Every invention starts with a problem. Engineers are professional problem-finders AND problem-solvers!
📋 NGSS Standard:K-2-ETS1-1 — Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change in order to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
🎯 Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Identify a real problem from a described situation
Ask clarifying questions about what makes a problem difficult
Explain what a good solution needs to do (the criteria)
🔬 The Big Idea
Before engineers can build anything, they have to understand the problem — really, truly understand it. What's going wrong? Who does it affect? What would make it better? An engineer who doesn't fully understand the problem is just guessing. Good engineers ask lots of questions first!
Today, students will play the "Spot the Problem" game — hearing about real-life situations, identifying the problem, and deciding what a good solution would need to do.
💡 Key vocabulary: problem, solution, criteria (what a solution needs to do), engineer, design
📦 Materials
🏠 What You Need
Student worksheet (last pages of this lesson — one per student)
Pencil or crayons
Thinking caps! 🧢 (No special materials needed for the main activity)
🔬 Let's Get Started
Step 1 — Hook: Everything Was Once a Problem (5 min)
Hold up everyday objects one at a time: a cup, a pair of scissors, a chair. Ask: "Before this was invented — what problem do you think people had?"
Cup → People needed a way to drink water without cupping their hands every time
Scissors → People needed a way to cut things accurately and safely
Chair → People needed a way to rest without sitting on the hard ground
Key message: "Every object around us was invented because someone had a problem and figured out how to solve it. That person was an engineer!"
Step 2 — Introduce "Spot the Problem" (3 min)
Explain the game: "I'm going to describe a situation. Your job is to find the problem — and then tell me what a good solution would need to do."
A solution is the thing that fixes the problem. But not all solutions are equally good! A good solution has to meet certain requirements — we call those criteria.
Step 3 — Play "Spot the Problem" (15–20 min)
Work through each scenario below together. Read the situation, let students discuss, then go through the criteria together.
📚 Scenario 1: "Books keep falling off the shelf."
What's the problem? The books won't stay on the shelf — they fall over and make a mess (and might get damaged).
A good solution needs to:
✅ Hold the books upright so they don't fall
✅ Be easy to use — kids should be able to get books out and put them back
✅ Not damage the books (no sharp edges, no bending)
Discussion: What solutions can you think of? (Bookends, a box, a different shelf, leaning them against something…)
☀️ Scenario 2: "It's too hot to sit in the backyard."
What's the problem? There's no shade outside — it's uncomfortable and maybe even unsafe to sit out there in the heat.
A good solution needs to:
✅ Block the sun to create shade
✅ Be portable — you should be able to set it up where you want it
✅ Not cost too much or be too hard to make
Discussion: What could work? (Umbrella, canopy, tent, tree, shade sail, cardboard…)
🐕 Scenario 3: "The dog keeps escaping the yard."
What's the problem? The yard isn't secure — the dog gets out and could get hurt or lost.
A good solution needs to:
✅ Be secure — the dog can't get through, under, or over it
✅ Not hurt the dog — no sharp parts, nothing painful
✅ Let people in and out — a gate or door that humans can use
Discussion: What could work? (Taller fence, a latch on the gate, closing gaps in the fence…)
Step 4 — Find YOUR Problem (10 min)
Now it's the student's turn! Ask them to think of one real problem in their own home or yard.
Prompt questions:
Is there something that keeps breaking, falling, getting lost, or not working right?
Is there something that's hard to do because you're missing a tool?
Is there something messy, uncomfortable, or annoying?
Students write or draw their problem on the worksheet, then list what a solution would need to do.
💬 Discussion Questions
🗣️ Talk about these together:
What makes something a "problem" vs. just something you don't like?
Can a solution make the problem worse? (Yes! Bad designs do this — what's an example?)
Who has problems that engineers try to solve? (Everyone! All ages, all places)
What's the difference between a problem and a solution? Can you give an example of each?
Why is it important to understand a problem before trying to solve it?
🚀 Extensions
🏠 Problem Walk: Walk through every room of your house and look for problems. Make a list! How many can you find in 10 minutes?
📰 News Hunt: Look at a newspaper or news website together. How many problems can you spot? What kinds of engineers are working on them?
📚 Read Aloud:"What Do You Do With a Problem?" by Kobi Yamada (about facing problems with curiosity instead of fear)
🎨 Problem Poster: Draw a "Wanted: Solution!" poster for a problem you found at home. Describe what the problem is and what a solution needs to do.
👩🏫 Parent/Teacher Notes
This lesson is all discussion — don't rush through the scenarios. The back-and-forth of identifying criteria is where the engineering thinking happens.
Criteria vs. constraints: At this age, we don't need to use technical vocabulary, but the concept is there: criteria = what a solution must do. Constraints = limits (cost, materials, time). It's okay to point this out if it comes naturally.
"Wrong" answers are gold: If a student suggests a solution that doesn't meet all the criteria, gently ask: "Does that solution [hold the books / block the sun / keep the dog safe]? Let's check each one."
For younger learners: Focus on the first two scenarios. The dog scenario has more complexity (three criteria to balance).
Assessment: Can the student identify a real problem and list at least two things a solution would need to do? That's success for Lesson 1.
📝 Student Worksheet — Lesson 1: What Is a Problem?
Name: ________________________________
🔍 Circle the Picture That Shows a Problem
Look at each pair. Circle the one that shows a problem.
📚✅ Books standing up ○ Circle me
📚⬇️ Books falling down ○ Circle me
☂️😎 Shady backyard ○ Circle me
☀️🥵 Too-hot backyard ○ Circle me
🐕🏡 Dog safe in yard ○ Circle me
🐕➡️ Dog getting out ○ Circle me
🎨 Draw One Problem
Pick one problem from the lesson. Draw it in the box.
✅ Circle What a Good Solution Should Do
Circle the good ideas.
📚 For books falling off the shelf:
○ Hold the books up ○ Knock the books down ○ Keep books safe
☀️ For a too-hot backyard:
○ Make shade ○ Make it hotter ○ Help people sit outside
🐕 For a dog escaping the yard:
○ Keep the dog in ○ Leave a big hole ○ Keep the dog safe
🔑 PARENT/TEACHER ANSWER KEY — Detach before giving worksheet to students
📝 Worksheet Answer Guide
Circle the problem: Books falling down, too-hot backyard, dog getting out
Good solution ideas to circle: Hold the books up, keep books safe, make shade, help people sit outside, keep the dog in, keep the dog safe
💡 Notes on the Drawing Section
Students can draw any one of the lesson problems. They do not need to write words to show understanding.
