Problem+Solving+-+FS

__ 9th Grade Freshman Seminar Problem Solving Project __
 * Goals: **
 * To have you engage with the District Mission to continue to improve your skills as a critical and creative thinker to solve real life problems;
 * To have you recognize appropriate problems that you have solved as representative of your strengths and skills;
 * To communicate to others convincingly that you are an expert problem solver;
 * To use appropriate digital tools to demonstrate examples of your problem solving;
 * To begin to archive exemplary problem solving tasks for use in senior year.

1. Brainstorm three or more of your favorite activities or interests. Areas you may draw from may include academics,community service projects, extracurricular activities, or personal experiences.
 * Steps: **
 * (10 pts.) **

2. Reflect on your three interests and select one which holds the most significance for you and of which you are the most proud. ** (10 pts.) **

====3. Within this interest you selected, consider any challenges or problems that you may have faced. Covert your own copy of the "Presenting Myself as a Problem Solver" document (below), and complete the graphic organizer to flesh out your experience. Refer to the "Character Traits List" (below) for help with descriptive adjectives. ** (10 pts.) **====

4. Elaborate on this challenge by writing a brief personal narrative/vignette about the origin of this problem, the steps you took to solve it, challenges you faced along the way, resources from which you drew, the product or solution generated, the response of the audience if applicable. You will also reflect upon how this experience will help you to critically and creatively solve problems in the future. ** (20 pts.) **

4. Share yourself as a Problem Solver - show yourself off!. Consider which digital tool ( iMovie, Bitstrips4Schools, GoAnimate, Animoto, or Inklewriter) is most appropriate for your audience. Using this tool, you will create a short digital representation of how your use of critical and creative thinking helped them solve this real life problem. ** (40 pts.) **

5. You will post both your short narrative (vignette) and your digital presentation to your own North Salem Digital Portfolio under the Freshman tab for Problem Solving. **(10 pts.)**

**Links to Important Documents:** [|Presenting Myself as a Problem Solver] [|Narrative Rubric] [|Bitstrips Rubric] [|Bitstrips Key Ideas] [|Problem Solving List of Behaviors Checklist] [|Character Traits List]