Discussion Guide
Read the discussion question. Invite every voice. Keep the group focused.
“Let’s hear each idea before deciding.”
Grades 4–6 • October–December
Our school.
Our say.
Meet other VC students. Investigate something that matters. Build an idea that could make your community better.
Start your first mission →Your project work connects to graded Pearson assignments. Your teacher will identify the subject and submission directions for each checkpoint.
Big ideas start with a question
Notice.Listen.
Make a plan.How can we use evidence and teamwork to improve something that matters to our community?
Eight missions. One idea worth developing.
Each mission adds something to your project. Follow the weekly directions, share your thinking, and use feedback to improve your work.
Meet your VC project team
Project management • 11:45–12:15
Grade 5: Mondays
Grade 6: Tuesdays
Grade 4: Thursdays
Bring an idea, share progress, get help, and choose your next step.
Your weekly website mission
Explore. Create. Share.
Use the mission directions and examples to move your project forward between meetings. Bring your questions and work to your grade’s project-management session.
Mission 01 • Notice
Can you improve this neighborhood?
Your first job is to be a community detective. Notice a problem, explain who it affects, and ask a useful question. You do not need to solve it yet.
What is a Problem Card?
A Problem Card is a short planning worksheet that helps you organize your first ideas about something that could be better. It is our project’s starting point, not a separate iCivics assignment.
On your card, you will explain:
- The problem: What could be better?
- The people: Who might be affected?
- Your evidence: What have you observed or learned?
- Your unknowns and question: What are you assuming, and what do you still need to find out?
You do not need a solution yet. Keep your card: it will help you listen, research, and plan in later missions. You can type in the worksheet below, write your answers on paper, or explain them in a recording. A drawing with labels and an explanation can also show your thinking.
A quick example • Fictional practice situation
Problem: Some students may have difficulty choosing a book.
Who: Students looking for something to read.
What I learned: In our fictional scenario, one student said they did not know which books they might enjoy.
Still unknown: Whether students at our school have the same difficulty.
My question: What would help students find books that interest them?
First, explore an activity and gather an idea. Then complete My Problem Card — a starting-point worksheet in your own words. At the end, you will also explain how comparing ideas helped your thinking and name your next step.
Your six steps for Week 1
- Learn: Understand problems, evidence, and assumptions.
- Practice: Answer two questions and read the feedback.
- Explore: Choose one activity: Neighborhood Good or the Book Access Challenge.
- Draft: Complete your individual Problem Card.
- Compare and revise: Discuss classmates’ cards or use the supplied examples. Record a provisional team choice where applicable, then revise your own work.
- Finish: Save, follow the posted submission directions, and stop.
Your destination: A problem card with a clear concern, evidence or an observation, and one question to investigate. Have a place to write. Plan about 35–50 minutes for the on-page lesson and Book Access route, divided into short work periods. If you choose the game route, allow 15–30 minutes for gameplay plus time for this lesson and your card. You do not need to complete both activities. The Book Access route can be completed entirely on this page without a game account.
Week 1 • Step 1: Learn the ideas
Notice first. Solve later.
A community is a group connected by a place, an interest, or a shared experience. Virtual Campus is one of your communities. People in a community can notice different needs—even when they share the same space or activity.
Problem
A difficulty or unmet need. “Some students cannot reach the book collection when it is open.”
Evidence
Information that supports a statement. A student’s description of their experience is evidence about that experience.
Assumption
Something we think might be true but have not checked. “Everyone has trouble getting books” needs investigation.
A solution is an action meant to improve the problem. “Buy more books” is a solution idea. Before choosing it, ask whether the problem is too few books, inconvenient hours, or something else.
Watch the reasoning:
“A student says the collection is closed when they can visit.” → I know about this student’s experience. → I do not yet know how many students share it. → My question is: “What makes borrowing difficult for different students?”
This question invites investigation. “Why don’t we just buy more books?” already points toward a solution.
Ready to tell a problem from a solution? Continue to Step 2: Practice →
Week 1 • Step 2: Practice with feedback
Can you separate a problem from a solution?
Answered both questions and read the feedback? Continue to Step 3: Choose one activity →
Week 1 • Step 3: Explore — choose one activity
Option A: Play Neighborhood Good
Choose Option A or Option B below—not both. Gather an observation and a question, then continue to Step 4.
Made by iCivics • Allow 15–30 minutes for the game
Explore a fictional community, listen to its residents, and build a plan for a problem. For this mission, pay special attention to how you identify the problem before choosing a solution.
Your purpose
Notice how listening can change what you think a community needs. You will use one example from your activity to begin your own Problem Card.
Before you play
Have paper or a document ready for three short notes: the problem / who is affected / something you learned by listening. You can play independently; a group or live meeting is not needed.
Open Neighborhood Good ↗Opens the official iCivics page in a new tab. Keep this mission tab open so you can return to your directions.
- Select Play Game on the iCivics page. If another play button appears inside the game, select Play Neighborhood Good. A fullscreen button is also available.
- Follow the game’s directions to explore one community challenge. You do not need to explore every challenge for this mission.
- As you listen, record the problem, a person or group affected, and one detail that helped you understand a need. Use a detail you actually encountered; do not invent what a character said.
- Notice whether the information changes your plan. When you finish your chosen challenge, return to this tab. Our checkpoint is your explanation, not a game score.
Need help opening or using the game?
The game player opened without a login in our check. If your device asks you to sign in, use only access instructions supplied by your Project Coach; you do not need to create a new account to complete this mission. If it will not load, is blocked, or is difficult to use, continue with the Book Access Challenge below. Both routes lead to the same worksheet and learning goal.
The game launch also offers a Play with screen reader link. Ask your coach for help with access tools if needed; the on-page scenario remains available.
After your activity: start your Problem Card
Complete: “In the game, I noticed __. It affected __. I learned __ by listening. I still wonder __.” Use these notes to draft your individual Problem Card in Step 4. You will compare ideas afterward in Step 5.
You may investigate the game’s fictional problem, the Book Access Challenge, or a familiar school/community concern. Label game observations “In the game…”; they do not prove that the same problem exists in our school. If you choose a different concern, identify what you actually know and what still needs checking.
Source: Neighborhood Good, iCivics. These mission prompts are original Virtual Campus directions. The official page and game launch were checked October 16, 2026; a complete playthrough and student-device checks remain pending.
Finished your game observation notes? Skip Option B and go to your card. Continue to Step 4: Draft →
Week 1 • Step 3, Option B: On-page activity
Option B: The Book Access Challenge
Choose this activity in place of the game. Read the four statements, choose one need, and note who is affected and the statement that supports your thinking. Then draft your own Problem Card in Step 4 before comparing ideas in Step 5. No interview or game account is needed.
Resource note: This fictional scenario, lesson, and problem card are original Virtual Campus materials. Neighborhood Good by iCivics is our selected community problem-solving connection. You can complete this mission with the resources on this page. iCivics resource collection.
A fictional practice situation. A school wants more students to borrow books. Four students share their experiences:
- “I cannot get to the book collection at the time it opens.”
- “I do not know which books I might enjoy.”
- “I need books in a format I can use.”
- “I like choosing books with a friend.”
Think about it: What different needs do you notice? Why might buying more books fail to solve every problem? What would you ask before recommending a change?
Discuss your thinking or make a short written, audio, or illustrated response. Then choose this situation or your own school/community issue for your problem card.
Recorded a need, who is affected, and a supporting detail? Continue to Step 4: Draft →
See an example problem card
Title: Finding a book I want to read.
Problem: Some students may find it difficult to choose a book they enjoy.
Who: Students looking for books.
Evidence: In the practice situation, one student said they did not know which books they would enjoy.
Still unknown: Whether students at our school have the same experience.
Question: What would help students discover books that interest them?
Week 1 • Step 4: Draft your Problem Card
Turn a concern into a useful question.
- Choose: Use a problem from the game, the book scenario, or one familiar concern, such as finding school information or welcoming new students.
- Narrow it: Replace “School should be better” with one specific difficulty and who experiences it.
- Explain: State what you observed or read. If you use the game or fictional scenario, say so; it is not evidence about our actual school.
- Question: Write one open question beginning with what, how, or which. Keep the solution open.
You may type below, answer the same prompts on paper, or record an explanation. Drawings need labels or an explanation so your reasoning is clear. You do not need a teammate to complete Week 1.
My Problem Card — a starting-point worksheet
First pass: Draft the first six fields. Then go to Step 5 to compare ideas. Return here to complete your reflection, contribution, and final checklist.
This preview keeps your draft on this browser only when you select Save. It does not send work to your teacher or Pearson. Download your card to keep a copy.
Where your project work belongs
At launch: Use your individual ASD Project Notebook for Week 1. Use the team notebook only for shared discussion. You do not need to fill out both the document and the website worksheet.
- Open: Follow the assigned notebook link in your coach’s class directions while signed in to your ASD account. Confirm you are in your own copy, then find Week 1.
- Write and save: Answer the mission prompts there. Google Docs saves edits when connected; check its save status before closing. If you cannot edit, ask your coach to check access.
- Return later: Reopen that same assigned link using the same ASD account. Keep earlier mission sections so you can review your thinking.
- Share thinking: Add discussion contributions to your assigned team document, then return to your own notebook to revise.
- Submit: Follow the posted Pearson assignment directions. A saved Google Doc or team contribution is not a Pearson submission. Check Pearson’s confirmation afterward.
Until the links are assigned: Use the worksheet below and download your responses. Save on this browser keeps only one card per grade for this mission in this browser; it is not a student account or a shared document. Download before another person uses the same grade’s worksheet. Transfer your answers to your assigned ASD notebook later.
Preview the individual and team notebook templates →
Assigned document links, permissions, and Pearson details are pending. Do not enter your Student ID in this website worksheet or team discussion.
Have a draft problem, evidence, and investigation question? Leave the final reflection and checklist until after your comparison. Continue to Step 5: Compare and revise →
Week 1 • Step 5: Compare and revise
Your ideas matter. So does listening.
Bring the Problem Card you drafted in Step 4. Everyone thinks, and everyone completes their own work. Use this routine with classmates or with the comparison examples below. Keep moving even when a teammate is unavailable.
- Think first. Review the problem, people, and observation you drafted in Step 4. Keep that first thinking in your reflection field before revising.
- Bring something. Bring your draft to project coaching. Show or read your idea so the group has something specific to discuss.
- Compare ideas. Agree on today’s roles. Give each person a turn before anyone speaks twice. Ask: Who is affected? What supports the claim? What do we still need to learn? Your Project Coach listens while students lead.
- Improve your work. Return to your own Problem Card and revise it. You may share a topic, but explain your reasoning in your own words. Keeping an idea is fine when you explain why.
- Report back and reflect. The group agrees on a spokesperson for today. When your coach rejoins, share the short summary below. Each student records their contribution and next step.
Record your team’s starting choice
Where to write: In your assigned ASD Team Discussion Notebook, open “Our Team’s Chosen Problem.” Complete the Week 1 provisional-choice entry after everyone shares their own Problem Card.
- Compare interest, who is affected, evidence, and what your team can realistically investigate.
- The Connection Maker helps write the group’s choice, reason, unknowns, and date. Everyone checks the wording. Include coach feedback.
- Keep your individual card. In your own notebook, explain the team choice, your reasoning, and your next contribution.
If you cannot agree, record the options and ask your coach for help. Mark the choice “still considering” and continue your individual work. Working independently? Record your own choice and comparison in your individual notebook; no team document is required.
Preview “Our Team’s Chosen Problem” →
The assigned shared-document link is pending. The fillable record below is a local draft, not a shared document; it does not update the assigned team notebook.
Choose a role. Rotate next mission.
Evidence Checker
Ask what supports an idea. Help label observations, fictional examples, and assumptions.
“What makes us think that?”
Connection Maker
Notice agreements and differences. Help the team prepare a fair summary.
“We agree on __, but still wonder __.”
Four people? Add a Process Checker to check the directions, time, and unfinished steps. Two people? Share the Connection Maker job. Working independently? Use the three role questions to review your thinking; no role assignment is needed.
Every role includes reading, thinking, and contributing. The spokesperson reports the group’s thinking, rather than doing everyone’s work. Move to a different role in Week 2; keep a simple role record so everyone gets a turn.
Working independently: your comparison is ready here
Read these two fictional starting ideas:
Idea A: “A student cannot visit during collection hours. I want to investigate access times.”
Idea B: “A student does not know which books they might enjoy. I want to investigate how students choose books.”
- Compare your draft with A and B. Name one similarity or difference.
- Identify the statement supporting each idea in the Book Access Challenge.
- Decide whether to change your problem or keep it. Explain why in your reflection.
Complete the same worksheet and reflection. In place of a group summary, write or record: “I compared __. I decided __ because __. My next step is __.” No extra assignment or interview is needed.
Use a shared document for group thinking
If your coach provides a class Google Doc, open that assigned document and find your team’s space. Use your first name for discussion labels. Keep Student IDs out of the shared discussion. Paste this organizer if your coach has not already added it:
MISSION 1 • TEAM DISCUSSION
Today’s roles:
Each person’s starting idea and supporting detail:
One agreement:
One difference or question:
What we will investigate next, and why:
Today’s spokesperson:
Next mission’s role rotation:
- Add your own idea before changing the group summary.
- Respond to an idea with a question or supporting detail. Do not replace a classmate’s contribution.
- Agree on a summary that includes unresolved questions.
- Return to your own worksheet to revise and submit your own explanation.
No document link yet, or cannot open it? Use paper or your own worksheet and read your ideas aloud, or use the independent comparison above. This website does not sync drafts between students.
Class document links will be supplied by your coach. No shared Google Doc has been created or connected in this preview.
Your 60-second team report
“We compared __. Our evidence was __. We agreed __, but still wonder __. Our next step is __. We need coaching on __.”
Check that everyone’s idea is represented. Your coach may ask any member to explain their own thinking.
Compared ideas and recorded your revision and contribution? Continue to Step 6: Finish →
Week 1 • Help whenever you need it
A little help at the right moment.
I cannot think of a problem.
Use the book scenario. Complete: “One person has difficulty with ___. I want to learn ___.” This is a complete starting point, not a lesser assignment.
I already have a solution.
Ask what difficulty your solution is meant to address. “Make a welcome video” becomes “New students may not know where to begin.” Mark that as an assumption until you have evidence.
I cannot open a game or resource.
Use the scenario, explanation, and practice on this page. They provide what you need for the problem card.
Your Project Coach can help you think it through.
Send through your usual class channel: “I am on Week 1, step ___. I tried ___. I need help with ___.” Keep working on the parts you understand.
Week 1 • Step 6: Finish
Your work deserves a final check.
- Review: Use the checklist above. Improve any answer that does not yet meet it.
- Keep a copy: If working in your assigned ASD notebook, check that your edits have saved. If using this website worksheet, select Download my card. Open the downloaded text file and check that your responses are present. Browser Save is useful for returning on this device, but is not a submission.
- Submit when the assignment is posted: Open Pearson and locate the assignment identified by your Project Coach. Follow its directions for attaching your file or entering responses. For audio or drawings, answer the same prompts and use the format your coach specifies.
- Confirm: Check Pearson’s submission status. If it does not show that your work was submitted, keep your file and ask your coach for help.
Before student launch: the Pearson subject, exact assignment title, due date, and submission location must be supplied here. Until those details are posted, keep your completed file. This preview cannot submit or grade your work.
Week 1 complete — stop here
Before you finish this week, check that you have:
- Completed your own Problem Card.
- Recorded your comparison with classmates or the supplied examples, your reflection, and your contribution.
- Recorded a provisional team choice if working with a group.
- Saved your work in your assigned ASD notebook, or downloaded your website draft.
- Followed the posted Pearson submission directions. If those details are not yet posted, keep your completed work.
You have reached the end of Week 1’s work. You may review or improve it. Begin Week 2 when your Project Coach assigns it.
Your checkpoint: One problem card and one investigation question. Your teacher will provide the Pearson assignment, subject, and due date.
Need help? Bring these three things to your project-management session or send them through your usual class channel: My idea / Help I need / My next step.
Keep your learning together
Your project notebooks
Reference shelf — not another assignment. Your notebook holds several weeks. Complete only the week your Project Coach has assigned; keep later sections for later.
My Project Notebook holds your own explanations and revisions. Our Team Discussion Notebook holds shared ideas and role rotations. They have different jobs; a group summary does not replace your own work.
Teacher review: The templates below are ready. Assigned individual and team ASD Google Docs links are not connected yet. For now, use the mission worksheet and download your work. No student document has been created or shared.
Preview the individual Project Notebook • Weeks 1–2
Blank reusable template. Copy into an ASD document. The team decision record also offers a fillable local draft; it is not a live Google Doc.
My Project Notebook
Our School, Our Say • Virtual Campus • Grades 4–6
Individual work • Weeks 1–2
Complete this notebook in the private ASD document assigned by your coach. Keep the same document for future missions. Do not fill in the shared master template.
Private document only: Enter your First Name and ASD Student ID#
First Name: [complete in your private ASD document]
ASD Student ID#: [complete in your private ASD document]
Grade: [4, 5, or 6]
Project title: [your working title]
Do not add a last name. Do not place your Student ID in team notes, public document titles, or public links.
How to use my notebook
1. Read the mission on the website.
2. Open your assigned individual ASD document and find the matching mission heading.
3. Write your starting ideas before comparing with classmates or supplied examples.
4. Revise your response in your own words. Keep your first thinking in the reflection section.
5. Confirm that your document has saved, then follow the separate Pearson submission directions. Saving a document is not submitting an assignment.
If your document is unavailable, use the website worksheet and download your work. Transfer your answers into your assigned notebook when access is restored. You do not need to complete two copies of the assignment.
Week 1 • My Problem Card
COMPLETE DURING WEEK 1.
A Problem Card is a short planning worksheet about a problem worth investigating. You do not need a solution yet.
Date: [ ]
My title: [ ]
My starting activity: [Neighborhood Good / Book Access Challenge / my own observation]
1. Something that could be better
[Describe a specific difficulty or unmet need.]
2. Who might be affected?
[Describe people or groups without identifying private individuals.]
3. What I have observed or learned
[State a supporting detail and where it came from. Use “In the game…” or “In the fictional scenario…” when appropriate.]
4. What I am assuming or still need to check
[What does my evidence NOT tell me?]
5. One question I want to investigate
[Begin with what, how, or which. Keep possible solutions open.]
Week 1 • Compare, revise, reflect
COMPLETE DURING WEEK 1.
My first thinking: [ ]
I compared my idea with: [classmates / supplied fictional examples]
One similarity or difference I noticed: [ ]
I changed or kept my idea because: [ ]
My role or independent comparison: [ ]
My own contribution: [ ]
My next step: [ ]
Ready check:
[ ] I described a specific problem and who might be affected.
[ ] I identified evidence and labeled assumptions.
[ ] I asked an open investigation question.
[ ] I explained my comparison, revision, and individual contribution.
Coach feedback: [space for feedback]
What I did with the feedback: [ ]
Week 2 • Listen Before Deciding
BEGIN WHEN WEEK 2 IS ASSIGNED. Keep your Week 1 work; do not complete this section early.
Date: [ ]
Working title: [ ]
Problem I am investigating: [ ]
1. Perspective 1
Who or which group? [ ]
What do they need? [ ]
What statement or observation supports my explanation? [ ]
2. Perspective 2
Who or which group? [ ]
What do they need? [ ]
What statement or observation supports my explanation? [ ]
3. Compare
A need they share: [ ]
A difference: [ ]
4. Check the evidence
What I observed: [ ]
What came from a fictional scenario or game: [ ]
What is still an assumption: [ ]
5. A missing perspective
Whose perspective would help? [ ]
What would I ask? [No interview is required; identify your question.]
Week 2 • Choose and explain
BEGIN WHEN WEEK 2 IS ASSIGNED. Keep your Week 1 work; do not complete this section early.
Complete the directions for your grade only.
GRADE 4
My chosen school/community problem: [ ]
Why I would investigate it: [ ]
Grade 4 develops a community proposal; no Anytime Congress or National Congress.
GRADE 5
My shortlist of up to two problems: [ ]
Which I would investigate first, and why: [ ]
What must I learn before deciding whether government action is appropriate? [ ]
GRADE 6
My shortlist of up to two problems: [ ]
Which I would investigate first, and why: [ ]
What evidence could change my choice? [ ]
How could I find that evidence? [ ]
Grades 5–6: a topic is not automatically suitable for Anytime Congress. Week 3 includes a decision-maker and federal-suitability checkpoint.
Week 2 • Compare, revise, reflect
BEGIN WHEN WEEK 2 IS ASSIGNED. Keep your Week 1 work; do not complete this section early.
My first thinking: [ ]
I compared with: [classmates / supplied fictional perspectives]
One insight from the comparison: [ ]
I changed or kept my choice because: [ ]
My role or independent comparison: [ ]
My own contribution: [ ]
My next question or action: [ ]
Ready check:
[ ] I explained two perspectives fairly.
[ ] I described a similarity and a difference.
[ ] I labeled evidence and assumptions.
[ ] I identified a missing voice and a question.
[ ] I completed my grade’s choice prompt with a reason.
[ ] I recorded my own contribution and next step.
Coach feedback: [ ]
What I did with the feedback: [ ]
My submission record
Complete one entry for each mission after the coach posts the assignment.
Mission: [ ]
Pearson subject and exact assignment title: [from coach]
Due date: [from coach]
Submission method: [from assignment directions]
Date submitted: [ ]
Pearson confirmation/status: [ ]
Weeks 3–8 will be added as their lessons are developed. Keep this notebook and your original observations.
Preview the team Discussion Notebook • Weeks 1–2
Blank reusable template. Copy into an ASD document. The team decision record also offers a fillable local draft; it is not a live Google Doc.
Our Team Discussion Notebook
Our School, Our Say • Virtual Campus • Grades 4–6
Shared thinking • Weeks 1–2
Use only the assigned ASD team document. This is a discussion record; every student still completes their own Project Notebook.
Grade: [ ]
Team label: [a neutral name, not student IDs]
Members: [first names only]
Do not include last names, Student IDs, addresses, or private personal details. If first names repeat, use coach-assigned member labels.
Our working agreement
Everyone brings a starting idea. Everyone gets a turn before anyone speaks twice. Ask about evidence and ideas respectfully. Do not erase another person’s contribution. Record disagreements fairly. Each person revises their own work.
If a member is unavailable, record the ideas available and mark decisions “proposed.” Share through the assigned class channel. Keep working; do not complete another student’s individual response.
Roles that rotate
Discussion Guide: Read the question, invite every voice, and keep the discussion focused.
Evidence Checker: Ask what supports each idea and help label assumptions.
Connection Maker: Identify similarities and differences; help prepare a fair summary.
Process Checker (four-person teams): Check the directions, time, and next steps.
Three members: one role each. Two members: share Connection Maker. Rotate roles next mission. A spokesperson is agreed upon for each report and does not do everyone’s work.
Our Team’s Chosen Problem
The Connection Maker can type while everyone discusses and checks the wording. Each response area grows as you write. Keep your Week 1 entry when you complete Week 2.
Local draft only: This form does not sync with classmates or Google Docs. Save keeps one team decision draft in this browser. Download before switching teams or devices. Do not enter Student IDs or private personal information.
When your assigned ASD team document is available, transfer the responses there for shared access. Saving here is not a Pearson submission.
This is our shared decision record. Complete it in the assigned ASD team document, not in a website Problem Card. Keep both entries so we can see how our thinking changed.
WEEK 1 • PROVISIONAL CHOICE
COMPLETE DURING WEEK 1.
After each person shares their own Problem Card, compare interest, who is affected, supporting evidence, and what we can realistically investigate. Agree on one starting problem. We can change it after listening to more perspectives.
Our chosen problem: [Type your response here]
Who is affected: [Type your response here]
Why we selected it: [Type your response here]
Evidence or observations supporting our choice: [Type your response here]
What we still need to investigate: [Type your response here]
Date agreed upon: [Type your response here]
Unresolved questions or member input still needed: [Type your response here]
Coach feedback: [Type your response here]
WEEK 2 • CONFIRM OR REVISE
BEGIN WHEN WEEK 2 IS ASSIGNED.
Review the perspectives in our Week 2 discussion. Keep the Week 1 entry; record the outcome below.
Decision: [keep our choice / revise our choice / still considering]
Our current chosen problem: [Type your response here]
Who is affected: [Type your response here]
Why we confirmed or changed it: [Type your response here]
Evidence or perspectives that influenced us: [Type your response here]
What we still need to investigate: [Type your response here]
Date agreed upon (or date reviewed if still considering): [Type your response here]
Unresolved questions or member input still needed: [Type your response here]
Coach feedback: [Type your response here]
Each member’s next contribution: [Type your response here]
G4: Choose a school/community problem for our community proposal; no AC or NC.
G5–6: Record one current priority. If needed, keep one alternative in the discussion notes. The Week 3 authority/federal-suitability checkpoint may change the choice before AC drafting.
The Connection Maker helps the group phrase the entry; everyone checks that it represents the discussion. If we cannot agree, write “still considering,” record the options and reasons, and ask our coach for help. Each student can continue their own work.
Keep individual Problem Cards. In each personal notebook, record the team choice, why you support it or what question remains, and your own next contribution.
Week 1 • Notice a problem together
COMPLETE DURING WEEK 1.
Date: [ ]
Today’s Discussion Guide: [first name or member label]
Evidence Checker: [ ]
Connection Maker: [ ]
Process Checker, if needed: [ ]
Agreed spokesperson: [ ]
Each person adds a starting contribution before the team summarizes. Repeat this entry for every member:
Member: [ ]
My proposed problem: [ ]
Who is affected: [ ]
My supporting observation or scenario detail: [ ]
One thing I still need to learn: [ ]
Compare: Who is affected? What supports each claim? What remains unknown?
One agreement: [ ]
One difference or unresolved question: [ ]
Record one provisional choice in “Our Team’s Chosen Problem” above.
Other options and reasons to keep for reference: [ ]
Each member’s next action: [ ]
60-second report: “We compared __. Our evidence was __. We agreed __, but still wonder __. Our next step is __. We need coaching on __.”
Coach feedback: [ ]
Next mission’s role assignments: [ ]
Return to your individual Problem Card. Explain what YOU changed or kept and why.
Week 2 • Listen before deciding together
BEGIN WHEN WEEK 2 IS ASSIGNED. Keep your Week 1 work; do not complete this section early.
Date: [ ]
Today’s Discussion Guide: [ ]
Evidence Checker: [ ]
Connection Maker: [ ]
Process Checker, if needed: [ ]
Agreed spokesperson: [ ]
Each member prepares this contribution:
Member: [first name or label]
A perspective and need: [ ]
A supporting statement or observation: [ ]
A question we should consider: [ ]
Paraphrase before responding: “I heard that __. What I still need to understand is __.”
Two perspectives we compared: [ ]
A shared need: [ ]
A difference: [ ]
A missing perspective and question: [ ]
An assumption that needs checking: [ ]
Update “Our Team’s Chosen Problem” above: confirm or revise the Week 1 choice.
G5–6: An alternative to keep for the Week 3 suitability check, if needed: [ ]
Unresolved differences: [ ]
Each member’s next action: [ ]
60-second report: “We compared __. Our evidence was __. We agreed __, but still wonder __. Our next step is __. We need coaching on __.”
Coach feedback: [ ]
Next mission’s role assignments: [ ]
Return to your individual Week 2 sheet. Record your own reasoning, revision, and contribution.
Continue the routine
For future missions, keep the five-step routine: Think first → Bring something → Compare ideas → Improve your work → Report back and reflect.
Future mission-specific pages will be added after their lessons are developed. Do not substitute the team notebook for an individual Pearson submission.
Teacher setup • Turn templates into assigned ASD documents
- Copy each template into a master Google Doc within your ASD account. Apply heading styles and preserve the spacious sections; keep the master free of student data.
- Create an individual copy for each student through the district-approved assignment process. Limit access to the intended student and authorized staff. Use the private identification fields only in these individual copies.
- Create team copies: G4 one team of three; G5 two teams of three; G6 teams of three and four. Restrict each team document to its members and authorized staff.
- Provide each student’s assigned links through the approved private class channel. Do not put a roster of student document links on this public website. The website can link to the common approved assignment location once confirmed.
- Test as an intended student: edit their own notebook, open their team space, and confirm that unrelated student documents cannot be accessed.
- Post the Pearson subject, exact assignment name, due date, and submission method. Confirm whether to submit an attachment or a document link; test that you can open the submitted work.
- Before launch, test reopening work on another ASD device, and replace the pending notices with the verified class access directions.
Your resource shelf
We use iCivics to explore community choices and how government works. Your teacher will guide you to the selected activity for each mission.
Explore the official iCivics elementary collection ↗Neighborhood Good anchors our opening missions. Later selections include Why Do We Have So Many Governments? and Rules and Laws. Direct classroom launch links will be added after access checks.
Teacher planning notes
Collaboration plan • Teacher review
Starting groups: G4: one team of three. G5: two teams of three. G6: one team of three and one of four. Assign students privately; regroup as needed. For a pair, share the Connection Maker role; a student working alone uses the same comparison and submission goals.
Role rotation: In a trio, move Discussion Guide → Evidence Checker → Connection Maker → Discussion Guide each mission. In a four-person team, include Process Checker in the cycle. Agree on a different spokesperson regularly. Roles support thinking; they do not divide the lesson into work that only one student learns.
30-minute coaching rhythm
- 0–5 minutes: Welcome, check prepared drafts, clarify the question, and confirm roles.
- 5–8: Each student shares a starting contribution.
- 8–20: Students lead comparison and discussion. Coach turns video off and listens, intervening when support is needed. If teams meet separately, explain how to request help and monitor each team; do not assume all rooms can be heard at once.
- 20–25: Coach rejoins visibly. Each team’s agreed spokesperson gives a 60-second summary. Ask other members a brief reasoning question.
- 25–30: Students begin individual revisions, name their next step, and confirm submission directions. Revision can continue afterward.
Confirmed project coaching schedule: 11:45–12:15 — G5 Monday, G6 Tuesday, G4 Thursday.
Individual accountability
Use each student’s worksheet, evidence, reasoning, and reflection as the primary academic evidence. A team summary alone does not demonstrate every student’s learning. Evaluate contributions through work and brief coaching questions, not meeting attendance or a teammate’s performance. Independent comparison meets the same learning goal. Final Pearson criteria and assignment settings remain for teacher confirmation.
Shared-document setup before launch
Create one class-approved document per team or clearly separated team spaces. Limit access to intended students and staff; do not publish student work publicly. Insert the organizer from the mission and provide the assigned link through the class channel. Shared thinking uses first-name labels only. If a private submission needs identification, use exactly “Enter your First Name and ASD Student ID#”; never request a last name. No student identifiers are needed in the local practice forms.
Open the curriculum source map → — Sources, original materials, review status, and fallback plans for all eight missions.
Grade 4: iCivics October–December; no AC or NC. Financial Literacy Foundations runs November–February, preparing for SMG beginning in February. Its PBL development remains a separate future task.
Grades 5–6: iCivics October–December, AC November–December, NC January–March. These are master-calendar windows, not independently verified national deadlines. Before AC drafting, approve a suitable federal topic. Student deadlines must precede teacher-controlled phase changes; allow revision and amendment time.
Before release: add school-calendar dates, grade-specific Zoom links, verified resource access, and Pearson subject/assignment directions. Weeks 1–2 have student lessons. Weeks 3–8 currently show planning milestones; full student lessons remain to be developed. Grade 4 feedback is community-proposal feedback only, never AC committee review.
Schedule: 1:15–2:00, three times weekly, is Seminar Content Instruction for the following week’s seminars. It is not a project-session allocation. Design project instruction into the website and use the weekly 30-minute grade meeting for project management, targeted modeling, and feedback.
Assess civic understanding, evidence, feasibility, revision, and communication primarily through each student’s work; use team discussion as supporting context.