Unit #1: Innovative Minds

Lesson Title: Identifying Everyday Problems

Year Level: Year 6 and 7
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 24
Curriculum Area: Social Sciences – Business Studies (Learning Area: Social Sciences, Levels 3–4 of The New Zealand Curriculum)
Unit Title: Innovative Solutions Challenge
Lesson: 1 of 7

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Learning Intention

We are learning to identify real-world problems we face in daily life and explain why solving them could make life easier or better.

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Success Criteria

By the end of this lesson, ākonga will be able to:
✅ Describe at least two everyday problems that affect them or their peers
✅ Explain why these problems are important to solve
✅ Work collaboratively to share and build on each other’s ideas
✅ Show our school values of connectedness, ambition, respect and engagement through group work

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Key Competencies

• Thinking: Students apply creative and critical thinking to real-world issues
• Participating and Contributing: Students share their voice in groups and value the contribution of others
• Relating to Others: Students practise respectful conversation and collaborative skills

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Resources Needed

• Whakataukī displayed on board: “Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini” (My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective)
• Large chart paper (4 sheets – one for each problem)
• Sharpies or markers
• Sticky notes or small pieces of paper (for anonymous ideas)
• Timer
• Slide or whiteboard showing the 4 focus issues
• Digital projector (optional for visuals)
• Template worksheet (optional for individual recording): "Problem Identifier"

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Lesson Breakdown (45 minutes)

1. Mihi & Warm Welcome (3 mins)

Begin with a short karakia and greet ākonga. Briefly refer to our whakataukī and link it to the idea that great innovations come from working together.

“Today we begin our Innovation Challenge as a team. Each of us brings ideas, stories, and experiences. Alone, we’re smart—but together, we’re brilliant.”

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2. Set the Scene (5 mins)

Use storytelling to introduce the 4 key problems students will explore today:

1. Messy backpacks
2. Being late
3. Tangled cords
4. Vague parent responses (e.g. “We’ll see... maybe later…”)

Give each issue a short, humorous scenario:

• Messy Backpack: “Lucas was SURE his reading log was in there... until he pulled out a 3-week-old banana instead.”
• Being Late: “Anika missed the bus—again. Was it the socks? The toast? Something always slows her down!”
• Tangled Cords: “Charging cables become one massive knot... again. Is there a Sock Monster for cords?”
• Vague Parent Responses: “'Can we go to the skate park?' ‘We'll see...’ But we NEVER see. We just WAIT.”

Let students have a brief chuckle—this sets the tone that problem-solving can be fun and creative.

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3. Group Brainstorm Rotations (20 mins total)

Instructions: Each table group will spend 4 minutes at 1 of 4 stations (a large sheet with one problem). Each round, they’ll rotate clockwise.

At Each Station:

• Add ideas about how this problem affects students
• Add possible root causes
• List what makes this problem so annoying/frustrating
• Ideas can be written or drawn
• Use sticky notes if ākonga feel shy to share ideas publicly

🕓 Set a timer for 4 minutes per station. Give a 1-minute warning before each rotation.
✔ Teacher monitors for respectful dialogue and encourages quieter students to contribute

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4. Gallery Walk (7 mins)

Students wander freely to read the collective ideas on each sheet. They choose one issue that interests them most. Then, on a mini sticky note, they write ONE sentence:

“I picked this because…”

Collect these and stick them below the corresponding chart paper. Teacher observes which topics are more popular (may help for future grouping).

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5. Whole-Class Reflection (7 mins)

Bring students together:

🎙 Prompt discussion:

• “What surprised you about what others wrote?”
• “Did anyone have a similar problem but a unique cause?”
• “How could we start fixing one of these?”

✅ Use the final 2 minutes to loop back to Learning Intention & Success Criteria, asking students:

“Put your thumb up if you feel clear about what we’re doing and why it matters.”
“What value did you use most today: connected, ambitious, respectful or engaged?”

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6. Independent Reflection / Homework (optional)

Hand out the Problem Identifier worksheet. Ask students to write about ONE other problem they’ve experienced (not on the list) that’s worth solving. This serves as formative assessment for next lesson and gives quieter students a voice.

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Teacher Notes

• Differentiation: Assign specific roles (scribe, speaker, artist) for neurodiverse or shy learners
• Success Tips: Use humour + story to engage, give real-world ownership, not just “school problems”
• Te Ao Māori Connections: The use of whakataukī supports holistic, community-led problem solving
• Cross-Curricular Links: Links to Literacy (explaining, recounting), Mathematics (next step: developing solutions that are measurable), and Social Studies (needs of communities)

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Looking Ahead

In Lesson 2, students will work in small teams to select one problem they’re inspired to solve and begin user research by interviewing peers, whānau, and teachers.

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Ka rawe, kaiako! You’ve just laid the foundation for the next generation of Kiwi innovators 🧠✨