REAL PROBLEM
Students notice that many new students get lost trying to find classrooms during their first week of school. What is the real-world problem?
New students have difficulty navigating the school.
The school food pantry is receiving donations, but students who need assistance don't know when or how they can access it. Who is primarily affected?
Students/families who need food assistance.
Students interview local business owners about downtown needs. Name one skill they are developing.
Communication/interviewing.
Students need to create a professional poster. Name one technology tool they could use.
Canva, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.
A team creates a poster because the teacher told them to. Is this automatically an EAST project?
No. There is no identified real-world problem, authentic need or demonstrated impact.
Students want to make a video about recycling. Before choosing that solution, what problem would they need to identify?
A specific recycling/waste problem, such as students throwing recyclable materials in the trash.
A city park has broken signs, causing visitors to enter restricted areas. Who could be affected?
Park visitors, park employees, and potentially wildlife/environmental areas.
Students design a professional flyer for a community organization. Name two possible skills gained.
Graphic design, communication, layout/design, branding, etc.
Students need to create a 3D prototype of an adaptive device. What technology might they use?
CAD/3D modeling software and a 3D printer.
Students discover younger students don't understand online privacy. They partner with an elementary school and create interactive digital lessons. Identify the R in CART.
The real-world problem is students lacking knowledge about online privacy/safety.
A local animal shelter has many animals available for adoption but says community members don't know about them. What is the problem?
Adoptable animals aren't receiving enough community exposure, contributing to lower adoption opportunities.
A school website doesn't provide important information in Spanish even though many families primarily communicate in Spanish. Who is affected?
Spanish-speaking students and families.
Students disagree about which solution would best address a problem and use research to make their decision. What major skill are they practicing?
Critical thinking/problem solving.
Students want to determine which intersections around the community have the most pedestrian safety concerns. What technology could help them organize or visualize location data?
GIS/mapping software, spreadsheets/data tools, digital maps, etc.
A community partner asks students to create a website. What's the first question the students should ask?
“What problem or need are we trying to solve?” / “Who needs this and why?”
Students discover elderly residents have trouble reading small-print information about community services. What is the real problem?
Important community information is not accessible/readable for some elderly residents.
Cars speed through a school parking lot during dismissal. Identify at least three groups affected.
Students, staff, parents/guardians, drivers, visitors, etc.
Students have never used professional video equipment but learn camera settings, lighting, audio and editing to produce a community video. Identify at least three skills gained.
Photography/videography, lighting, audio production, editing, communication, etc.
Students need to document oral histories from elderly community members. Name three technologies they might use.
Camera, microphone/audio recorder, editing software, computer, digital archive, etc.
Students research accessibility problems at a local attraction, interview visitors with disabilities, learn GIS and graphic-design software, and work with employees to create a more accessible visitor map. Identify C-A-R-T.
C: Researching accessibility and determining a solution
A: Learning GIS/graphic design/mapping skills
R: Visitors face accessibility/navigation barriers
T: Students collaborate with one another, visitors and community partners
Students say, “Our project is to build an app.” Why isn't this a real-world problem yet?
Building an app is a solution/activity. They haven't identified the actual need the app will address.
Why is identifying who is affected important before students create a solution?
Students need to understand the needs of the people experiencing the problem so their solution actually helps them.
Why should an EAST project help students gain or advance skills rather than only use skills they already have?
EAST should challenge students to grow, learn and apply new or improved skills while solving real problems.
True or False: Using technology automatically makes something an EAST project. Explain.
Technology should help students research, design, communicate or implement a solution to a real problem.
A team says, “We made 200 hygiene bags and gave them away.” Give four questions you would ask before deciding whether this is an EAST project.
What problem were you trying to solve? Who was affected? How did you know hygiene bags were needed? Did you work with a community partner? What research did you conduct? What skills did you advance? What technology did you use? What changed because of the project?