Creativity and innovation--innovative design process. The student takes an active role in learning by using a design process to solve authentic problems for a local or global audience, using a variety of technologies

Standards Alignment

• TEKS.TECH.1.03A primary
  practice personal skills and behaviors, including following directions and mental agility, needed to implement a design process successfully; and
• TEKS.TECH.1.03B primary
  use a design process with components such as asking questions, brainstorming, or storyboarding to identify and solve authentic problems with adult assistance.

Lesson Overview

In this Grade 1 lesson, students actively engage in the innovative design process to solve authentic problems using technology. They practice personal skills such as following directions and mental agility, and use components of the design process including asking questions, brainstorming, and storyboarding with adult assistance. The lesson emphasizes safe, responsible, and creative use of technology while developing problem-solving skills.

Learning Objectives

• Follow directions and demonstrate mental agility to successfully participate in a design process.
• Use a design process involving asking questions, brainstorming ideas, and storyboarding to identify and solve a real-world problem with adult help.

Success Criteria

• Students can follow multi-step directions during a design activity.
• Students can ask relevant questions about a problem to be solved.
• Students can brainstorm multiple ideas to solve a problem.
• Students can create a simple storyboard or plan to organize their ideas.
• Students demonstrate safe and respectful use of technology during activities.

Prerequisite Knowledge

Students should be familiar with basic classroom routines and able to listen and follow simple instructions. They should have some experience using technology tools appropriate for their age, such as tablets or drawing software, with adult supervision.

Key Vocabulary

• Design process
• Brainstorming
• Storyboarding
• Problem solving
• Technology
• Mental agility
• Directions

Materials and Resources

• Paper and crayons or markers for storyboarding
• Tablet or computer with drawing or storyboarding app (optional)
• Sample problem scenario cards
• Whiteboard or chart paper for brainstorming
• Safety rules poster for technology use

Teacher Preparation

• Prepare a simple, relatable problem scenario for students to solve (e.g., designing a better lunchbox).
• Set up technology devices with necessary apps or tools ready for use.
• Prepare a visual chart outlining the steps of the design process.
• Review safety and respectful use guidelines for technology.
• Plan guided questions to support student brainstorming and storyboarding.

Detailed Lesson Notes

Understanding the Design Process

The design process is a series of steps people use to solve problems or create something new. For Grade 1 students, the key parts include asking questions about the problem, thinking of many ideas (brainstorming), and planning those ideas by drawing or storyboarding. This helps organize thoughts before making or testing a solution.

Personal Skills and Behaviors for Success

To use the design process well, students need to practice personal skills like following directions carefully and thinking flexibly (mental agility). Following directions helps keep the activity organized and safe. Mental agility means being able to think of different ideas and change plans if needed.

Asking Questions to Understand Problems

Asking questions helps students learn more about the problem they want to solve. For example, if the problem is 'How can we make carrying lunch easier?', students might ask, 'What do we carry in lunchboxes?', 'What problems do people have with lunchboxes?', or 'What materials can we use?'. This step helps focus the brainstorming.

Brainstorming Ideas

Brainstorming means thinking of many different ideas without judging them. Students should be encouraged to share all ideas, even silly ones, because creativity can lead to innovative solutions. The teacher can record ideas on a whiteboard or chart paper to show all possibilities.

Storyboarding to Plan Solutions

Storyboarding is drawing pictures or simple sketches to show how an idea might work. For young learners, this can be a sequence of drawings showing steps or parts of their solution. Storyboarding helps students organize their thoughts and communicate their ideas clearly.

Safe and Respectful Technology Use

When using technology tools, students must follow safety rules like keeping devices clean, using them gently, and asking for help when needed. Respectful use means sharing devices, listening to others' ideas, and using technology for learning and creativity only.

Worked Examples

Classroom Activity

Students share their ideas for making lunchboxes easier or more fun to carry.

Guided Practice

Independent Practice

1. Foundational: What is one question you can ask to learn more about a problem before trying to solve it?
2. Developing: Name two things you do when you brainstorm ideas to solve a problem.
3. Application: Draw a simple storyboard showing how your idea solves a problem. Then explain your drawing to a friend or adult.
4. Analysis: Why is it important to follow directions carefully when working on a design project with technology?
5. Challenge: Explain how asking questions, brainstorming, and storyboarding work together to help solve a problem.

Independent Practice Teacher Answer Key

1. 1. An example question is 'What is the problem?' or 'Why do people have this problem?'.
2. 2. You think of many different ideas and share them without saying if they are good or bad.
3. 3. The student should create a sequence of drawings that show steps or parts of their idea and be able to explain how it works to solve the problem.
4. 4. Following directions helps keep the project organized, safe, and makes sure everyone understands what to do next.
5. 5. Asking questions helps understand the problem clearly, brainstorming generates many possible solutions, and storyboarding organizes and plans the chosen idea so it can be made or shared.

Guiding Questions

• What questions can help us understand the problem?
• How can we think of many ideas?
• Why do we draw our ideas?
• How do we follow directions carefully?
• How do we use technology safely?

Common Misconceptions

• Students might think brainstorming means only sharing one good idea instead of many ideas.
• Some students may believe storyboarding is just drawing and not part of planning a solution.
• Students might think following directions is not important and try to do things their own way, which can cause confusion.
• Students may not understand that asking questions is part of solving a problem, not just something adults do.
• Some students might think technology is only for playing games, not for creating or solving problems.

Differentiation

Assessment

• Observe students asking questions and participating in brainstorming.
• Check storyboards for understanding of planning.
• Listen to students explain their ideas and process.
• Monitor safe and respectful technology use during activities.
• Draw one step of the design process you did today and explain it in one sentence.
• Name one personal skill you used to help with the design process.
• Create a simple design project at home using the design process steps and share it with the class.
• Write or tell a story about how you solved a problem using questions, ideas, and planning.

Answer Guide

• What is one question you can ask to learn more about a problem before trying to solve it?
  Answer: An example question is 'What is the problem?' or 'Why do people have this problem?'.
• Name two things you do when you brainstorm ideas to solve a problem.
  Answer: You think of many different ideas and share them without saying if they are good or bad.
• Draw a simple storyboard showing how your idea solves a problem. Then explain your drawing to a friend or adult.
  Answer: The student should create a sequence of drawings that show steps or parts of their idea and be able to explain how it works to solve the problem.
• Why is it important to follow directions carefully when working on a design project with technology?
  Answer: Following directions helps keep the project organized, safe, and makes sure everyone understands what to do next.
• Explain how asking questions, brainstorming, and storyboarding work together to help solve a problem.
  Answer: Asking questions helps understand the problem clearly, brainstorming generates many possible solutions, and storyboarding organizes and plans the chosen idea so it can be made or shared.

Real-Life Application

Encourage families to ask children about the questions they asked and ideas they brainstormed during the lesson. Families can support children in noticing problems at home and thinking of creative solutions together.

Homework or Home Connection

• Encourage families to ask children about the questions they asked and ideas they brainstormed during the lesson. Families can support children in noticing problems at home and thinking of creative solutions together.

Lesson Summary

This lesson guided Grade 1 students through the innovative design process by practicing personal skills like following directions and mental agility. Students learned to ask questions to understand a problem, brainstorm many ideas, and create storyboards to plan solutions. They also practiced safe and respectful technology use. These skills help students become creative problem solvers who can use technology responsibly to address real-world challenges.

Teacher Notes

Use the exact standards alignment and retrieved-source provenance stored with this enrichment.

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