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).