Activity 1   Activity 2

Activity 1

A Problem Solving Matrix is a useful tool in determining whether or not ideas will work — whether you’re creating a new snack, trying to decide where to go to college or just looking at what to do this weekend.

The goal here is to create a new snack. For this activity, you can either work alone, or with other students or friends. The first step is to brainstorm all the possible combinations of snacks, and write all the ideas in the left column, as shown in the Problem Solving Matrix Sample Sheet.

Then, decide what criteria you will use to evaluate these snack ideas. Examples of criteria are also shown on the Problem Solving Matrix Sample Sheet.

Take a look at the snack ideas and evaluate them, using plus or minus signs, or, if an element is unknown, enter a zero. Finally, tally up the scores in the right column. If you like, you can add additional criteria. A blank matrix is included below, to allow you to use it for this or other projects.

PROBLEM SOLVING MATRIX SAMPLE SHEET

Activity 1 Problem Solving Matrix -pdf download (11K)
To download the FREE Acrobat Reader 3.0, click here.