Step 2: Research It!

In Step 2, students will research the issue they’ve defined and write a statement that defines why and how it is a problem in your community. A problem can’t be solved unless it is understood so student teams should learn as much as they can about the issue, its history, what’s been done to address it and the current situation. Their inquiry-based research should culminate in a clearly defined problem statement that defines the issue and shows evidence of how it is a problem in your community. The problem statement should be developed using both personal observations and collected data.

Suggested Timeline
Step 2 Checklist
Sample Problem Statements
Suggested Steps
Tips
Resources

Suggested Timeline:

One to two weeks

Step 2 Checklist:

Is your problem statement:

Related to the selected topic?
Based on scientific data, information, or observation? In other words, do you have evidence that it’s a problem?
Able to be solved using a student-developed solution?
Specific enough that you can find a starting point to help solve it? Statements that are too broad can be somewhat unmanageable.

Sample Problem Statements:

Fertilizer and animal waste run-off from our local fields is resulting in an increase in the nitrate levels in the local streams and our local bay. The increased nitrate levels promote algae growth and can harm fish and shellfish by reducing oxygen levels. (Reducing Runoff in the Environment)
The older homes in our city were built at a time when mercury switches and thermometers were commonly used. Mercury is highly toxic, especially to children and animals, and discarded switches and thermometers are showing up in the local landfills. The mercury in them can be exposed, endangering the community. As more things are discarded, it is more likely that people and animals will be exposed to mercury. (Reducing Mercury Poisoning)
At our school, 65% of children are driven to school by parents, even though 50% of the students live less than a mile away from the school. Using EPA calculations, we estimate that the additional gasoline usage per week, including waiting in line, is around 60 gallons and the CO2 emissions are around 528 kilograms per week or 21 metric tons per school year. (Take a Hike!)

Suggested Steps:

The following sequence is designed to help you introduce and guide students through Step Two of the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. The sequence is designed to be flexible and can be easily adjusted to your schedule and the class time available.

Session One: What do we know? What do we need to know?

Before students can state the problem statement or question, they must learn as much as they can about the topic. This session focuses on what students already know and what they need to learn. First, have all team members list everything they know about the topic they’ve selected. This can include their own observations, observations of others in the community, and data they’ve collected. The topics on this list should be factual rather than based on student opinion.
Next have teams list what they need or want to learn in order to understand the problem and how it impacts your local community. Remind students that they must have evidence that a problem does exist in the local community. Their problem statement must be based on reliable data so they must collect this data as part of their research. They can collect their own data, rely on scientific observations, or gather data that others have collected. Science is all about people building on each other’s ideas so it’s fine at this stage to research what someone else has learned or done about the issue or topic!
Finally, have students develop their research plan. Their plan can include a way to divide the research, the resources they will use and a timeline for gathering the information.
Have students view the research plan of the students of Project Del Rio in the Rio Grande watershed. (“Project Del Rio: Students Sharing a Common Border, Working towards a Common Cause” from Enviro-Tacklebox: Module Three: Topics and Issues in Environmental Science: Student Solutions) Students identified that their local river’s border was filled with tires that had been dumped there. During the research process, students reached out to their local communities, local health organizations and tire dump stations as they attempted to learn all they could about citizen attitudes, economic factors, health concerns and organizations that could help.
Students can also find out how science investigation can support environmental change in, “The Power of Facts: Using Evidence to Strengthen Your Cause” from Enviro-Tacklebox: Module Three: Topics and Issues in Environmental Science: Student Solutions

Session Two: Collecting Reliable Data

In the next session, students will conduct the research they’ve outlined in their plan. Their research can include:
- Websites
- Scientific research that has been collected by others
- Historical background
- Books, periodicals and other print resources
- Interviews with community leaders, mentors and technical or scientific experts. Should get both sides of the issue if it is controversial.
- News sources
- Personal observation
If students have divided the research among them, have them come back together and report to the rest of the team about what they’ve learned.

Session Three: Developing the problem statement

Now that students have a better understanding of the problem and how it affects your local community, it’s time to write the problem statement that they will solve or address in the challenge.
Have teams review their data as well as the Step 2 Checklist.
Then have them work together to write a specific problem statement based on reliable data.

Tips:

Scientific problem statements should include data and/or observations, should cite original sources and times of observations, and should logically link the background information to a problem.
Teams should brainstorm and utilize multiple resources and types of investigation to help them understand the problem. They should use both primary and secondary sources as they gather information about their topic.
Encourage students to use scientific inquiry as the basis for their research. According to the NSTA, “scientific inquiry is a powerful way of understanding science content. Students learn how to ask questions and use evidence to answer them. In the process of learning the strategies of scientific inquiry, students learn to conduct an investigation and collect evidence from a variety of sources, develop an explanation from the data and communicate and defend their conclusions.” NSTA recommends that “Teachers help students understand that science involves asking questions about the world and then developing scientific investigations to answer their questions.”

Siemens We Can Change The World Challenge