelve artists from Degas to Warhol. Paprocki uses color and design to group objects from each painting like umbrellas, fish, or eyes. A solution section describes approaches to each set of problems. Art notes provide descriptions of the nine art movements represented.

*As most PBS children's programs offer one year extended taping rights for teachers, please feel free to tape them now and save them for use in your classroom during the school year.