Problem Clarity

Overview

In lesson 3 of 7, students combine what they learned in previous research to define a clear problem for their innovative solution. They build a “problem profile” that explains who is affected, what is happening, and what success will look like.

Learning intentions

• WALT synthesise research notes to identify the real problem, not just symptoms.
• WALT write a clear problem statement and supporting details for an innovation design challenge.
• WALT create a problem profile with constraints and success criteria in student-friendly language.

Success criteria

• I can describe the problem in my own words using evidence from my research.
• I can write a problem statement that includes the people affected and the context.
• I can create a problem profile showing “what is happening”, “why it matters”, and “what we need to improve”.
• I can share my problem statement with a partner and apply at least one helpful feedback suggestion.

Curriculum links

• Technology: design thinking—identifying and clarifying needs and opportunities for creating solutions.
• Technology: communicating ideas—using appropriate language, drawings, and simple models to share thinking.
• Key competencies: thinking (making sense of information), participating and contributing (collaborating and responding to feedback), communicating (explaining reasoning clearly).

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 5 — Starter: Research-to-problem quick sort Students revisit their research from lessons 1–2 (notes, photos, interviews or observations). In pairs, they sort sticky notes into two piles: “problem facts” and “possible causes/symptoms”. Teacher circulates and prompts: “What is actually happening for the user?”

2. 8 — Mini-lesson: What makes a clear problem statement? Teacher models using a simple example (age-appropriate). Emphasise that a strong problem statement is specific, evidence-based, and focuses on needs. Show an easy structure: “When ___ happens for ___, they need ___ because ___.”

3. 12 — Guided group work: Build the problem profile In small groups of 3–5, students create a problem profile on paper or a template. They add sections:

• Who is affected?
• Where/when does it happen?
• What is the current challenge (evidence)?
• Why does it matter (impact)?
• What needs improving (desired change)? Teacher provides sentence starters and checks for clarity and factual support.

4. 7 — Write independently: Draft the problem statement Students write their own problem statement based on their group’s problem profile. Encourage students to keep it concise (1–3 sentences) and to include the “who/what/need because” structure. Teacher meets with a few students to support wording and ensure accuracy to research.

5. 8 — Peer feedback: “Glow and grow” Partners use two questions:

• “What is the most important problem you can hear?”
• “One thing to make it clearer is…” Students revise their problem statement immediately, adding any missing evidence words from the profile.

6. 3 — Whole class share-out: Common patterns Volunteers read their problem statements. Teacher highlights patterns (clarity, evidence, impact) and records 2–3 “class rules” for strong problem statements on the board.

7. 10 — Reflection + ticket to exit Students complete an exit ticket:

• Circle the best “problem focus” sentence from their draft (or rewrite the final version).
• Write one evidence word/phrase they used from their research. Teacher collects to inform groups for lesson 4.

Resources

• Student research folders or booklets from lessons 1–2
• Sticky notes, markers, pencils, erasers
• Problem profile template (paper or printable) with guiding sentence starters
• Sentence starter strips (e.g., “When…, for…, they need…, because…”)
• Example problem statement (teacher model on the board)
• Peer feedback prompts (two questions)
• Coloured highlighters for “problem facts” vs “symptoms/causes”
• Exit ticket slips

Assessment

• Collect exit tickets to check each student’s problem statement clarity and evidence use.
• Use observation notes during guided group work: students correctly distinguish problem facts from causes/symptoms.
• Review written problem statements against success criteria and provide targeted next-lesson feedback.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide a partially completed problem profile template and a word bank (who, where, when, challenge, impact, need). Offer sentence frames for students who need structure.
• Support: For students needing additional language support, allow them to use short bullet points first, then convert to sentences with teacher conferencing.
• Extension: Challenge students to include measurable success wording (e.g., “so it lasts longer”, “so people can do it in less time”) and to state one constraint (time, materials, cost, safety, space).
• EAL/SEN: Permit multimodal contributions to the profile (icons, drawings, labels). Ensure peer feedback is scaffolded with sentence starters and think-time.