TEACHER ONLY · LESSON GUIDE
Leaving Land Lesson 1 — Seasick with Empathy
Run the lesson here; the student item below remains the independent and absence route.
Daily Learning Contract
Topic: Empathy and problem definition
Objective: Students will analyze evidence from a user interview to define a specific need and write a problem statement that can guide a technology solution.
- §126.19(c)(3)(B) — discuss and implement a design process that includes planning, selecting digital tools to develop, test, and evaluate design limitations, and refining a prototype or model; and
Demonstration of learning: Completed empathy map and a problem statement that identifies the user, need, evidence, and design direction.
Before class
Time: One class period
Student route: Learn: Lesson 1 Seasick with Empathy
Use what already exists: AIR Unit 1 overview; current Learn/EdPuzzle/activity page and artifacts.
Lesson flow
- Launch: Launch with a concrete question or failure that makes empathy and problem definition matter.
- Model: Model one current example or tool move before students begin.
- Do: Guide the first decision together, then release students to the existing Canvas task.
- Check + support: Check for the named evidence, not completion alone; keep a visual sequence, sentence stems, and purposeful partner roles available.
- Close + handoff: Collect or verify the evidence and name the next lesson's connection.
Check before students leave
Ask students to point to the specific evidence above and explain one choice, test, or revision. Completion alone is not evidence of understanding.
Support + troubleshooting
Scaffold: Keep the visual task sequence visible, assign purposeful partner roles, and use the sentence stems on the student page before simplifying the task.
When students get stuck: Ask for the exact step where the tool, code, or task stopped. Check setup, inputs, and saved work before replacing the task or lowering the thinking.