Lesson 2

Logical Thinking
In this lesson you will learn:
Step by step approach and reasoning to solve problems.
i
A m How to use what you already know to solve problems.
How to tackle a task when you do not know anything about it.

Tejas: Fruits! I like fruits. They are good

for health.
Moz: Correct. You can have them.
But first you have to solve this puzzle.

There are four types of fruits:

Apples, Oranges, Bananas and Grapes.
Each one of you must pick two types of fruits.
Note the following conditions:
If you pick apple you cannot pick orange.
If you pick orange you cannot pick banana.
If you pick grapes you cannot pick apple.

Tejas: I want an apple. With apple I cannot pick an orange or grapes. So I

pick apple and banana.

We know: There are four types of fruits-

apples, oranges, bananas and grapes.
Goal: Tejas has to pick two fruits. He likes apples.
What other fruit can he take?
Answer: Banana

26
 Jyoti: I like oranges. With orange I cannot pick banana or
apple. Hence I pick orange and grapes.

Moz: Very good logical thinking. Can I pick banana and grapes?
Tejas and Jyoti: Yes you can!

Main steps in logical thinking

I. Task: Read the problem carefully.
Example problem: What comes next in the sequence below?

II. Identify: As you are reading make a note of the following:

1. Goal- What is the goal?
To find the fourth shape in the sequence.

2. Information- What is the information available?

A sequence of geometrical shapes is given.
In the sequence, the first shape has 3 sides, the second
has 4 sides, and the third has 5 sides.

CONCEPTS 3. Conditions- What are the conditions?

In the given sequence, from one shape to the next, the
number of sides is increasing by 1 .

III. Solve: Achieve the goal by using the given information and
following the conditions.

1. Reasoning- The fourth shape should have 5+1 = 6 sides.

2. Solution- Work out the solution in a step-wise manner.

The problem is solved!

Moz: Let us look at another example. You are walking towards a play ground.
But the playground is on the other side of the road. So what do you do?

27
Jyoti: We know that we have to first reach a crossing where there are traffic
lights.
Tejas: Next, we check that the vehicles on both sides of the road have
stopped before crossing. Then we can cross.

1 2 3

Jyoti: The condition is that we should follow traffic light rules.

Moz: Good. It is very important to learn about the traffic rules and follow
them.

I. Task: To cross the road.

II. Identify:
1. Goal- Cross the road.

2. Information available-
There are vehicles on the road.
There is a zebra crossing with a traffic signal.
3. Conditions-
Wait for the green signal before crossing the road.
No vehicles should be moving while we cross.

III. Solve:
1. Reasoning- We should wait till the crossing signal is green
and the vehicles have stopped moving.

2. Solution- Steps: 1) Come to a zebra crossing.

2) Wait for green signal.
3) Ensure vehicles are stopped.
4) Cross the road.

28
 Moz: If you do not know the rules then what do you do?
Tejas: Ask parents, teachers, other elders whom you know.
Jyoti: Observe others who are performing the task.
ex: Observe, how people wait till the green signal to cross is on, and all
the vehicles in both the directions stop.
Moz: Why do you follow the traffic rules?
Jyoti: To be safe.
Tejas: If we do not follow traffic rules, we can get hit by a vehicle and
get hurt.

We use logical thinking to solve problems. This involve 3 steps :

1. First identify the goal.
2. Understand the given information, the rules and conditions.
CONCEPTS
3. Work out the solution in a step-wise manner.
“What”, “When” and “Why”, are questions that can help in thinking
logically, to find out “How” to reach the goal.

Moz: Did you know that you already use logical reasoning to solve puzzles,
maths problems, science experiments and other subjects?
Moz brings out four pieces of a chain and gives
Tejas and Jyoti the following problem:
You are given four pieces of a chain.
Each piece has three links in it.
The links can be opened and closed.
Join all 12 links of the chain into a single
circle, as shown below.
At the beginning of the problem all the links
are closed.
Each of the actions “opening a link” and “closing a link”
is counted as one action.
Total number of actions to form the single circular chain should not
exceed 6.

A
1 2 3

29
Tejas and Jyoti make a note of the information available and the conditions
of the problem as follows:

I. Task: To make a circular chain.

II. Identify:
1. Goal- Join all the 12 links into a single circle.

2. Information available-
Four pieces of chain.
Each chain has three closed links inter-connected.
The links can be closed and opened.
3. Conditions-
Opening a link or closing a link is counted as one action.
Number of actions to complete the task should not be
more than six.

Tejas: Let us open link at the end of chain ‘A’ and

connect it to the beginning link of chain ‘B’.
Jyoti: Then we will open the end link of ‘B’ and
A
connect it to the beginning link of the chain ‘C’.

Moz: The number of actions are now 4. You have

B
two more actions to complete the circular chain.
Tejas: Oh! We cannot complete in two more actions
C as we still have to connect the ‘D’ chain and then
close the circle. What should we do?
D

1 2 3

Tejas and Jyoti start thinking of other

B
options and they keep playing with one
chain. Tejas accidentally opens all the links
C
of chain A.

Tejas (exclaims): Look! The three links of chain A D

are open. Let us try connecting other chains B, C and
D with these links.
Jyoti: We have already used three actions for opening the three links of
chain A. We have to achieve the goal with three more actions!

30
Jyoti: With link 1 of chain A let us connect chains B and C. We have seven
links interconnected. Total number of actions is 4.
Tejas: Now connect the chain D to these 7 links using the link 2 of chain A.
We have a long chain of 11 links. Total number of actions is 5.
Jyoti: Complete the circle using link 3 of chain A!
Problem solved using 6 actions.
Moz: Very good.

Solving a problem:
1. Reasoning- Try various options for the solution. Find
one option that leads to the goal without breaking the
conditions given.
Example: Circular chain problem:
Option 1: Open a link from each chain to make the
circular chain.
Does not satisfiy the conditions.
Option 2: Open all the three links of one of the chains.
Can satisfy the conditions.
2. Solution- Achieve the goal by choosing the option that
satisfies the conditions. Work out the detailed steps
requried to reach the goal.

Moz: You have been able to solve the problem very easily. You already know
how to think logically. Would you like to solve a different type of puzzle?
Tejas: Oh! yes.
Moz: Here is the problem of a farmer I met yesterday.

Farmer’s problem:

Kishan, the farmer has to take a fox, a chicken, and a bag of corn safely
across a river in a boat. He can take only one thing at a time in the boat.
He cannot leave the fox and the chicken
together on either side of the river, since
the fox will eat the chicken. Likewise, he
cannot leave the chicken along with the
bag of corn, since the chicken will
eat the corn. How can the farmer
get everything across the river
without anything being eaten?

31
 Tejas and Jyoti discuss the problem and first list out the information, goal
and conditions.

I. Task: The farmer, fox, chicken, and corn have to cross the
river.
II. Identify:
1. Goal- Farmer has to take the chicken, fox and the corn to
the other side of the river in the boat.
2. Information available-
A river that can be crossed on boat.
A farmer who owns a boat.
CONCEPTS
The farmer has with him a fox, chicken and some corn.
3. Conditions-
The farmer can take only one item at a time in his boat
(either the fox or the chicken or corn).
On either side of the river the farmer cannot leave:
Fox and chicken together.
Chicken and corn together.

Tejas: Suppose the farmer takes the chicken first and leaves it on the
other side.
Moz: Why did you choose chicken first.
Tejas: If we take the fox then chicken and corn will be left together. The
chicken will eat the corn.
Jyoti: The farmer cannot leave the fox and chicken together because the
fox will eat the chicken.
Moz: Good reasoning.

fox and chicken together Chicken and corn together But he can leave fox and
corn together

32
 1. Reasoning- For the first step
Option 1:
First take fox in the boat.
Then chicken and corn will be together.
Chicken will eat the corn.
Option 1 does not satisfy the conditions.

Option 2:
First take corn in the boat.
Then fox and chicken will be together.
Fox will eat the chicken.
Option 2 does not satisfy the conditions.

Option 3:
First take chicken in the boat.
Then fox and corn will be together.
Fox does not eat the corn.
Option 3 satisfies the conditions.

2. Solution- Choose option 3 and proceed.

Detailed steps are shown below.

Step 1: Farmer takes the chicken

in the boat and leaves it on the

1 other side of the river and comes

back alone.

Jyoti: Next the farmer takes the corn.

Tejas: But he cannot leave the corn and chicken together on the other side of
the river. So the farmer should leave the corn and bring back the chicken.

Step 2: The farmer takes the

corn to the other side of the
river. He leaves the corn and

2 brings back the chicken.

33
 Tejas: Next the farmer takes the fox and leaves it on the other side.

Step 3: The farmer takes

the fox and leaves it on the
other side and comes back.
3
Moz: Good. So the fox and corn on the other side can be left together.
Jyoti: Yes. He comes back and then takes the chicken.

Step 4: The farmer takes the

4
chicken to the other side of
the river.

Jyoti: Farmer’s problem solved! That was fun to solve.

Logical thinking is about identifying the goal, the information

given, and the conditions of a problem. Then solve the problem in
CONCEPTS a step-wise manner to reach the goal.

Step wise thinking is about identifing the main steps of a solution.

Then list the detailed steps for each main step to complete the
CONCEPTS
solution.

Moz: Now consider the second step again. Can the farmer take the fox instead
of the corn?
Tejas: Oh! Yes. Either fox or corn can be taken in the boat to the other
side.

Jyoti: But he has to bring back the chicken.

Moz: Correct. Now what will be the next step?
Tejas: The farmer takes the corn to the other side and comes
back.
Jyoti: Then he takes the chicken in the last step.

34
 Step 1: Farmer takes the chicken in the boat, leaves it on the other
side of the river and come backs empty.
Step 2: The farmer takes the fox and brings back the chicken.
Step 3: The farmer takes the corn to the other side and comes back
empty.
Step 4: The farmer then takes the chicken.

Moz: See how easy it is to solve a problem by first understanding

the given information, the conditions and the goal.
Tejas: And then solve it step by step!
Jyoti: We have also found out that there can be many ways in
which we can solve a problem.

A problem can have more than one correct solution.

The sequence of steps may be fixed in some cases (only one
CONCEPTS
solution) or interchangable in others (more than one solution).

Moz: Correct. Now apply step by step thinking and logical

reasoning while you solve problems in other subjects.
Tomorrow we can use what you learned and build some
interesting games using Scratch.
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35
 Book IV Lesson 2 WORKSHEETS
1. Solve anagrams and match the columns.
In anagrams, alphabets in a word are presented in jumbled order.
You have to set them in correct order to form the word. For instance,
an anagram as ‘D R E’ would mean ‘RED’.
Following are some things you carry to the school everyday. Solve the
anagrams and matching columns.

S.No. Anagram Word

1 K B O O

2 F I T F I N

3 G A B

4 CIPENL

5 XOB

36
 Book IV Lesson 2 WORKSHEETS
b. Following are names of some vehicles that are used for transportation.
Solve the anagrams and match the columns.

S.No Anagram Word

1 RNTIA

2 P S I H

3 LCYEC

4 SBU

5 RAC

37
 Book IV Lesson 2 WORKSHEETS
2. Chiku, the rabbit has to hop his way to find the carrots on the island.
With each hop, he crosses five tiles. How many times will he have to
hop to reach the carrots.
I. Task: Rabbit has to find the carrots on the island.
II. Identify:
1. Goal: Reach carrots on tile _ _ _ _ _ _.
2. Information: There are _ _ _ _ number of tiles.
3. Conditions: hops of _ _ _ _ _ _tiles.
II. Solution: Hop on tile numbers 5, 10, _ _ , _ _ , 25.
1 2 3 4 5
So the number of hops =_ _.
6

7
Another way of solving:
8 25 5 = _ _ _ _ hops.
9
10 25
11 24
12 23
13 22
14 21
15 16 17 18 19 20

3. Munmun, the squirrel has to eat the groundnut. Help her reach it.

38
 Book IV Lesson 2 WORKSHEETS
4. Complete the following sequences by writing the steps as shown in the
first problem below:
a) 9, 10, 12, 15,?
1. Goal:
Find the 5th number in the sequence.
2. Information:
4 numbers of a sequence in ascending order.
3. Condition: We observe that
9 + 1 = 10, 10 + 2 =12, 12 + 3 =15
4. Reasoning:
We added 1 to first number and got second number. 9+1=10
We added 2 to second number and got third number. 10+2=12
We added 3 to third number and got fourth number. 12+3=15
We should add 4 to fourth number to get the fifth number.
5. Solution: 15+4=19
b) 1, 2, 4, 7,?
a) 10 b) 11 c) 5 d) 12
c) 10, 9, 7, 4, ?
a) 8 b) 1 c) 2 d) 0

d) 12, 8, 5, 3, ?
a) 2 b) 10 c) 1 d) 7

5. Can you help Jyoti to solve the following puzzles.

a. Some figures are given below. Observe them.

Now match the shapes with their colour.

YELLOW RED BLUE GREEN

39
 Book IV Lesson 2 WORKSHEETS
b. Observe the following figures.

Fill in the blanks and colour the triangles in the grid below. The Red
triangle should be between yellow and blue triangles. The first triangle
is the Yellow one.
1. Goal: Colour the grid.
2. Information: First triangle is_ _ _ _.
3. Condition: Red triangle should be between_ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _
triangles.
4. Reasoning:
So the third triangle is _ _ _ _.
The second triangle is _ _ _ _.
The fourth triangle is _ _ _ _.

c. Study the following figures.

The Red square comes in between the brown and yellow squares. Blue
square is the first square in the grid. Black square is directly above the
yellow square.
Fill in the blanks and colour the squares in the grid that follows:
1. Goal: Colour the squares in the grid.
2. Information: _ _ _ _square is the first square in the grid.

40
 Book IV Lesson 2 WORKSHEETS
3. Condition:
Red square comes in between the _ _ _ _and yellow
squares.
_ _ _ _ square is directly above the yellow square.
4. Reasoning and solution:
The squares in the second row are brown, _ _ _ _ , yellow.
The remaining square next to blue is _ _ _ _ square.

5. Minu will go hiking with her friend in 2 weeks. Today is January 3rd.
What is the date on which Minu will go hiking?
1. Information:
Today is _ _ _ _ _.
Minu will go hiking in _ _ _ _ weeks.
2. Reasoning:
Two weeks means _ _ _ _ days.
4. Solution:
3+ _ _ _ = _ _ _ _.
Minu will go hiking on January_ _ _ _.
6. Can you tell what comes next? Circle the correct option from a,b,c
given below.
i.
?

a. b. c.

41
 Book IV Lesson 2 WORKSHEETS

ii.
?

a. b. c.

iii.
?

a. b. c.

iv.
?

a. b. c.

42
 Book IV Lesson 2 WORKSHEETS
7. Solve the following puzzles:
a. Kartar, Seema and Rahul collect different items. One collects stamps, one
collects insect pictures and one collects toy car pictures. Rahul exchanged
his car pictures for insect pictures. Seema doesn’t like cars but likes
getting letters. Kartar thinks insects are too small to worry about. What
do Kartar, Seema and Rahul collect?

Kartar Seema Rahul

Information:
_ _ _ _, _ _ _ _, and _ _ _ _ are collectors.
Conditions:
i. _ _ _ _ swapped his car pictures for _ _ _ _ pictures.
ii. Seema doesn’t like cars but likes getting _ _ _ _ .
iii. Kartar thinks _ _ _ _ are too small to worry about.
Reasoning and solution:
1. By condition (i), Rahul collects _ _ _ _ pictures.
2. By condition (ii), Since Seema likes getting letters. Letters have
_ _ _ _ stuck on them, so Seema collects _ _ _ _.
3. By condition (iii) and (i), Kartar collects _ _ _ _ pictures.

43
 Book IV Lesson 2 WORKSHEETS
b. Amina, Manish, and Jeet each ate something different for breakfast. One
had toast, one had chapati, and one had an apple for breakfast.
i. Amina likes to eat either an apple or toast for breakfast.
ii. Only Manish and Jeet like chapati for breakfast.
iii. Jeet did not have chapati or toast for breakfast.
What did each person have for breakfast?

Amina Manish Jeet

Goal:
Find who ate what for breakfast.
Information:
i. There are 3 items for breakfast- apple, chapati and toast.
ii. There are 3 children- Amina, Manish, Jeet.
iii. Jeet did not have chapati or toast.
Condition:
i. _ _ _ _ likes to eat either an _ _ _ _ or toast for breakfast.
ii. _ _ _ _ and Jeet like chapati for _ _ _ _.
Reasoning:
1. From information, Jeet ate _ _ _ _.
2. Since Jeet ate _ _ _ _, by condition (i). Amina ate _ _ _ _.
3. From 1 and 2 above, we find that _ _ _ _ is left. Hence, Manish
ate _ _ _.
Solution:
Jeet ate _ _ _ _.
Amina ate _ _ _ _.
Manish ate _ _ _ _.

44
 Book IV Lesson 2

1. Sudoku: Select Applications ---> Games ---> Sudoku

The rules of Sudoku are quite simple. In order to complete the puzzle, you must fill
each square with a number between 1 to 5. Each row and each column contains the
digits from 1 to 5 only once. That means, you must fill each square such that no number
appears twice in the same row or column. Ask questions like:
“How can I fit all the numbers in this box?”
“What numbers can fit in a square satisfying the given conditions?”
Think logically and solve the puzzle.
As the level of the game increases, the difficulty level and the number of grids also
increases.

45
 Book IV Lesson 2

2. Chess: Select Applications ---> Games ---> Chess

Goal: The object of the game is to checkmate the opponent’s king. This occurs when
the king is under immediate attack (in check) and there is no way to remove it from
attack on the next move. Learn to play by trial and error.
Information: Chess is a two-player board game. You can play this game with the
computer (as a second player). Chess is played on a square chessboard, consisting of
64 squares of alternating color. Each player begins the game with sixteen pieces: one
king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns.
Rules: One player controls the white pieces and the other player controls the black
pieces; the player that controls white is the first to move. The players take turns
moving pieces; certain moves involve a “capturing” of an opponent’s piece, removing
it from the chessboard. Movement of each type of piece has a rule. Find these rules
using “help”. Discover more rules on your own by playing with computer.

46
 Book IV Lesson 2

3. Tux math: Select Applications ---> Games ---> Tux math

Your mission is to save the penguins igloo from the falling comets. Stop a comet by
typing the correct answer to the math problem and pressing the space bar or enter.
If an igloo gets hits by a comet, it melts. But dont worry, the penguin is ok! Type the
correct answer on the comet before it hits the igloo.

Group activity:
Enact the following story in the class.
Answer the questions given at the end of the story.

Unity is Strength
Once upon a time, there was a flock of doves that flew in search of food led by
their king. One day, they had flown a long distance and were very tired. The dove king
encouraged them to fly a little further. The smallest dove picked up speed and found
some rice scattered beneath a banyan tree. So all the doves landed and began to eat.
Suddenly a net fell over them and they were all trapped. They saw a hunter
approaching carrying a huge club. The doves desperately fluttered their wings trying to
get out, but to no avail.
The king had an idea. He advised all the doves to fly up together carrying the net
with them. He said that there was strength in unity.

47
 Book IV Lesson 2

Each dove picked up a portion of the net and together they

flew off carrying the net with them. The hunter looked up in
astonishment. He tried to follow them, but they were flying high
over hills and valleys. They flew to a hill near a city of temples,
where lived a mouse who could help them. He was a faithful friend
of the dove king.
When the mouse heard the loud noise of their approach, he went into hiding. The
dove king gently called out to him and then the mouse was happy to see him. The dove
king explained that they had been caught in a trap and needed
the mouse’s help. He asked the move to gnaw at the net with his
teeth and set them free.
The mouse agreed saying that he would set the king free
first. The king insisted that his subjects be freed first and the
king last. The mouse understood the king’s feelings and complied
with his wishes. He began to cut the net and one by one all the
doves were freed, including the dove king.
They all thanked the mouse and flew away together, united in their strength.

Questions to be answered:
i. How were the doves saved?
ii. What would have happened if all the doves did not listen to their king?
iii. Why is it important to be united?
iv. Finally, list out the information, conditions, reasoning and the solution.

Explore!
1. A shoe can be used for several activities besides
covering your feet. Suggest 20 different uses of
a shoe.
2. What are the conditions in constructing a building?
Can you put beams before columns?

48
 Teacher’s Book IV

Corner Lesson 2

Start the class by revising the step-wise thinking lesson. Now bring out the importance of
thinking capabilities. Ask students what they do to keep physically fit. They may say, ‘We
exercise our body to remain physically fit’. Tell them, that exercise of mind is important for
mental fitness. Tell them that solving puzzles, mental sums, stories and computer games
can be an effective mechanism for exercise of the mind.

The purpose of this lesson is to build clarity of thought in students. A foundation for the
same is provided by step-wise thinking and it is further reinforced in this lesson.

To teach logical thinking, discuss examples where children use logical thinking in every day
life. For instance, you may ask the students, why they do not cross the road when vehicles
are moving. You can elaborate that while crossing the road, they reason out that: (i) they
should not cross the road when the vehicles are passing, and (ii) they may be hit if they are
not careful. They wait for the walk signal to be green, so that the vehicles stop and they cross
the road safely.

Ask several ‘WHY’ questions. For example:

i. Why are vegetables washed before cooking?
ii. Why do you not put your finger in the flame of a burning candle?
iii. Why should we learn good manners?
iv. Why should we help others?
v. Why should we speak truth?

Explain that step wise thinking is about identifing the steps of a solution. The sequence
of steps may be fixed sometimes or interchangable For logical reasoning, they have to
understand the rules and conditions. You can give the example of cooking a vegetable.
First ask them about the steps to follow. Tell them that this is an example of making a
vegetable. Now question them on why to follow the steps in that order. In many a situation,
questioning leads to logical reasoning and finding a solution. Encourage students to ask
questions while solving a problem.

Narrate a story to the students that highlights logical thinking. Ask them questions that
require logical reasoning after you have told them the story. For example, you can refer
stories of Akbar and Birbal, Tenali Raman.

Explain the concepts covered in the lesson and make the students solve the examples in the
class. You can make the students enact the puzzles in the class and help them solve it.

Summarize the lesson emphasizing the importance of thinking. Give them puzzles to solve
where they have to detail the steps and understand the condition to arrive at the answer.

Further Reading:
http://www.kidsdomain.com/kids/links/Puzzles.html
http://www.indiaparenting.com/stories/panchatantra/panch010.shtml
http://www.aimsedu.org/Puzzle/fencingNum/fence1.html
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/gifttal/activities/ideas.htm

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