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Unit notes and practice questions

Grade 9 Citizenship unit 7: Problem solving skills

Everything here is for unit 7 of the Grade 9 Citizenship textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.

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2
Cards
10
Practice questions on unit 7
135–158
The textbook pages for unit 7

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The Temari lesson on unit 7

A short video lesson on this chapter, made by Temari. It loads only when you press play.

Solving a problem in four steps · 4 min · 2 past exam questions worked through

Parts of the lesson

Tap a part to play the lesson from there.

What unit 7 covers

  1. 1.Meaning of problem-solving skills
  2. 2.The importance of problem-solving skills
  3. 3.Characteristics of good problem solver
  4. 4.Qualities of good problem solver
  5. 5.Stages of problem-solving processes
  6. 6.Ways to improve one's problem solving skills
  7. 7.Meaning of Creative problem-solving
  8. 8.Problem solving skill as attributes of good citizens

Short notes for unit 7

The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 9 Citizenship page. Open one at a time.

SkillPrimary RoleKey Focus
Creative ThinkingGenerating new ideas and approachesThinking outside the box
Critical ThinkingAnalyzing and evaluating ideas rationallyLogical links, facts, and scientific evaluation

When you use it

Use when distinguishing between the skills used to produce new ideas and those used to assess them.

Watch out

Do not treat them as identical. Creativity generates ideas, while critical thinking evaluates and analyzes them.

Drafted from Grade 9 Citizenship Education, pages 135-158, then checked twice before it went up

StageMain Activity
Step 1: Define the ProblemIdentify root causes and look at the situation from different angles
Step 2: BrainstormCollect facts and gather information from related persons
Step 3: Decide on the SolutionOrganize, analyze information, and select the best strategy
Step 4: Implement the SolutionDraw up an action plan and put the chosen approach into action

When you use it

Use when applying the systematic, step by step method to resolve personal or collective challenges.

Watch out

Even the best chosen solution will fail if the final implementation stage is not executed carefully.

Drafted from Grade 9 Citizenship Education, pages 135-158, then checked twice before it went up

Practice questions on unit 7

10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.

Question 1

According to the textbook, what is the definition of a problem?

  1. A.An unpleasant situation that prevents people from achieving what they want
  2. B.A permanent failure that cannot be resolved by any human effort
  3. C.A formal government rule set to punish wrong actions
  4. D.A disagreement that completely destroys all social relationships
Show the answer and why

Answer: A An unpleasant situation that prevents people from achieving what they want

Why

The textbook states that a problem is an unpleasant situation that prevents people from achieving what they want.

Question 2

What is the first step in the stages of the problem-solving process?

  1. A.Brainstorm
  2. B.Define the Problem
  3. C.Decide on the solution
  4. D.Implement the Solution
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Define the Problem

Why

Step 1 in the problem-solving process is to Define the Problem by identifying its root causes, sources, and nature.

Question 3

How does the textbook distinguish between creative thinking and critical thinking?

  1. A.Creativity generates ideas, while critical thinking analyzes and evaluates those ideas.
  2. B.Creativity is a learned hard skill, while critical thinking is an inborn trait.
  3. C.Creativity avoids logic, while critical thinking ignores scientific facts.
  4. D.Creativity solves group problems, while critical thinking only solves personal issues.
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Creativity generates ideas, while critical thinking analyzes and evaluates those ideas.

Why

The textbook explains that creativity is associated with generating ideas, while critical thinking is associated with analyzing and evaluating those ideas.

Question 4

Problem-solving ability is considered to be which kind of skill?

  1. A.A hard technical skill gained only through specialized training
  2. B.A soft skill or individual strength that serves as a basic life skill
  3. C.A legal duty required only from government officials
  4. D.A rigid procedure that never changes across situations
Show the answer and why

Answer: B A soft skill or individual strength that serves as a basic life skill

Why

Problem-solving is considered a soft skill, or an individual strength and basic life skill, as opposed to a learned hard skill.

Question 5

How is decision making distinct from problem solving?

  1. A.Decision making selects the right option from alternatives, while problem solving finds answers to complicated issues.
  2. B.Decision making is only done in courtrooms, while problem solving is done at home.
  3. C.Decision making happens after implementation, while problem solving happens before definition.
  4. D.Decision making requires intuition only, while problem solving relies only on luck.
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Decision making selects the right option from alternatives, while problem solving finds answers to complicated issues.

Why

The textbook states that decision making is about selecting the right option from a number of available alternatives, whereas problem solving is about finding answers to complicated issues and problems.

Question 6

Which stage is described in the textbook as the critical peak of the problem-solving process?

  1. A.Step 1: Define the Problem
  2. B.Step 2: Brainstorm
  3. C.Step 3: Decide on the solution
  4. D.Step 4: Implement the Solution
Show the answer and why

Answer: D Step 4: Implement the Solution

Why

Under Step 4, the textbook explicitly states: Implementation is the critical peak of the problem-solving process where an action plan is drawn and put into action.

Question 7

Which of the following is a general characteristic of good problem solvers?

  1. A.They do intervention more than prevention.
  2. B.They believe every problem has only one single solution.
  3. C.They see problems as challenges and look for opportunities within them.
  4. D.They reject logical thinking and rely strictly on intuition.
Show the answer and why

Answer: C They see problems as challenges and look for opportunities within them.

Why

Good problem solvers see problems as challenges, try to learn from them, look for opportunity within the problem, and do prevention more than intervention.

Question 8

Tolosa misplaced his bag while traveling to Addis Ababa. To find out what happened, he gathers facts by asking questions to people who were around the bus station. Which stage of problem solving is Tolosa practicing?

  1. A.Step 2: Brainstorm
  2. B.Step 4: Implement the Solution
  3. C.Step 3: Decide on the solution
  4. D.Cultural assimilation
Show the answer and why

Answer: A Step 2: Brainstorm

Why

In Step 2 (Brainstorm), you dig deeper into the situation and collect facts about the problem by asking questions to those connected to the situation.

Question 9

According to the textbook, successful conflict resolution depends on which of the following?

  1. A.Punishing the offending party to discourage future disputes
  2. B.The readiness to forgive and forget, and seeking compromise
  3. C.Demanding that one party completely abandons their interests
  4. D.Ignoring interpersonal disagreements until they disappear
Show the answer and why

Answer: B The readiness to forgive and forget, and seeking compromise

Why

Successful conflict resolution depends on: recognizing important matters, readiness to forgive and forget, ability to seek compromise and avoid punishing, and believing that resolution can support the interests of both parties.

Question 10

Chaltu organizes all collected facts about a school club issue, analyzes the connections, breaks the big problem into smaller pieces, and commits to the best strategy. Which stage of problem solving is Chaltu carrying out?

  1. A.Step 1: Define the Problem
  2. B.Step 2: Brainstorm
  3. C.Step 3: Decide on the solution
  4. D.Step 4: Implement the Solution
Show the answer and why

Answer: C Step 3: Decide on the solution

Why

In Step 3 (Decide on the solution), an individual organizes and analyzes collected information, breaks the problem into smaller pieces, and selects the best strategy.

The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.

The textbook pages for unit 7

Unit 7 runs from page 135 to page 158 of the Ministry of Education edition.

Ministry of Education edition, English, 184 pages

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All Grade 9 Citizenship short notes

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