Young Explorers: Investigating Our World · 1st Class · Energy, Forces, and Motion · Summer Term

Identifying Problems to Solve

Brainstorming everyday problems that can be solved using simple designs or tools.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Materials
• NCCA: Primary - Designing and Making

About This Topic

Identifying problems to solve guides first class students through the first step of the engineering design process: recognizing everyday challenges addressable by simple tools or designs. In the Energy, Forces, and Motion unit, children examine issues like pushing a heavy door or reaching a high shelf, connecting observations to forces and motion. They practice analyzing classroom and home problems, distinguishing simple ones, such as spilling pencils, from complex ones, like building a car, and crafting clear problem statements like 'How can we stop pencils rolling off desks?'

This topic supports NCCA Primary standards in Materials and Designing and Making by building foundational skills in observation, empathy, and precise language. Students develop critical thinking as they prioritize user needs, setting the stage for constructing and testing solutions later in the unit. It encourages a problem-solving mindset applicable across subjects.

Active learning benefits this topic greatly because brainstorming sessions and hunts make abstract recognition concrete and collaborative. When students share personal examples and refine statements in groups, they gain ownership, enthusiasm, and clarity for design challenges ahead.

Key Questions

1. Analyze common problems in the classroom or home that need a solution.
2. Differentiate between a simple problem and a complex one.
3. Construct a clear problem statement for a design challenge.

Learning Objectives

• Identify at least three common problems encountered in the classroom or at home that require a solution.
• Classify problems as simple or complex based on the number of steps or materials needed for a solution.
• Formulate a clear problem statement for a given scenario, beginning with 'How can we...'.
• Analyze everyday objects and situations to recognize potential design challenges.

Before You Start

Observing the World Around Us

Why: Students need to have developed basic observational skills to notice everyday occurrences and potential issues.

Communicating Ideas

Why: Students must be able to express their thoughts and observations verbally or through simple writing to share problems and brainstorm solutions.

Key Vocabulary

Problem	A situation or thing that is difficult to deal with or understand, needing a solution.
Solution	An answer to a problem or a way of dealing with a difficult situation.
Design Challenge	A task that asks you to create something to solve a specific problem.
Problem Statement	A clear and concise description of the issue that needs to be solved, often starting with 'How can we...'.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Problems only exist outside school, like in stories or on TV.

What to Teach Instead

Classroom and home hunts reveal familiar issues, such as tangled headphone cords. Group sharing helps students recognize problems in their own lives, building relevance through peer examples and discussion.

Common Misconception

All problems need fancy machines to solve.

What to Teach Instead

Simple tools like ramps address many issues tied to forces. Sorting activities let students test ideas hands-on, shifting focus to practical designs over high-tech assumptions.

Common Misconception

A problem statement is just complaining about something annoying.

What to Teach Instead

Clear statements specify the need and constraints. Relay games provide practice in collaborative refinement, helping students turn vague ideas into focused challenges.

Active Learning Ideas

Classroom Problem Hunt: Everyday Challenges

Divide the class into small groups and give each a clipboard and sticky notes. Instruct students to walk around the room for 10 minutes, observing and noting problems like 'books fall off low shelves'. Regroup to share and vote on top issues using thumbs up or a class chart.

30 min·Small Groups

Card Sort: Simple vs Complex Problems

Prepare cards with 10 everyday problems, such as 'wet shoes after rain' or 'traffic jams'. In pairs, students sort cards into simple or complex piles and justify choices. Follow with whole-class discussion to refine criteria.

25 min·Pairs

Problem Statement Relay: Build Clear Questions

In small groups, students take turns adding to a shared problem statement on a large chart, starting with an observation like 'Crayons roll away' and refining to 'How can we keep crayons on the table during art?'. Time each turn at 1 minute.

35 min·Small Groups

Home Problem Share: Personal Brainstorm

Individually, students draw or write one home problem solvable by design. Pairs then swap and suggest simple fixes. Compile into a class 'problem wall' for future units.

20 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Product designers at companies like OXO Good Grips constantly observe everyday tasks, like opening jars or peeling vegetables, to identify small problems that can be solved with more user-friendly tools.
• Librarians sometimes create simple solutions, such as a book holder or a special cart, to help students easily access and manage their reading materials, solving the problem of bulky books or limited desk space.
• Parents might invent a simple device, like a stair gate or a toy organizer, to address common household challenges related to safety or tidiness.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with three scenarios: 1. Pencils rolling off a desk. 2. Building a rocket to the moon. 3. A wobbly chair. Ask students to circle the problems that are simple enough for them to design a solution for and write one sentence explaining why they chose those.

Exit Ticket

Ask students to write down one problem they noticed today at school or at home. Then, have them write one sentence starting with 'How can we...' to state the problem clearly.

Discussion Prompt

Gather students in small groups and ask them to share a problem they or someone they know has. Prompt them with: 'Is this problem simple or complex? How do you know? What would be a good first step to stating this problem clearly so someone could help solve it?'

Frequently Asked Questions

How to teach first class students to identify everyday design problems?

Start with guided classroom walks to spot issues linked to forces, like heavy bags. Use sticky notes for quick records and class voting to prioritize. This builds observation skills aligned with NCCA Designing and Making, leading naturally to solution brainstorming.

Examples of simple problems for NCCA forces and motion unit?

Focus on accessible challenges: stopping rolling toys with barriers, easing door pushes with handles, or stabilizing wobbly chairs. These tie directly to forces, encourage empathy for peers, and scale for differentiation by adding constraints like material limits.

How can active learning help students identify problems to solve?

Active approaches like problem hunts and card sorts engage multiple senses, making recognition immediate and fun. Collaborative sharing uncovers diverse perspectives, while hands-on sorting refines simple vs complex distinctions. Students retain more when they contribute real examples, fostering ownership for design phases ahead.

Differentiating simple and complex problems in primary design challenges?

Simple problems use few materials and steps, like a pencil holder from recyclables; complex ones involve multiple systems, like a moving vehicle. Use visual sorts and criteria charts co-created in class. This scaffolds clear statements, per NCCA standards, preparing for testing solutions.