Scenario Puzzle Cards

A collection of color-coded scenario cards for group analysis. Each card includes a social scenario, the characters involved, guiding questions, and perspective clues to match.

Red Set

Card ID: red-1 • Jordan's First Day
Scenario: Jordan just moved to a new school and is sitting alone at lunch. A classmate from their old school sees them and waves, but the lunch table is already full.
Characters: Jordan, New Classmate, Old Friend
Guiding Questions:

• What does each person notice?
• What might they be thinking or feeling?
• What motivates their actions?

Clues:

• A Jordan feels isolated and wishes someone would invite them over.
• B The new classmate is curious but hesitant to interrupt the established group.
• C The old friend wants to help but isn’t sure how to support Jordan.

Card ID: red-2 • After-School Club Conflict
Scenario: During an after-school club meeting, two members argue over leadership roles, causing the project to stall.
Characters: Member A, Member B, Club Advisor
Guiding Questions:

• What does each person hear during the disagreement?
• What feelings are they experiencing?
• What are each person’s goals?

Clues:

• A Member A feels overlooked and wants recognition for their hard work.
• B Member B believes they’re better qualified and feels frustrated.
• C The club advisor is worried about team morale and project deadlines.

Blue Set

Card ID: blue-1 • Group Project Disagreement
Scenario: Three classmates are assigned a group project but clash over how to divide the work, leading to confusion and frustration.
Characters: Alex, Taylor, Priya
Guiding Questions:

• What does each person see as their role?
• How might they be feeling about the workload?
• What motivates their suggestions?

Clues:

• A Alex feels their ideas are dismissed and wants more input.
• B Taylor is anxious about deadlines and prefers clear instructions.
• C Priya wants collaboration but worries about fairness.

Card ID: blue-2 • Social Media Misunderstanding
Scenario: Priya posts a group photo. Alex comments with a joke that Taylor interprets as criticism, leading to hurt feelings.
Characters: Priya, Alex, Taylor
Guiding Questions:

• What might each person intend with their words or actions?
• How do they interpret others’ intentions?
• What social cues are at play?

Clues:

• A Priya intended to celebrate the friendship.
• B Alex meant the comment to be light-hearted but didn’t consider tone.
• C Taylor felt mocked and misunderstood Alex’s humor.

Green Set

Card ID: green-1 • Family Dinner Argument
Scenario: At dinner, a discussion about grades turns heated between two siblings, while the parent tries to keep the peace.
Characters: Sibling 1, Sibling 2, Parent
Guiding Questions:

• What does each person focus on in the conversation?
• What emotions are driving their words?
• What outcome does each person want?

Clues:

• A Sibling 1 feels pressured to excel and resents the comparison.
• B Sibling 2 is defensive and wants recognition for their own achievements.
• C The parent is concerned about harmony and academic success.

Card ID: green-2 • Lost Locker Combination
Scenario: A student can’t open their locker before class. A friend offers help, but the student snaps, thinking they’re being judged. The hall monitor watches.
Characters: Student, Friend, Hall Monitor
Guiding Questions:

• What does each person notice first?
• How might they interpret the student’s reaction?
• What motivates the hall monitor’s response?

Clues:

• A The student feels embarrassed and assumes ridicule.
• B The friend means to be helpful but worries about overstepping.
• C The hall monitor is focused on keeping the hallway clear and calm.

Team Debrief Discussion

Instructions:
Reconvene as a whole class. Each group will share one of their scenarios and briefly describe how they solved the perspective puzzle. Then, use the following prompts to deepen your reflection on empathy and perspective-taking.

Debrief Prompts

1. Which character’s perspective insight surprised you the most? Why?

1. How did your group decide on a single viewpoint when characters had conflicting motivations?

1. What emotion did you notice in a character that you hadn’t considered at first? How did recognizing that emotion change your understanding?

1. Think of a real-life situation (at school, home, or with friends): how could you apply the perspective-taking strategies you practiced today?

1. Which one strategy or question from the activity will you remember when trying to see things from someone else’s point of view? Why?

Follow-Up Discussion:

• Invite volunteers to share responses to one of the prompts.
• Encourage connections between different groups’ experiences.
• Highlight how understanding multiple perspectives can help in everyday interactions and conflict resolution.

Solution Guide for Perspective Puzzle

Use this guide to validate student matches, review reasoning, and facilitate debrief discussions. For each scenario card, the correct clue-to-character matches are listed, followed by a step-by-step thought process and teacher tips.

Red Set

Card red-1 • Jordan's First Day

Correct Matches:

• A → Jordan feels isolated and wishes someone would invite them over.
• B → The new classmate is curious but hesitant to interrupt the established group.
• C → The old friend wants to help but isn’t sure how to support Jordan.

Teacher Thought Process:

1. Identify characters (Jordan, New Classmate, Old Friend).
2. Ask: What does each person notice? Jordan sees an empty seat, Classmate sees a full table, Old Friend sees Jordan alone.
3. Probe feelings: Jordan feels lonely; Classmate is interested but uncertain; Old Friend cares but lacks confidence.
4. Match clues by aligning motivations: isolation→Jordan; hesitation→new classmate; supportive uncertainty→old friend.

Debrief Tip: Emphasize how small actions (a wave, an invitation) can change someone’s experience when feeling new or excluded.

Card red-2 • After-School Club Conflict

Correct Matches:

• A → Member A feels overlooked and wants recognition for their hard work.
• B → Member B believes they’re better qualified and feels frustrated.
• C → The club advisor is worried about team morale and project deadlines.

Teacher Thought Process:

1. List roles: Member A, Member B, Club Advisor.
2. Explore perspectives: A hears being talked over → seeks credit. B hears suggestions they disagree with → feels frustration. Advisor hears raised voices → worries about progress.
3. Match feelings to clues: overlooked→A; qualified frustration→B; morale concerns→advisor.

Debrief Tip: Highlight how recognizing an authority figure’s broader concerns can help resolve peer disputes.

Blue Set

Card blue-1 • Group Project Disagreement

Correct Matches:

• A → Alex feels their ideas are dismissed and wants more input.
• B → Taylor is anxious about deadlines and prefers clear instructions.
• C → Priya wants collaboration but worries about fairness.

Teacher Thought Process:

1. Identify who wants what: Alex (creative input), Taylor (structure), Priya (equity).
2. Ask guiding questions: Who feels left out? Who focuses on timeline? Who balances group dynamics?
3. Match: dismissal→Alex; deadline anxiety→Taylor; fairness concern→Priya.

Debrief Tip: Discuss strategies for balancing creative freedom with project management.

Card blue-2 • Social Media Misunderstanding

Correct Matches:

• A → Priya intended to celebrate the friendship.
• B → Alex meant the comment to be light-hearted but didn’t consider tone.
• C → Taylor felt mocked and misunderstood Alex’s humor.

Teacher Thought Process:

1. Clarify intentions vs. interpretations: Priya’s post (positive), Alex’s joke (friendly), Taylor’s reaction (hurt).
2. Discuss social cues: tone isn’t always clear online.
3. Match: celebration intention→Priya; light-hearted joke→Alex; misinterpretation→Taylor.

Debrief Tip: Invite students to share how digital communication can distort tone and what questions to ask before reacting.

Green Set

Card green-1 • Family Dinner Argument

Correct Matches:

• A → Sibling 1 feels pressured to excel and resents the comparison.
• B → Sibling 2 is defensive and wants recognition for their own achievements.
• C → The parent is concerned about harmony and academic success.

Teacher Thought Process:

1. Map emotional drivers: pressure → resentment; comparison → defensiveness; parental concern → peacekeeping.
2. Ask: What outcome does each want? Sibling 1 (fairness), Sibling 2 (acknowledgment), Parent (harmony).
3. Match: pressure resentment→S1; defensive recognition→S2; harmony concern→parent.

Debrief Tip: Explore family dynamics and how siblings might feel differently under similar expectations.

Card green-2 • Lost Locker Combination

Correct Matches:

• A → The student feels embarrassed and assumes ridicule.
• B → The friend means to be helpful but worries about overstepping.
• C → The hall monitor is focused on keeping the hallway clear and calm.

Teacher Thought Process:

1. Identify first impressions: student’s embarrassment, friend’s helpful intent, monitor’s duty.
2. Discuss misinterpretation: snapping often arises from self-consciousness.
3. Match: assumed ridicule→student; helpful caution→friend; corridor management→monitor.

Debrief Tip: Encourage role-play: how to offer help without making someone feel judged.

Using This Guide

• Before debrief, review each group’s reasoning and refer to the step-by-step thought processes to validate student insights.
• Prompt deeper analysis by asking “How else might this character have felt?” or “What clues in the scenario led you to that conclusion?”
• Emphasize that perspective-taking involves testing assumptions and asking open-ended questions to gather missing information.

Return to Lesson Plan | Review Scenario Cards | Use Clue by Clue Slides | Team Debrief Prompts