How does precisely defining a problem shape the solution?
Students will be able to
Identify a real problem at school and develop a creative solution.
Write a story in Elementari with a clear problem and solution structure.
Code animations, background music, and interactive features to enhance the story.
Present their finished story with visuals, dialogue, and sound.
Key vocabulary
warpedengineerprecisely
Assessment
Formative
Use milestone checks, organizer responses, and daily test evidence to guide feedback.
Summative
The project explains a specific school problem, represents affected people respectfully, and proposes a feasible solution with a constraint and measure of success. Voice, animation, music, and navigation support the proposal and every promised interaction works without replacing the written evidence.
The student journey
This is a build — not a worksheet packet
Every lesson runs like the story students are about to make: read it, write it, build it, polish it, publish it. The printables scaffold each stage — the published Elementari project is the destination.
1
📖
Read
Students read a short, high-interest passage — a real-world hook, not a dry textbook definition — to spark ideas for what they'll make.
📖The Skyscraper That Melted a Car
On a sunny afternoon in London in 2013, a parked car began to melt. Its mirror drooped. A body panel warped. Nothing was on fire. The heat was pouring down from a brand-new skyscraper across the street. The 37-story tower at 20 Fenchurch St…
SourcesBBC News — "'Walkie-Talkie' skyscraper melts Jaguar car parts" (2013)Wikipedia — 20 Fenchurch Street (covers the egg-frying demonstration and the later brise-soleil sunshade fix)
In the studio, students bring the project to life — adding art and following the exact writing and coding steps shown below. The Studio Compass walks them through it, one step at a time.
🧭Studio CompassStep 1 / 6
Prewriting Your Story 📝
Brainstorm the problem, why it happens, who is affected, and your solution. Tip: Use the writing organizer ( Google Docs or PDF ) to organize your ideas and write your draft.
Key words — tap to learnon page start block
Each step checks off & advances on its own
All 6 studio steps · dynamic to the project
1Prewriting Your Story 📝~15 min
2Creating a Cool Cover Slide 🎨~10 min
3Writing Your Introduction ✍️~10 min
4Explaining the Problem with Voiceover 🗣️~15 min
5Presenting Your Solution 🌟~10 min
6Wrapping It Up 🎬~10 min
4
🔁
Polish
ongoing
Teacher and peer feedback pin right onto the project — students revise until it's ready to share.
Feedback on the project2 pins
🍎
Add one more sentence here so readers get the full picture.
👍 2Teacher
A
The interaction is clear — it helps the reader follow the project!
A couple of things to gather, a few quick steps to prep — then you're ready to hand it to students.
What you need
A device per student or pair
Internet connection
A microphone (for recording or speech-trigger activities)
Headphones or speakers
Prep · about 10 min
1Print the student kits
2Assign this lesson to your students
3Skim the build steps
Teacher background
What you need to know
Students learn that a vague complaint cannot be fixed, but a precise description — what happens, where, when, and to whom — points straight at its own solution. The Walkie-Talkie building shows the pattern at city scale; students apply it by writing a story that defines one school problem sharply enough that their proposed solution feels inevitable.
Key terms
warped
bent out of its normal shape, often by heat
engineer
a person who designs and fixes things like buildings, machines, and systems
precisely
in an exact and careful way
Watch for these misconceptions
✕
The project jumps to a favorite solution before explaining the problem or who is affected. →Require one observable effect and one stakeholder perspective before evaluating solutions.
✕
The solution claims certainty or ignores a practical constraint. →Add who must act, what resource or rule limits the plan, and how the school could test a small version.
Standards alignment
Aligned to the standards you teach
Every task maps to a specific standard, so planning and reporting are covered.
Tracking 7 frameworks: Common Core ELA, Common Core Math, NGSS +4
CCSS · ELA7CSTA4ISTE11AASL3C315 frameworks · 26 standards · DOK 3
CCSS · ELA
Common Core State Standards — English Language Arts
7 standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.7
Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related questions when appropriate.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes, categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
Also addressedCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1 · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.6 · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.5
CSTA
CSTA K–12 Computer Science Standards
4 standards
1B-AP-15
Test and debug a program or algorithm to ensure it runs as intended.
Also addressed1B-AP-13 · 1B-AP-11 · 1B-AP-17
ISTE
ISTE Standards for Students
11 standards
ISTE 1.4.a
Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts, or solving authentic problems.
ISTE 1.4.c
Students develop, test, and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.
ISTE 1.6.d
Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
ISTE 1.5.d
Students understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.
Also addressedISTE 1.3.a · ISTE 1.3.b · ISTE 1.1.c · ISTE 1.6.b · ISTE 1.6.c · ISTE 1.5.c · ISTE 1.3.d
AASL
AASL National School Library Standards
3 standards
AASL I.A.1
Learners display curiosity and initiative by formulating questions about a personal interest or a curricular topic.
Also addressedAASL I.B.1 · AASL I.B.3
C3
C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards
1 standard
C3 D4.2.3-5
Construct explanations using reasoning, correct sequence, examples, details, and relevant information.
Full task-by-task mapping — including Depth of Knowledge — is in the answer key.
Differentiation & accessibility
Built to reach every learner
One lesson, three built-in paths — with accessibility baked into the materials, not bolted on afterward.
Extra support
Emerging readers & writers
Read-aloud and multilingual support in the Elementari build
Studio Compass highlights one task at a time — including the coding
Sentence frames and a word bank so it is never a blank page
On grade
The core lesson
The passage and storyboard exactly as written
Model answers and “look-fors” in the answer key
Self-check chips at every milestone
Ready for more
Extension & challenge
Challenge vocabulary and a real-world extension question
Deepen one existing page or interaction — without changing the required mechanics
A longer, evidence-based reflection prompt
Accessibility, built inPredictable step-by-step structureOne task at a time · Studio CompassHighlighted response areasLow-stimulation printMovement-friendly pacingDesigned so every student can design, write, and code — with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia in mind.
Questions
Teacher FAQ
Do I — or my students — need to know how to code?
No. Coding concepts are introduced in plain language exactly when students need them, and Studio Compass confirms each milestone so students keep moving without you troubleshooting. The teacher guide walks you through the whole build, answers included.
How long does this lesson take?
About 70, paced into 45-minute class periods. You can spread it out or compress it — students pick up where they left off, so it doesn't have to finish in one sitting.
What devices does this lesson work on?
Students can read, write, code, and publish on Chromebooks, iPads, tablets, laptops, or desktops. All they need is a modern browser — nothing to download or install.
What is Studio Compass?
Studio Compass is the step-by-step guide inside the Studio. It shows students what to do next, identifies the exact coding blocks they need, and confirms completed milestones so they can keep moving independently.
How does this lesson support different learners?
This lesson includes read-to-me with synchronized highlighting, a built-in glossary, and picture-based storyboarding, with writing and coding scaffolds you can dial up or down. Students can work with guided support or more independently — and still finish the same project.
Ready when you are
Bring this lesson to your class
Import your class, assign in one click, and watch them build — the whole kit comes with it.
