Daily Learning Contract
- Topic: Idea Generation
- Objective: Students will write a clear problem statement, generate at least 10 possible business ideas, and select two using visible criteria.
- TEKS: d(3)(I)
- Demonstration of Learning: A problem statement, at least 10 ideas, two screened ideas with reasons, and one dropped-idea reason on FYF pp. 234-235 or the matching support pages.
| Time | 50 minutes |
| Objective | Write a clear problem statement, generate at least 10 possible business ideas, and select two using visible criteria |
| TEKS | d(3)(I) |
| Evidence | Problem statement, 10+ ideas, two screened ideas with reasons, and one dropped-idea reason on FYF pp. 234-235 or the matching support pages |
| Sources | FYF pp. 234-235, “Million Dollar Idea” Steps 1-3 |
Before class
- Post the two licensed workbook pages. Keep the support packet as a no-workbook or enlarged-scaffold route; do not assign both.
- Default quantities: one FYF workbook per student. If a student needs the alternate route, provide one four-page support packet to that student instead of the workbook pages.
- Put the five-minute countdown where every student can see it.
- Keep the problem menu visible for students who need a starting point.
50-minute flow
1. Notice problems — 5 minutes
Ask students to name one small frustration from a normal school day. Separate a complaint from a problem statement: “Lunch is bad” is broad; “students with a six-minute line have little time to eat” names what is happening and why it matters.
2. Write the problem — 8 minutes
Students complete Step 1. They name what is happening, who experiences it, and why it matters. School-appropriate fictional examples are fine. No classmate’s private information belongs in the scenario.
3. Run the idea sprint — 7 minutes
Review the rules for one minute. Then run the five-minute sprint. Short phrases count. Students do not erase, judge, or improve ideas while the timer is running.
At minute 3, scan for six ideas. If several students are stalled, model three deliberately ordinary ideas and restart the remaining time.
4. Screen the list — 10 minutes
Students mark ideas that:
- solve the exact problem;
- have a realistic first version; and
- could be used or chosen by a customer.
They choose two and explain why each survived the screen.
5. Develop the top two — 15 minutes
Students give each top idea a name or clear description and write a separate reason for problem fit, realism, and customer use. They also name one idea they dropped and the criterion it failed.
6. Close — 5 minutes
Prompt: “Name your strongest idea and one idea you dropped. What evidence separated them?”
Monitoring and key
The sprint target is quantity, not polish. A strange idea can count. The screening reasons must do more than repeat the idea.
Common repair prompts:
- “Who has the problem?”
- “What is the smallest version you could build?”
- “What does the customer do now?”
Use two laps. During the sprint, check only idea count; during screening, check whether each reason uses a criterion. If a quarter of the class is polishing one idea instead of generating, reset the five-minute sprint and remind students that phrases count. Trim the final verbal share before trimming the two screened ideas or dropped-idea reason.
Support and absence route
Students may use the eight-item problem menu and the support packet instead of the workbook. They do not complete both. The packet gives 12 short idea lines and separate writing space for each screening job. Typing, handwriting, speech-to-text, or bilingual brainstorming are equal routes.