The student conducts projects involving at least two of the following kinds of problem solving each year and, over the course of middle school, conducts projects involving all three kinds of problem solving.

• Design a Product, Service, or System; Identify needs that could be met by new products, services, or systems and create solutions for meeting them.
• Improve a System: Develop an understanding of the way systems of people, machines, and processes work; troubleshoot problems in their operation and devise strategies for improving their effectiveness.
• Plan and Organize an Event or an Activity: Take responsibility for all aspects of planning and organizing an event or an activity from concept to completion, making good use of the resources of people, time, money, and materials and facilities.
• Each project should involve subject matter related to the standards for English Language Arts, and/or Mathematics, and/or Science, and/or other appropriate subject content.

A1a. The student designs and creates a product, service, or system to meet an identified need; that is, the student:

• develops a range of ideas for design of the product, service, or system;
• selects one design option to pursue and justifies the choice with reference, for example, to functional, aesthetic, social, economic, or environmental considerations;
• establishes criteria for judging the success of the design;
• uses appropriate conventions to represent the design;
• plans and carries out the steps needed to create the product, service, or system;
• makes adjustments as needed to conform with specified standards or regulations regarding quality and safety;
• evaluates the quality of the design in terms of the criteria for success and by comparison with similar products, services, or systems.

A1b. The student troubleshoots problems in the operation of a system in need of repair or devises and tests ways of improving the effectiveness of a system in operation; that is, the student:

• describes the structure and management of the system in terms of its logic, sequences, and control;
• identifies the operating principles underlying the system, i.e., mathematical, scientific, organizational;
• evaluates the way the system operates;
• devises strategies for putting the system back in operation or improving its performance;
• evaluates the effectiveness of the strategies for improving the system and supports the evaluation with evidence.

A1c. The student plans and organizes an event or activity; that is, the student:

• develops a plan that:
  • reflects research into relevant precedents and regulations
  • includes all the factors and variables that need to be considered
  • shows the order in which things need to be done
  • takes into account the resources available to put the plan into action, including people and time
• implements the plan in ways that:
  • reflects the priorities established in the plan
  • responds effectively to unforeseen circumstances
• evaluates the success of the event or activity
• makes recommendations to others who might consider planning and organizing a similar event or activity.

A2. Communication Tools and Techniques

A2a. The students makes an oral presentation of project plans or findings to an audience beyond the school; that is, the student:

• organizes the presentation in a logical way appropriate to its purpose;
• adjusts the style of presentation to suit its purpose and audience;
• speaks clearly and presents confidently;
• responds appropriately to questions from the audience;
• evaluates the effectiveness of the presentation.

A2b. The student conducts formal written correspondence with an organization beyond the school; that is, the student:

• expresses the information or request clearly for the purpose and audience;
• writes in a style appropriate to the purpose and audience of the correspondence.

A2c. The student publishes information using several methods and formats, such as overhead transparencies, handouts, and computer generated graphs and charts; that is, the student:

• organizes the information into an appropriate form for use in the publication;
• checks the information for accuracy;
• formats the published material so that it achieves its purpose.

A3a. The student gathers information to assist in completing project work; that is, the student:

• identifies potential sources of information to assist in completing the project;
• uses appropriate techniques to collect the information, e.g., considers sampling issues in conducting a survey;
• interprets and analyzes the information;
• evaluates the information for completeness and relevance;
• shows evidence of research in the completed project.

A3b. The student uses information technology to assist in gathering, analyzing, organizing, and presenting information; that is, the student:

• acquires information for specific purposes from on-line sources, such as the Internet, and other electronic data bases, such as a scientific data based on CD ROM;
• uses word-processing, graphics, data base, and spreadsheet programs to produce project reports and related materials.

A4a. The student learns from models; that is, the student:

• consults with or observes other students and adults at work, and identifies the main features of what they do and the way they go about their work;
• identifies models for the results of project work, such as professionally produced publications, and analyzes their qualities;
• uses what he or she learns from models to assist in planning and conducting project activities.

A4b. The student develops and maintains a schedule of work activities; that is, the student:

• establishes a schedule of work activities that reflects priorities and deadlines;
• seeks advice on the management of conflicting priorities and deadlines;
• updates the schedule regularly.

A4c. The student sets goals for learning and reviews his or her progress; that is, the student:

• sets goals for learning;
• reviews his or her progress towards meeting the goals;
• seeks and responds to advice from others in setting goals and reviewing progress.

A5a. The student takes responsibility for a component of a team project; that is, the student:

• reaches agreement with team members on what work needs to be done to complete the task and how the work will be tackled;
• takes specific responsibility for a component of the project;
• takes all steps necessary to ensure appropriate completion of the specific component of the project within the agreed upon time frame.

A5b. The student coaches or tutors; that is, the student:

• assists one or more others to learn on the job;
• analyzes coaching or tutoring experience to identify more and less effective ways of providing assistance to support on-the-job learning;
• uses the analysis to inform subsequent coaching or tutoring activities.

A5c. The student responds to a request from a client; that is, the student:

• consults with a client to clarify the demands of a task;
• interprets the client’s request and translates it into an initial plan for completing the task, taking account of available resources;
• negotiates with the client to arrive at an agreed upon plan.

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