Solve This Problem

Choose from the list of problem scenarios below. Using the steps involved in problem solving that were discussed in the chapter, describe how you would go about solving this problem.

  1. Mrs. Smith’s daycare provider is closing in four weeks. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith work full time during the day and need child care for their child. They only have a short period of time to find a new, safe, and reliable daycare provider.
  1. Tim is planning a summer vacation for his family of five to Disney World in Florida. He lives in Pennsylvania and is trying to figure out whether it could be more cost effective to drive to Florida or to fly to Florida.
  1. Sarah has a 20-page paper due in 6 weeks and she has not yet started to work on the paper. She is feeling very overwhelmed because she works a full-time job during the day and has three children at home in the evening. She knows she should get started soon, but is not sure where to begin.
  1. Mr. and Mrs. Jones’ parents are getting older and are finding out they can no longer live on their own in a big, 3-bedroom house. They want to sell their home and either move to a smaller house, a retirement community, or an assisted-living community. Mr. and Mrs. Jones said they would help their parents find the appropriate place to live, but they are not sure where to begin.
  1. Sally found out through a friend that her current boyfriend has been cheating on her with another woman. She is very distraught and is not sure what to do about the situation.

How Do You Think This Invention Came About?

Think of an invention such as television, the electric razor, the toaster, the blender, etc. and then describe how you think this invention came about. You should discuss the various steps involved in creative thinking that were discussed in the chapter.

Which Type of Intelligence Is It?

Read through the scenarios below and then identify what type of intelligence (analytical, creative, practical, verbal, mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, or naturalist) you think the individual has.

  1. John spent years trying to come up with a solution to how to water a Christmas tree without having to water it himself everyday.

TYPE OF INTELLIGENCE:

  1. Susan has always been interested in building things. At a young age, she built model airplanes with great enthusiasm. She went to college and graduate school and earned a degree in architecture. She is now the CEO of her own architectural firm.

TYPE OF INTELLIGENCE:

  1. Jim started taking ballroom dancing classes as a child. He became the Younger U.S. Champion at age 12, has continued dancing, and is now competing for the World Champion title.

TYPE OF INTELLIGENCE:

  1. Lee Ann Rimes earned her first Academy of Country Music Award at the young age of 12. She has sold millions of albums and continues to hit the charts with top-selling records.

TYPE OF INTELLIGENCE:

  1. Cecil wrote his first novel at the age of 16 and, just recently, his third novel made the New York Times Best Seller list.

TYPE OF INTELLIGENCE:

  1. Jane has always loved working through math problems and excelled in school in her math classes. She can work through Sudoku puzzles in little time and finds math very challenging. She is the senior accountant at her accounting firm.

TYPE OF INTELLIGENCE:

  1. Jeremy has always had a green thumb. He grew up on a tree farm and learned at a young age about plants and flowers. He went on to earn a graduate degree in agricultural sciences and recently found a way to cross-pollinate watermelons with cantaloupes to make a delicious new fruit.

TYPE OF INTELLIGENCE:

The Structure of Language

List five examples of structures of language. Make sure you use the various language structures that were discussed in the chapter.