Subject: Science, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)

Lesson Length: 45 mins - 1 hour

Topic: Science, Technology, Problem-Solving

Grade Level: 6, 7

Standards / Framework:

Brief Description: Students will create a comic in which they identify a global issue and investigate a technological solution for it.

Know Before You Start: Students should be able to discuss global challenges and ways that technology can solve problems.

Hook:

  • Ask students:
    • “What are some global challenges currently facing society?”
    • “How can technology provide innovative solutions?”
    • “Can you think of ways technology solves problems in your daily life?”

Activity:

  • Have students discuss various global challenges, such as pollution, food supply, and access to education.
  • Have students discuss examples of technology providing innovative solutions, such as increasing crop yields, providing satellite communications, and cleaning water systems.
  • Have students create a comic that illustrates the global challenge and at least one technological solution.

Closure:

  • Have students share their comics with the class or in small groups.
  • Have students explain why they chose the global challenge represented in their comic.
  • Have students discuss why it’s important to use technology appropriately to solve problems.
  • Discuss the pros and cons of technology to solve problems.
  • Emphasize that using technology responsibly provides tools that can help solve many global issues.

Differentiation:

  • Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
  • Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
  • Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
  • Students may have varying degrees of detail based on their understanding of the challenge and the technology used as a solution.
  • Provide students with a list of global challenges from which to choose.

Suggested Story Starters: