Discussion Guide
Read the discussion question. Invite every voice. Keep the group focused.
“Let’s hear each idea before deciding.”
Week 1 • Notice a problem
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 worksheet where you describe a problem, who it affects, what you know, and what you want to find out. 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. Your iCivics Project Notebook is your personal Google Doc for this project, separate from your Seminar Notebook. The Problem Card is the Week 1 section inside it—not another document or assignment.
Click Open My iCivics Notebook to open the Google Classroom assignment provided by Mr. Fullerton. Open your attached notebook, find Week 1 • My Problem Card, and type in the blue response boxes. Google Docs saves your changes automatically while you are connected. Whenever you return, use this same button to find your notebook.
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 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 Problem Card 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.
Type your responses in the blue boxes in your Google notebook. If Mr. Fullerton directs you to use a drawing or recording, include an explanation so your reasoning is clear. You do not need a teammate to complete Week 1.
My Problem Card
First pass: Draft the first six responses in Week 1 of your Google notebook. Then go to Step 5 to compare ideas. Return to your notebook to complete your reflection and contribution, and use the checklist below to review your work.
Open your notebook here each time
Teacher review draft: This button will open this grade’s assigned Google Classroom resource. The Classroom assignment link has not yet been connected.
Click Open My iCivics Notebook to open the Google Classroom assignment provided by Mr. Fullerton. Open your attached notebook, find Week 1 • My Problem Card, and type in the blue response boxes. Google Docs saves your changes automatically while you are connected. Whenever you return, use this same button to find your notebook.
No searching or new copies: Your notebook is stored online in your ASD Google account. Use this button to return to the existing copy in Classroom; you do not need to find a file on your laptop or make another copy.
Completing work in Google Docs is separate from submitting a Pearson checkpoint. Follow Mr. Fullerton’s posted submission directions.
If you cannot open your notebook
Check that you are signed in to your ASD account and using your assigned copy. Contact Mr. Fullerton if you cannot edit. Keep any work already completed and add it to your notebook once access is restored. Do not start duplicate assignments.
Use only First Name and ASD Student ID# inside your private assigned document. Keep Student IDs out of document titles, team notes, and the website forms.
Check your notebook work
Complete your responses in Week 1 • My Problem Card inside your Google notebook. Use Open My iCivics Notebook above to return to your document.
- I compared ideas and explained what I changed or kept, and why.
- I described the problem clearly.
- I identified who might be affected.
- I separated what I know from what I need to investigate.
- I asked a question that can help me learn more.
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 linked fillable record 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 Problem Card 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 Problem Card to revise and submit your own explanation.
No document link yet, or cannot open it? Use paper or your own Problem Card 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.
- Your work stays in your notebook: Google Docs saves your changes automatically while you are connected. Use Open My iCivics Notebook to return to your existing copy through Classroom.
- 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.
- Completed your responses in your assigned iCivics Project Notebook.
- 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.
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 Problem Card, 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. Students enter identifying information only in their assigned private documents.
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.