Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes	Part B: Developing A Team
20 minutes	Part C: Identifying A Problem
20 minutes	Part D: Developing A Solution
20 minutes	Part E: Making A Plan
20 minutes	Part F: Test and Retest
40 minutes	Part G: Communicating Your Plan
15 minutes	Reflection

Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge

Step 1.

Differentiation:

Where students have completed the previous lesson (Making Your Plan):

Remind students of the Global Problem Solvers team and how they developed a solution for the problem with the wells in Malawi. Invite students to suggest what this problem is and the solution developed by the GPS team.
Next invite students to remind themselves of the solution their group created in response to this problem.

Where students haven't completed the previous lesson (Making Your Plan):

Explain to students that in this lesson they will be exploring a problem that is based in a part of Malawi. This problem will be identified and discussed by the characters of an animated series called Global Problem Solvers:
“Meet the Global Problem Solvers: Adrien, Beela, Cristina, Kelile, Putri, and Satoshi. They are teenagers who each possess a unique skill to solve social problems. Putri, the team leader, summons the teens to an airship and identifies their first challenge: to provide access to clean drinking water in Malawi. With guidance and help from the Malawi people, the team devises a solution: sensor technology that will notify local technicians when a well needs repair.”
Explain to students that the GPS team has followed a series of steps in generating and implementing their solution. These steps are:
1. Teamwork - The GPS team came together and spent time getting to know each other’s skills and qualities, and understanding how these skills and qualities could contribute to the team.
2. Problem Finding - The GPS team undertook research to find out what the problem was.
3. Problem Solving - The GPS team worked collaboratively to generate a solution.
4. Technology - The GPS team explored how technology could be used in their solution, and thought about the risks associated with using technology.
5. Test and Retest - The GPS team test their idea to find out if there are any weaknesses in their solution and then make improvements based on their findings (as explored in the Technology lesson above).
6. Business Plan - The GPS team make a business plan to show they have thought about how their idea could be a success and to attract funders.
Further information about Malawi and the GPS team can be found here (Background Information - Season 1).

Step 2.

Explain to students that in this lesson they will be acting as Local Problem Solvers by:

Forming a team
Choosing a local problem
Developing a solution for that problem and testing their solution
Creating a plan to put the solution into action
Activating their plan

Part B: Developing A Team

Step 1.

Project the following list of personal skills and qualities. Distribute a copy of the Student Worksheet to each student.

LIST OF SKILLS AND QUALITIES

Kindness
Solving puzzles and riddles
Being organised
Caring
Being neat and tidy
Listening
Coming up with new ideas
Funny
Good at concentrating on something
Creative writing
Singing
Telling jokes

Team sports
Mathematics
Craft
Building things
Playing an instrument
Drawing
Baking
Hand writing (e.g. bubble writing or calligraphy)
Individual sports and activities
Reading
Coding

Group students into pairs or small groups. Working collaboratively to share and discuss their ideas, students should pick one skill or quality from the lists that they already think they are good at. They should also pick one skill or quality that they would like to be better at.

Students should record their choices on the Student Worksheet and keep this sheet handy. Explain to students that later in this lesson they may have the chance to:

Use the skills or qualities they are already good at in support of the group project
Gain experience in the skill or quality they would like to improve.

Step 2.

Explain to students that in this lesson they will be working in groups and as a class. Some of us enjoy working in groups and some of us find it hard. A good way to support all team members is to have some teamwork guidelines.

As a class, discuss each of the following guidelines, talking about why these might be important and deciding on which guidelines are suitable for your class.

Suggested group work guidelines:

At the start of the project allow time for each team member to share what they would like to be able to do, what their strengths are - but remember that sometimes to get a project done we just need people to chip in even if it isn’t their strength or something they are particularly interested in
Take it in turns to talk
Make sure you listen to what other people are saying instead of just trying to say what you want to say
Always check that everyone has had the chance to contribute to a shared conversation
All major decisions need to be agreed upon as a group
Build in time to check in how everyone is going
Make sure everyone has the chance to contribute by allocating roles and allowing people to speak
Make sure you keep notes of what decisions were made and who agreed to do what tasks
Before beginning a project, make sure it is realistic and that you can complete it in the allocated time frame and with the resources you have available
.

Step 3.

Once you have selected your guidelines, either work as a class or in groups to create an A4-sized poster that lists the guidelines and can be accessed throughout the remainder of this lesson.

Part C: Identifying A Problem

Step 1.

Students will now work as a class to select a problem they might address in their roles as Local Problem Solvers. Students need to select one of the following issues:

Plastic waste
Biodiversity loss
Saving water

You could do this by selecting an idea for your students or inviting students to vote on the issue they would most like to address as a class.

If students have completed the Tuning In lesson (Tuning In To Global Problem Solvers), they could select a problem they identified in this lesson.

Once you have selected your idea, write it on the board.

Step 2.

Now spend some time clarifying the issue. You could do this by:

Option A - Invite students to work in pairs to think of one question they would like to know about this issue. Students could then swap questions with another pair and undertake the research necessary to answer this question.
Option B - Break the class into five or ten groups and assign each group with one of the following questions, ensuring that each question has been assigned at least once:
- What is the cause of the issue? Why is it happening?
- What are some solutions to the issue? What solutions are already being used?
- Where is this issue happening?
- How long has it been happening for?
- How might this issue relate to our local community?

Students can then share their questions and answers with the class and record key points on a mind-map. The aim here is to give all students a basic understanding of the issue.

Step 3.

Now introduce the concept of a design challenge question to the class. Explain that a design challenge question helps us to think, explore and create many different solutions to one problem. For this lesson, the design challenge question will be framed as a 'How might we…?' question.

'How might we...?' questions are problems that have been rephrased as challenges or tackle-able questions. The 'How might we...?' phrasing is used because it suggests a solution is possible and that the challenge can be addressed in a number of ways. 'How might we...?' questions, when properly phrased, don't suggest one solution - rather, they provide a great frame for innovative, out-of-the-box thinking.

For this design challenge, the question students will be exploring is:

How might we get our class/school more involved in the topic of (insert your issue here)?

Note: You should decide whether you want your project to be focused on the students and families in your class or if you want it to relate to the whole school community.

Explain to students that this is the question they will be using to guide their Local Problem Solvers action. Record your design challenge question on the board.

Part D: Developing A Solution

Step 1.

Students will now begin developing a solution to the design challenge question. Break the class into three groups and assign each group with one of the following actions (or choose an action that you think would work best for your students) and distribute the associated questions to the relevant groups:

Create a booklet to share with the class/school community - brainstorm questions
Run an awareness raising event for your class/school community - brainstorm questions
Make a short film to share with your class/school community - brainstorm questions

Give each group a piece of butcher’s paper and some marker pens. The butcher’s paper can be used as a collaborative brainstorming sheet to draft answers to the questions on their question sheet.

Invite students to get up out of their seats and stand around their paper to record their ideas - this will encourage more creative thought.

Ideas can be written down, or students can do drawings to communicate their ideas.

Let students know that they can use what other people in their group are adding to the paper as inspiration for their own ideas.

You could give students a set amount of time to answer each question (e.g. two minutes), giving time warnings during the countdown (e.g. “30 seconds left!”).

Step 2.

Once complete, allow groups several minutes to discuss and clarify their ideas. They should then attempt to summarise their brainstorm and answer the questions on the question sheet.

Step 3.

When complete, invite each group to assess their idea using the following question:

Will this idea help our community to understand the issue we are trying to address?

If the answer is ‘no’, allow students time to refine their answers to their brainstorm questions.

At this point, you could choose one idea for action to pursue as a class (i.e. booklet or webpage, event, or short film). Alternatively, students could continue working in their groups throughout the next activity.

Part E: Making A Plan

Step 1.

Explain to students that now they have developed an idea for action, it’s time to start planning a project around this action.

Distribute one copy of the Project Planning Tool to each group - groups need to develop details around their idea by working through the questions and activities on this sheet.

You can move around the class assisting groups throughout this process.

Part F: Test and Retest

Step 1.

Depending on the scale and type of project students could conduct a practical test of the proposed solution. This could involve students testing that they have the skills and resources required to successfully complete these actions. For example, do you have someone who can speak to a live audience, do you have someone who can create a web page, or do you have someone who can edit a short film? They can use the results of this ‘test’ to improve their project, and students should incorporate any findings into their Project Planning Tool documents.

Step 2.

Hold a short conference with the class/each group to discuss their plan. Use these questions to guide the conference:

How is your plan addressing your "How might we…?" question?
What help or resources do you need to get it done? How do we get those things?
Have you identified and challenges or risks associated with the project, and how might you manage or mitigate these?
How will you measure the success of the project?

Part G: Communicating Your Plan

Step 1.

Once complete, each group needs to plan a pitch to share their solution with the class. There are two options.

Option 1: You could ask students to swap their completed documents for review:

The reviewing group should read through the document and use a lead pencil to make any notes or suggestions, remembering to be kind, helpful and specific when providing feedback.
The original group can then spend some time making any necessary amendments to their plan.

Option 2: Each group could plan a ‘pitch’ to share their plan with an audience.

Each pitch needs to:
- Describe the problem
- Describe the group's solution and explain why it is great
- List what resources the solution requires and who could be involved
- Last for no more than two minutes
Share the Pitch Factsheet with those students responsible for developing and delivering the pitch. You could also give students a copy of the Pitch Assessment Rubric so they know what is required of them.
Following each pitch, give students explicit feedback: What works with this idea, and what can be improved?
You can also use the Pitch Assessment Rubric to assess each pitch and provide feedback.
After hearing the feedback, students may require some extra time to update their plans.

OPTIONAL - Part H: Execute the Project

Step 1.

After students have completed the planning and testing process, you could allow them time to action their projects. This could be done with each group completing their own projects, or you could select one project to pursue as a class.

NOTE: This could be a good opportunity for students to use the skills and qualities they identified as being good at and those they would like to develop.

Distribute a Project Checklist to keep track of what is needed to deliver the project. Provide students with information about the deadline for delivery of their project and any relevant logistics relating to your school, such as other staff who could support them, how to book resources such as cameras and rooms, or who to speak to for permission for their intended action.

Consider the following tips when supporting students through the action phase of their projects:

Be clear about time allocation - remind students how much time they have to complete the project and encourage students to be realistic about the tasks they have to complete in that time.
Keep communication clear, making sure everyone has everything they need to complete the work they have been allocated, and that everyone knows what they should be doing.
Talk to your principal, parents and staff about what the students are doing and how/why they are completing their projects.
At appropriate intervals, confer with students to discuss their progress.
Remind students to prepare for set-backs, and remind them that making change can be hard; encourage them to continue even in the face of obstacles or challenges.

Step 2.

Publicly showcase and celebrate student projects. For example, you might:

Host an exhibition in which students showcase their project and speak to the local community in detail about it.

Reflection

Step 1.

Host a circle of 'Celebration of achievements' with the class. Not every group may have managed to deliver their project by the set date. Many groups may have delivered something that was not exactly what they envisaged. Emphasise that this is often the case for everyone, and that success is recognising and learning from the process.

Share the skills, attitudes and capabilities you observed in your students. Discuss the importance and transferability of these qualities with the ability to succeed in life.

Step 2.

Invite students to complete the project reflection and personal reflection (available on the Student Worksheet). Each student should complete both sets of reflection questions independently.

Project reflection

Give a short overview of the action your group took.
What parts of the action were the most successful and why?
What parts of the action were the least successful and why? How could we improve these parts?
How could we extend or continue our action into the future?

Self reflection

Which of your skills and qualities were involved in planning and delivering your project?
Did you have the opportunity to practice a new skill or quality? Which one/s and how did you do this?
How did you contribute to your group's success?
What was the best part of working on this project and why?
What was the most challenging part and why?

Finally, congratulate your students on their efforts and remind them to be proud of what they achieved, even if they didn’t achieve all they hoped to in the ways they may have initially intended to.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Cisco GPS - Turning Plans Into Action

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