Lessons·life-skills·kids · intermediate
Solving Problems Together
Learn how to work as a team, handle disagreements, find compromises, and solve problems by thinking together.
About 20 minutes
You and your friend both want to be team captain. What do you do?
Before you start
Watch Teamwork by BBC Teach (4 min) — What did the characters do well? What could they have done better?
- Think about a time you worked in a team. What went well?
- What's the hardest part about working with other people?
- Have you ever had to compromise? What happened?
The School Project
Sam, Priya, and Jake had to do a science project together. They had to build a model of the solar system.
'I'll be in charge,' said Jake.
'No, I want to be in charge,' said Sam.
Priya said nothing. She just felt uncomfortable.
Their teacher, Miss Clarke, came over. 'Instead of fighting about who's boss, why not decide together? Each of you has different strengths.'
They talked about it. Jake was good at building things. Sam was good at drawing. Priya was good at research and writing labels.
They split the jobs fairly. When they disagreed about which colours to use, they voted. When Jake's planet fell off, Sam helped fix it instead of laughing.
Their project got a gold star. Not because it was perfect — but because they'd worked together properly.
The Problem-Solving Steps
When you have a problem with someone, try these steps:
**1. STOP** — Don't react straight away. Take a breath.
**2. SAY what's wrong** — Use 'I feel' sentences. 'I feel left out when you don't listen to my ideas.'
**3. LISTEN** — Let the other person explain their side too. Don't interrupt.
**4. THINK of solutions** — Brainstorm together. There's usually more than one answer.
**5. AGREE** — Pick the fairest solution. Sometimes that means compromise — you each give up a little bit so everyone is happy.
Compromise doesn't mean one person wins. It means everyone wins a bit.
What You Now Know
- Teamwork
- Working together with other people to achieve something none of you could do alone.The science project was better because Sam, Jake, and Priya each used their different strengths.
- Compromise
- When everyone gives up a little bit so that the solution is fair for everyone.Sam wanted blue planets and Jake wanted green. They compromised — blue for the big planets, green for the small ones.
- Brainstorming
- Coming up with lots of ideas together without judging them. Pick the best one afterwards.'Let's think of all the ways we could solve this. No idea is silly!'
- 'I Feel' Statements
- Telling someone how you feel without blaming them. Start with 'I feel...' instead of 'You always...''I feel upset when you don't include me' is better than 'You never listen!'
Let's Talk About It
- What are you good at that helps when working in a team?
- What's better — winning on your own or solving a problem together? Why?
- Two friends want to play different games at break. How could they compromise?
- Is compromise always fair? Can you think of a time when compromise wouldn't work?
Teamwork Vocabulary
| English | Türkçe |
|---|---|
| fairIt's only fair if everyone gets a turn. | adilAncak herkese sıra gelirse adil olur. |
| compromiseWe reached a compromise — half the time we play football, half the time we play basketball. | uzlaşmaUzlaşmaya vardık: Zamanın yarısında futbol, yarısında basketbol oynuyoruz. |
| sort it outDon't fight about it — let's sort it out together. | halletmek / çözmekBunun için kavga etmeyin — hadi birlikte halledelim. |
| take turnsWe take turns being team captain each week. | sırayla yapmakHer hafta sırayla takım kaptanı oluyoruz. |
| agreeWe all agreed that Priya's idea was the best. | anlaşmak / kabul etmekHepimiz Priya'nın fikrinin en iyisi olduğu konusunda aynı fikirdeydik. |
| teamworkGood teamwork means listening to everyone, not just the loudest person. |
Writing task
Write about 80 words on this and have it marked, with corrections. Free account needed.
Discuss this in English
Reading about life-skills is one thing; arguing your position out loud in English is another. A free account unlocks the graded writing task, the discussion practice with a British AI tutor, and saved progress.