How to teach problem decomposition to kindergarten kids

📚 What is Problem Decomposition?

Problem decomposition is breaking down big problems into smaller, more manageable parts. Think of it like this: instead of trying to eat a whole pizza at once, you cut it into slices!

🎯 Objectives

• 🧩 By the end of this lesson, students will be able to define problem decomposition in simple terms.
• 🧱 Students will be able to break down a familiar task into smaller steps.
• 🎉 Students will be able to work collaboratively to decompose a problem.

🍎 Materials

• 🍕 A picture of a pizza (or a real pizza, if you're feeling generous!).
• 🧱 Building blocks or LEGOs.
• 🖍️ Drawing paper and crayons.
• 📝 Worksheets with simple tasks (e.g., "Getting Ready for School").

☀️ Warm-up (5 minutes)

The Pizza Problem:

• 🍕 Show the picture of the pizza.
• ❓ Ask: "If you wanted to eat this pizza, would you try to eat the whole thing at once? Why or why not?"
• 💡 Guide them to the idea of cutting it into slices to make it easier.
• 🗣️ Explain: "That's what we're going to do today with problems! We're going to cut them into smaller pieces."

🧠 Main Instruction (20 minutes)

Activity 1: Building Block Challenge:

• 🧱 Give each student a set of building blocks.
• ❓ Ask: "How would you build a tall tower?"
• 🤝 Guide them to break the task into steps: 1) Find a block, 2) Place it on the table, 3) Find another block, 4) Place it on top of the first block, and so on.
• 🗣️ Explain: "Each step is a small part of the big problem of building a tower."

Activity 2: Getting Ready for School:

• 📝 Distribute the "Getting Ready for School" worksheet.
• 🖍️ Ask: "What do you do to get ready for school?"
• 🤝 Guide them to list the steps: 1) Wake up, 2) Brush teeth, 3) Get dressed, 4) Eat breakfast, 5) Pack backpack, 6) Put on shoes, 7) Go to school.
• 🗣️ Explain: "We broke down getting ready for school into smaller steps!"
• 🎨 Have them draw a picture of each step.

✅ Assessment (5 minutes)

• ❓ Ask: "What does it mean to break down a problem?"
• 📝 Have students individually draw a picture of a simple task (e.g., brushing teeth, making a sandwich) and label the steps involved.