Session 1:
1. Show the image
called “Problem-Solving Image” via computer and projector. (See Appendix B.)
2. Ask the class,
“What do you see happening in the image?” and “What do you see that makes you
say that?”
3. Paraphrase their
responses to validate understanding of observation. Then ask, “What more
do you see?”
4. Continue this
discussion for a few minutes and then ask the class, “What do we know about the
process of problem-solving?”
5. Record responses
on a dry erase board or an overhead projector.
6. Continue to elicit
responses by asking, “What more do we know?”
7. After a reasonable
number of responses have been recorded, tell the class that over the next week,
they will all become problem-solvers. Also, at the end of the project, they
will review the process and compare it to their original ideas.
8. Ask the students
to take out paper and a pen and list at least three problems that exist at
school. Allow time for students to create this list. Circulate among the
students and prompt those that are having difficulty by asking questions like,
“Do you see problems among students? Do you see any problems with the building?
Do you see any problems with any procedures or policies?”
9. Discuss some of
the ideas on the list to prompt further thinking about problems.
10. Collect these
lists at the end of class and compile all the problems into one list to be used
in class during the next session. Make copies for students to use the next
session.
Session 2:
1. Distribute the
master list of problems generated after the previous session.
2. Ask students to
take out pen and paper.
3. Introduce the
terms “significant” and “valid” and ask, “Are all the problems on this master
list significant and valid?” and ask for an example of one that is and one that
isn’t and discuss each so that students see that perhaps not all problems they
identified are problems worth solving.
4. Have the students
make a three-column chart on their paper with the following headings: Not
Actually School Problems; School Problems but Not Significant Enough to Solve;
Significant School Problems Worth Solving.
5. Students should
then work in groups of three or four to discuss each problem on the master list
and talk about the category into which each problem should be placed. Remind
them that they don’t all have to agree, but it is important that they discuss
each problem. Each student keeps his or her own list as the discussion takes
place.
6. After the problems
have been categorized, discuss those problems that students may have placed in
the Not Actually School Problems category so that if there are any invalid
problems, they can be eliminated.
7. Next discuss the
problems that students placed in the Significant School Problems category with
the intention of finding three or four that the class agrees would be good
problems to solve.
8. Finally ask the
class to vote to find the one problem they want to solve. That problem becomes
the focus of the remainder of the project.
Session 3:
1. Divide the class
into teams of four or five and distribute the Design Process Handouts. (See
Appendix A.) Ask the class to identify which steps they have already taken and
which step is next. Discuss the remaining steps and clarify if necessary.
2. Students are then
to redefine the problem so that it is clear and specific. For example, if they
chose the problem of “school
lunches,” they need to specify what the specific problem with the school
lunches is. A clarification might be “The school lunches are not
nutritious.” or “The
school does not offer enough choices for lunch.”
3. Introduce the term
“client” and ask students to discuss who the client(s) is/are in this design
problem.
4. Encourage the
teams to identify other people, businesses, organizations, etc. that are
possibly involved in the problem other than the clients.
5. Have each team
develop a list of questions that need to be asked of the clients and of the
other people/groups involved, and bullet list a plan as to how these people
will be contacted.
6. Depending on the
kind of problem the class has chosen, teachers may also need to introduce the
idea of formal research. In this case, ask the teams to consider what the
research says about the topic/problem.
7. At this point in
the team planning, ask each member of the team should take on a specific role.
Choices of roles include: communicator/interviewer, sketcher/drawer,
reader/writer, and data collector/analyzer. Students may work in pairs in these
roles. Each team member should be ready to begin his or her part of the
investigation during the next session.
Session 4:
1. The focus of this
session is to investigate the problem and reframe it if necessary.
2. Teams are to
conduct their investigations. This may involve interviewing, reading research
articles, observing, note taking, sketching, gathering of physical
evidence/examples, taking photos, and analyzing the information gathered.
Remind students that some or all of this “evidence” may later become part of
their presentations.
3. As teams gather
information, ask them the following questions: Has your investigation
affected your initial reaction to the challenge? Did you correctly identify the
problem? If not, what really is the problem?
Session 5:
1. Review the term
“brainstorm” as a whole class.
2. Then have students
participate in a role-playing activity that helps illustrate what brainstorming
is and what it is not.
3. Break a group into
pairs. One person tries to plan a party and makes suggestions to the other
person. The other person has to say "No" to every idea and must give
a reason why it won’t work. For example, the first person might say, “Let’s
plan a party for Saturday night,” and the second person would say, “No, I have
to wash my hair.” This goes on for a few minutes, as the first person continues
to get more and more frustrated trying to come up with any idea the second
person will accept. Once this runs its course, the roles switch and the second
person takes on the job of planning a party. The first person has to say “Yes”
to everything and must build on the idea. For example, “Let’s have a party on
Saturday night.” The response might be, “Yes, and I’ll bring a cake.” This goes
on for a while and the ideas can get wilder. In some cases the parties end up
under water or on another planet, and involve all sorts of exotic food and
entertainment. (Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/creativityrulz/200908/brainstorming-what-do-do-and-what-not-do)
4. Lead a class
discussion about why the first pair got frustrated and why the second pair did
not.
5. Summarize this
discussion so that the students have a list of the Dos and Don’ts of
Brainstorming. Keep this list posted for future reference.
6. Distribute several
pages of 11 x 17 drawing or construction paper and markers to each team. Teams
then begin brainstorming solutions. The goal is to get as many solutions as
possible. Remind students to not eliminate any ideas and to suggest
unusual/creative ideas. Teacher should circulate and encourage creative
thinking, remind students of the brainstorming guidelines, and prompt students
when necessary. Each team should record ideas through writing, sketching,
modeling, or diagramming. Remind teams that these artifacts may later become
part of their presentations to help explain their thinking.
Session 6:
1. Teams should share
their ideas for solutions with clients if possible. However, if that is not
possible, teams should pair up and share their solution(s). Teams should ask
eachother the following questions after they have shared their ideas: What’s
the strongest part of the solution and why? Is there anything you think we
should do differently and why? Did
we leave anything out of the solution?
2. After receiving
this feedback, teams should begin to finalize the solution.
3. Distribute copies
of the Presentation Rubric and discuss requirements of teams’ presentations.
(See Appendix C.) Also distribute poster board and markers. (Note: All
students must be part of the oral presentations.)
4. Presentations
should also include the following:
- An introduction to
the problem.
- An explanation of
how the problem was validated by the team.
- The details of the
solution.
- An explanation of
how the solution was validated by the team.
These guidelines can
be written on a dry erase board or an overhead projector.
5. Distribute 3 x 5
note cards to each student for his or her part of the presentation.
6. Teams should begin
preparations for their presentations.
Session 7:
1. Teams should make
final preparations for their presentations. Write the following reminders on a
dry erase board or an overhead projector:
- Does each team
member have his or her part written in note form on 3 x 5 index cards?
- Are your team’s
visual artifacts ready for display?
- Have you addressed
the criteria in the rubric and the four guidelines given in class?
- Have you rehearsed
the presentation?
Session 8:
1. Students will need
paper and pens on which to take notes.
2. Each team then
gives their presentation. As each team presents, other students are to take
notes on the various solutions. Students will use these notes in a follow-up
activity.
3. Assesssment (see
below).