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10th Grade

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Based on the design process we've covered in class, how would you design a solution to a real world problem that is important to you?

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Watch the video below for an introduction to your assignment and for a walkthrough of all the great resources located in this Padlet.
(Tip: Click the full screen button on the video to see a larger version!)

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Become an Innovative Designer Padlet Walkthrough

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Refer to the video below for a quick recap of the design process.

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The Design Process for Students - Design and Technology / STEM classroom lessons

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This graphic organizer is a great tool for brainstorming the beginning stages of your design.

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Engineering Design Process Graphic Organizer.pdf

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Check out these 22 digital tools aimed at helping you plan and manage your project design in detail.

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Design-Thinking Tools for Students | Common Sense Education

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Turn your classroom into a laboratory for creative thinking. Explore this Design-Thinking Tools for Students Top Picks list of 21 tools curated by Common Sense Education editors to find relevant and engaging edtech solutions for your classroom.

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Tips for Choosing Your Own Design Problem

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Tips for Choosing Your Own Design Problem

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This blog posts walks you through the 5 recommended steps for choosing a design problem.

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Being able to choose suitable research topics is an important skill to have for any student. Not only is it the difference between writing a good paper and falling flat on your face, it's imperative if you want the process to run smoothly.

The importance of writing a good paper can lead students to feel an enormous and looming weight hanging over their heads as time passes, however, if you know a few crucial steps choosing the right research topics can be quick, easy and even fun.

In this article, you will see how to find the perfect research topics in just five easy steps, stress-free.

1. Brainstorm Some Research Topics

The first and probably the easiest step is to have a brainstorming session to see what topic is best for you. It's best to find something that interests you, but you shouldn't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone a little bit. Look at what is going on in the news and see if anything sparks a creative burst of thought. Make a long list of possible choices and begin the selection process.

2. Select a Topic

The next step is selecting a topic that might sound obvious and straightforward but doing this step right is important if you want the rest of the process to be painless.

A common mistake students can make, is getting far too specific at the early stages, however, selecting the right topic is a process of elimination.

The objective of starting off with a finalized idea is to save time, but the time you will spend getting to that stage will help you with the rest of the process, so it's best not to rush it.

Start off by picking a very broad subject and the more widespread, the better. So if you decide to write about a multi-faceted subject such as music do it! The next steps will solidify your idea and bring you closer to that final draft.

3. Get Super Specific

Once you have a broad subject, the next step is to get super-specific. This will help you determine whether or not your subject has depth and is worth perusing. If this step takes a little time and you find yourself changing your mind about your topic don't worry because once you nail this step, the rest will be easy.

The idea is to get your broad idea and then extract a particular element of that subject. Then, you have to take that aspect and make that even more specific. For example, if your topic is about music get specific by making it about blues music. And then get even more precise by making it about the effect and influence blues from rural Mississippi had on Chicago blues in the '50s; this is how you make a paper unique as well as interesting.

4. Define Your Topic as a Question

Once you have a specific topic you now need to define it a question that will help you with the context of your paper. So, if your chosen topic is the "The effect Mississippi Blues had on Chicago blues in the 50's" You need to change it to something along the lines of: "How has rural Mississippi Blues influenced mainstream Chicago Blues"

5. Research Your Topic More / Create an Outline

At this stage you essentially have a paper that is waiting to be written, all you have to do now is some in-depth research on the specific aspects of your paper, and create an outline of what you want your paper to say. Write a two-sentence answer to your defined topic question, and you are ready to begin.

The hardest part is complete; in only five steps, you have your research topic. Now all you need to do is write it!

The first thing you should do is make a list of things that you want your research paper to say, how you want to say it, and how you want it to be perceived. Create aims and goals and write a timeline of when and how you want to achieve them, but before you do so, be sure to take note of the five steps above and put them into practice before you write a single word.

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Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid packages at colleges around the country!

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How to Choose the Right Research Topic in 5 Easy Steps

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Being able to choose suitable research topics is an important skill to have for any student. Not only is it the difference between writing a good paper and falling flat on your face, it's imperative if you want the process to run smoothly.

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Having Trouble Choosing a Design Problem?

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Having Trouble Choosing a Design Problem?

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Check out this list of global issues to spark some ideas.

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If You're Still Having Difficulties Choosing a Problem-

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If You're Still Having Difficulties Choosing a Problem-

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Check out this list of US problems to spark some ideas.

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heritage.org

The Heritage Foundation is shining a light on America's biggest issues so that we can begin to work together on solutions. Learn more about health care, immigration, spending, election integrity, and other important topics.

Which America Will You Choose?

It's perhaps never been more important to ask: What kind of country do I want to live in, work in, and raise my family in? What kind of America do I believe in? The Heritage Foundation's Genevieve Wood breaks down what exactly is at stake. Read more: Which America Will You Choose?

America's Biggest Issues: Conservatism vs. Progressivism

Conservatives say people should have choices. Progressives say one political solution fits all. The Heritage Foundation's Genevieve Wood explains three fundamental differences between being a Conservative and being a Progressive. Read more: The 3 Big Differences Between Conservatives and Progressives

America's Biggest Issues: Health Care

America's Biggest Issues: Immigration

America's Biggest Issues: Religious Freedom

America's Biggest Issues: Marriage

America's Biggest Issues: Education

America's Biggest Issues: Environment

America's Biggest Issues: Spending

America's Biggest Issues: Welfare

America's Biggest Issues: Election Integrity

Contrary to the claims of many on the left, voter fraud is a very real problem. When someone commits voter fraud, the process is no longer fair, everyone's vote gets diluted, and in some cases, election results are changed.

The Heritage Foundation is shining a light on America's biggest issues so that we can begin to work together on solutions. Learn more about health care, immigration, spending, election integrity, and other important topics.

Which America Will You Choose?

It's perhaps never been more important to ask: What kind of country do I want to live in, work in, and raise my family in? What kind of America do I believe in? The Heritage Foundation's Genevieve Wood breaks down what exactly is at stake. Read more: Which America Will You Choose?

America's Biggest Issues: Conservatism vs. Progressivism

Conservatives say people should have choices. Progressives say one political solution fits all. The Heritage Foundation's Genevieve Wood explains three fundamental differences between being a Conservative and being a Progressive. Read more: The 3 Big Differences Between Conservatives and Progressives

America's Biggest Issues: Health Care

America's Biggest Issues: Immigration

America's Biggest Issues: Religious Freedom

America's Biggest Issues: Marriage

America's Biggest Issues: Education

America's Biggest Issues: Environment

America's Biggest Issues: Spending

America's Biggest Issues: Welfare

America's Biggest Issues: Election Integrity

Contrary to the claims of many on the left, voter fraud is a very real problem. When someone commits voter fraud, the process is no longer fair, everyone's vote gets diluted, and in some cases, election results are changed.

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The Heritage Foundation is shining a light on America's biggest issues so that we can begin to work together on solutions. Learn more about health care, immigration, spending, election integrity, and other important topics.

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Hot Political Topics Other Students are Interested in

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Hot Political Topics Other Students are Interested in

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If you're interested in politics, here is a list of political problems that might interest you.

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Students are more politically engaged - and campuses more polarized - than ever.

Top social issues for college students include climate change and college affordability.

Activism around Black Lives Matter has made racial justice a strong priority for students.

College campuses have been political hot spots since the mid-1960s. Issues that dominated campuses during the Vietnam War look a lot like the current social issues college students care about in 2020. Like then, students today are rallying around civil rights and racial justice as a larger cultural rift continues to divide American politics.

The Trump presidency has sparked political activism for many young Americans on the left and right. Students are growing more political - and more politically divided - than ever before.

"More than 3 in 5 (61%) young Americans and 75% of likely voters agree that the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will make a difference in their lives ..."

Despite the extreme partisan divide on campuses, young millennials and Gen Zers hold nuanced political views. Just over half (52%) of young voters supported the impeachment of President Trump, yet most college students lean progressive on social issues like same-sex marriage and hate speech.

College-aged voters also acted as a driving force behind the push for immigration reform, and even conservative-leaning students tend to have more progressive stances on issues like climate change and gun control. These trends suggest that, no matter their political leanings, students will vote their values in 2020.

Do Students' Views Change in College?

Nearly half of students report changing their political leanings during college. College is a time of exploration. Gathering new information and perspectives from courses, instructors, campus groups, mentors, and peers often results in novel ways of thinking.

College students are also willing to debate their views. According to the Higher Education Research Institute's annual survey of incoming students, 71.7% "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree" that dissent is an important part of the political process.

Mental flexibility, and the willingness to change your mind, is a trait associated with intelligence. But college's tendency to change students' worldviews has long been assumed to run in one direction: the left.

Indeed, a positive correlation exists between higher levels of educational attainment and liberalism, and 30% of students claim they became more liberal in college.

While professors are largely assumed to be more liberal and outspoken about their beliefs, the student population itself remains politically diverse, with most identifying as moderate.

College Affordability

Although Republicans and Democrats are notoriously split on many issues in higher education, both sides agree that tuition costs are too high. Over the past several years, people have increasingly considered college affordability to be one of the nation's biggest problems. Student loan debt in the U.S. surpassed $1.6 trillion in 2019.

The potential rewards of going to college - including higher income and better career stability - are so great that many students take out whatever loans they need in order to enroll. The majority (67%) of 25-to-29-year-olds carry debt, and some say this burden is already affecting important life decisions.

In response to the college affordability crisis, some progressive policymakers propose mass student loan forgiveness and free college. Among young voters, Senator Bernie Sanders' plans to cancel debt and subsidize 100% of college tuition costs proved so popular that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has adopted portions of the policy in his own campaign.

However, a partisan divide exists over both debt forgiveness and free college. College students are evenly split over the question of debt forgiveness, with half favoring repayment flexibility or no policy change, and the other half urging forgiveness for either all or those most in need.

The notion of free college is more divisive. Whereas over 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents favor making college tuition-free for all American students, 60% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents oppose the proposal.

Racial Justice

Racial justice is an enduring cause for college student activists. In recent weeks, the Black Lives Matter movement has gained sweeping momentum in the form of nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died while being physically restrained by a white Minneapolis police officer.

In addition to demanding an end to both white supremacy and police violence against unarmed Black people, students ask for equitable admissions and hiring processes; more inclusive curricula; and greater representation in the media, politics, and more.

College students agree the work is just beginning. In 2018, only a small proportion of first-year students (17.6%) believed that "racial discrimination is no longer a major problem in America." This figure changes when looking at specific populations. Across races, male students are twice as likely as female students to believe that race is not currently an issue.

"I am heartbroken that innocent men (and women) like George Floyd are killed because of their race. I am heartbroken that we've allowed and overlooked this violent hatred for so long."

- Grace Robertson, Student at Hoggard High School in Wilmington, North Carolina

It's possible that the ongoing controversy over Floyd's death could change these opinions, however, as more youths in America come to grips with the racially charged issues that incited the current protests.

Regardless, most college students believe race remains a pressing issue and want institutions of higher education to take proactive measures to combat systemic racism. In 2018, more than three-fourths (75.7%) of first-year students agreed that colleges should prohibit racist speech on campus.

Another issue involves getting underprivileged students to campus and equipping them with the resources to succeed. Opportunity gaps hold back underprivileged students at the K-12 levels and during college preparation.

Colleges use grades and standardized test scores to make admission decisions, but both metrics are influenced by the opportunity gap. Data shows that academic success is tied to family income. While wealthy students receive tutoring and test prep, many low-income and minority students attend underfunded schools and are unable to prepare adequately for standardized tests.

Environment/Climate Change

Soaring carbon dioxide levels, rising global temperatures, and the acidification of the ocean - according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, scientific evidence for "[w]arming of the climate system is unequivocal."

We are already seeing signs of a changing climate in the record number of extreme weather events, but younger generations stand to see more - and worse - in their lifetime.

"The undergraduate college experience can be an ideal time and space for individuals to cultivate and foster pro-environmental behavior."

- Cadi Y. Fung, Michigan State University, and Ellis Adjei Adams, Georgia State University

Climate change is a major political issue for young people. In fact, the most prominent face of climate change activism today belongs to a teenager: 17-year-old Greta Thunberg.

Environmental programs and curricula have blossomed on college campuses, but students want to see change at a higher level. In the Spring 2019 Harvard Youth Poll, 46% of respondents felt that the "government should do more to curb climate change, even at the expense of economic growth." By contrast, only 32% agreed with this statement in the Spring 2015 Harvard Youth Poll.

Gun Control

In 2007, one of this century's deadliest school shootings occurred on Virginia Tech's campus. School shootings highlight the threat gun violence poses to youths and have prompted student protests and demonstrations, leading to a widespread shift in public opinion on firearms.

This desire to prevent shootings has not only galvanized young activists, but it also caused a surge in gun-control laws, particularly after the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. The issue hits close to home for students, whose organized pleas for change finally pushed forward policy that had spent years caught in partisan divides.

Through grassroots lobbying for anti-gun violence legislation, harnessing the power of the youth vote, and convincing others to vote against candidates who supported the National Rifle Association, state policies have begun to change nationwide. These relatively progressive gun control measures illustrate how student activists can help pave the way for change.

Gender Equality and Pay Gap

Equal Pay Day, which fell on March 21 this year, symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men made the previous year. As of 2018, the average woman working full time makes 81.6 cents on the dollar, compared to the average man working full time. Black and Hispanic women are most affected by the wage gap.

The gender pay gap varies by state and industry but exists at all educational levels. While college graduates earn more than high school graduates, women with bachelor's degrees make less than men with associate degrees.

While college graduates earn more than high school graduates, women with bachelor's degrees make less than men with associate degrees.

This worrisome trend continues at the next two education levels. For example, a man with a bachelor's degree makes more than a woman with a master's. Education doesn't appear to resolve the pay gap, but research suggests it could.

Although women outpace men in higher education, men and women self-select into high-paying and low-paying majors, according to a Glassdoor study. If the pay gap is a pipeline problem, it is resolvable by empowering women to pursue careers in more lucrative fields, like tech and engineering.

However, the American Association of University Women points out that "[e]mployer practices - such as using prior salary history in setting current pay and prohibiting employees from discussing their wages - compound the problem."

Campus Sexual Assault

Sexual assault has long roiled college campuses. While campus crime rates for burglary have declined over the past two decades, forcible sex offenses have risen.

The Association of American Universities' 2019 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Misconduct found that the overall rate of nonconsensual sexual contact on college campuses was 13%, and the rate for female undergraduates was especially high (25.9%).

According to the survey, 1 in 4 undergraduate women experience nonconsensual sexual contact while going to school.

The vast majority of students believe nonconsenual contact qualifies as sexual assault. Nearly 86% of students strongly agree that sexual activity that occurs without the presence of explicit, affirmative consent (i.e., "yes means yes") is considered sexual assault.

Under Title IX guidance from the Obama administration, colleges were enjoined to believe victims and pursued a growing number of sexual assault allegations. This policy shift was credited with empowering victims and ushering in the #MeToo era.

New regulations from the Trump administration tighten colleges' investigations of sexual assault claims and place new emphasis on the presumption of innocence. These proposed changes have reignited victims' rights activism.

Healthcare

Health insurance affordability is a challenge for many college students. In a 2017 poll, 72% of college students and recent graduates faced challenges finding affordable health insurance. Students who attend colleges that don't provide health insurance through student fees may be priced out of insurance altogether by high premiums.

"[T]he high cost of college tuition ... can exert considerable economic stress on this population and may tempt some students to see health coverage as nonessential luxury."

While cash-strapped students may have a hard time paying for healthcare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which passed in 2010, requires all Americans over 18 to carry a certain level of coverage. To lessen the burden of this requirement for young people, the ACA allows children to stay on their parents' insurance plan until the age of 26.

As a result of these measures, the percentage of uninsured college students dropped from 19.2% to 8.7% between 2010 and 2016.

Now, the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated existing fears. According to the latest Harvard Youth Poll, concerns about healthcare among young Americans more than doubled between fall 2019 and spring 2020.

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Political Issues Students Care About in 2020 | BestColleges

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Students are more politically engaged - and campuses more polarized - than ever. Top social issues for college students include climate change and college affordability. Activism around Black Lives Matter has made racial justice a strong priority for students. College campuses have been political hot spots since the mid-1960s.

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Consider Going Digital for Your Final Design!

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Consider Going Digital for Your Final Design!

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For example, you could design a PSA informing the public about the problem you've identified.

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Create videos that engage and impress. Animoto's drag-and-drop editing tools and visual effects make it easy. No training or experience necessary.

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As you get started making videos, we're here to help along the way! Join other businesses just like yours in the Animoto Social Video Marketing Community on Facebook. Our team of video experts is ready to help you grow with tips, ideas, inspiration, and feedback on your videos. You can also reach our dedicated Customer team directly at help@animoto.com .

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Free Video Maker | Create & Edit Your Videos Easily

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Create, edit, and share videos with our free video maker. Combine your photos, video clips, and music to make quality videos in minutes. Get started free!

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Consider designing an infographic to inform others about your problem.

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Infographic Maker Trusted By 11 Million Users - Piktochart

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With Piktochart AI, you can create stunning infographics, reports, presentations, and more in seconds. No design experience needed. Start for free.

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Innovative designers always reflect on their learning experience; when you're done with your project, be sure to ask yourself the following reflection questions.

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Check out some real world projects from other students like you!

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Discover the power of project-based learning at High Tech High with these examples of student work. It's our record of what we've done and how to get there.

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To navigate the resources in this Padlet, refer to the column title at the top of the page (i.e. "About This Padlet", "The Design Process," etc.). Once you identify the column you need, scroll through the resources in that column for assistance with the various steps of the design process.

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Learners construct new knowledge by problem solving through cycles of design, implementation, and reflection.