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Problem Solvers

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Lesson Plan

Community Problem Solvers Plan

Students will be able to collaboratively identify community challenges and brainstorm innovative solutions, fostering responsible decision-making and relationship skills.

This lesson helps students understand their role in the community and equips them with the skills to address real-world problems. It encourages empathy, critical thinking, and a proactive approach to making a positive impact.

Audience

6th Grade Class

Time

70 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, collaborative brainstorming, and project planning.

Materials

Whiteboard or Projector, Our Challenges, Our Solutions Slides, What Bugs Our Community? Warm Up, Solution Brainstorming Web Activity, and Community Action Project Outline

Prep

Review Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: What Bugs Our Community?

10 minutes

  • Distribute the What Bugs Our Community? Warm Up to each student.
  • Instruct students to individually brainstorm and write down one or two problems they observe in their community.
  • Facilitate a brief class discussion, asking students to share some of their observations. Record common themes or interesting points on the board.
  • Transition to the slide deck, emphasizing that today's lesson is about turning these observations into action.

Step 2

Introduction to Community Responsibility & Problem Solving

15 minutes

  • Present the Our Challenges, Our Solutions Slides (Slides 1-3).
  • Discuss what it means to be a responsible community member and why identifying and solving problems is important.
  • Use guiding questions like: 'What does 'community responsibility' mean to you?' and 'Why is it important to help solve problems in our community?'
  • Introduce the idea that even small actions can lead to big changes.

Step 3

Collaborative Brainstorming: Identifying Challenges

15 minutes

  • Continue with Our Challenges, Our Solutions Slides (Slides 4-5).
  • Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
  • Instruct each group to choose one significant community problem from the warm-up or a new one they agree upon.
  • Guide them to articulate the problem clearly: 'What is the problem? Who does it affect? How does it affect them?'

Step 4

Solution Brainstorming Web Activity

15 minutes

  • Distribute the Solution Brainstorming Web Activity worksheet to each group.
  • Using their chosen community problem, instruct groups to brainstorm at least three different solutions. Encourage creative and diverse ideas.
  • Emphasize thinking about both short-term and long-term solutions.
  • Circulate and provide support, prompting groups to think deeply about feasibility and impact.

Step 5

Introduce Community Action Project

10 minutes

  • Present the final slide of Our Challenges, Our Solutions Slides (Slide 6).
  • Introduce the Community Action Project Outline, explaining that this will be a larger project for them to develop their solutions further.
  • Briefly go over the expectations and components of the project.
  • Assign the project outline as homework or a continuing activity, encouraging students to choose one of their brainstormed solutions to develop into a full project proposal.
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Slide Deck

Welcome, Problem Solvers!

Today, we're going to become community detectives and solution architects!

Welcome students and introduce the idea of looking at their community. The warm-up activity should get them thinking about local issues. Transition by explaining that this lesson will help them move from identifying problems to thinking about solutions. Ask: "What does 'community' mean to you?"

Why Community Responsibility?

Being a responsible community member means caring about your neighborhood, town, or city.
It's about noticing what works well AND what could be better.
Your voice and ideas can make a real difference!

This slide sets the stage for the lesson's purpose. Emphasize that community responsibility isn't just for adults; everyone can contribute. Ask: "Why is it important to care about what happens in our community?"

Our Community, Our Challenges

Every community faces challenges – big and small.
These could be things like:

  • Litter in parks
  • Lack of safe places to play
  • Traffic issues
  • Not enough help for those in need

What are some challenges you see around us?

Briefly recap some of the problems students mentioned in the warm-up. This helps connect their initial thoughts to the lesson's focus. Ask: "What kinds of problems have you noticed in our area?"

Pinpointing a Problem

Before we can find solutions, we need to understand the problem!

In your groups, discuss:

  1. What is the problem?
  2. Who does this problem affect?
  3. How does it affect them?

Explain that identifying a problem clearly is the first step to solving it. Encourage them to be specific. Divide students into small groups to discuss and pick one problem they want to focus on. Ask: "How can we describe a problem so that everyone understands it clearly?"

Brainstorming Solutions: Think Big, Think Small!

Once we know the problem, it's time to get creative!

There are many ways to solve a problem. Some solutions might be quick and easy, others might take more time and effort.

Let's brainstorm different ways we could tackle the challenges we identified!

Introduce the idea of brainstorming multiple solutions – both simple and complex. Explain that there's rarely just one answer. This leads into the Solution Brainstorming Web activity. Ask: "If you had a magic wand, what's one way you'd fix this problem?" (to spark creativity).

From Ideas to Action: Community Action Project

Great job identifying problems and thinking of solutions!

Now, let's take your best ideas and turn them into a plan.

The Community Action Project Outline will help you develop a detailed proposal for how to solve a real community problem!

Explain that the project outline is a way to turn their best ideas into a concrete plan. Reassure them that it's a guide to help them organize their thoughts. Ask: "What's one solution your group thought of that you're excited about?"

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Warm Up

What Bugs Our Community? (Warm Up)

Instructions: Think about your neighborhood, school, or town. What are some things that bother you, or that you think could be better? Write down one or two community problems you've noticed.

Problem 1:







Problem 2:







Bonus Question: Why do you think this problem exists?


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Activity

Solution Brainstorming Web

Instructions: In your group, choose ONE community problem you discussed. Write it in the center circle. Then, brainstorm at least three different solutions to this problem. For each solution, think about what it would involve and who it would help. Connect your solutions to the problem with lines, like a web!





























Our Community Problem:




Solution 1:

Idea:






What would this involve?



Who would it help?


Solution 2:

Idea:






What would this involve?



Who would it help?


Solution 3:

Idea:






What would this involve?



Who would it help?


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Project Guide

Community Action Project Outline

Goal: To develop a plan for addressing a community problem you care about.

Part 1: Define the Problem (Choose ONE problem from your brainstorming session)

1. What is the specific community problem you want to solve?







2. Who is affected by this problem? How are they affected?







3. Why is it important to solve this problem?







Part 2: Propose Your Solution

1. What is your proposed solution to this problem? (Be specific!)












2. What steps would need to be taken to make your solution happen? (Think about materials, people, time, etc.)












3. What resources (people, tools, information, money) would you need?







4. What challenges might you face, and how could you overcome them?







Part 3: Impact

1. How would your solution make a positive difference in the community?







2. How could you measure the success of your project?







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