Empathize
Students will investigate how real readers identify and use text evidence to understand the main idea. Through a launch scavenger hunt and direct interviews with university student teachers and classmates, students will gather firsthand insights, document quotes, and create empathy maps that reveal authentic user needs related to using text evidence.
Days 1 - 3
Define
Students will analyze patterns across their user interviews, cluster evidence into themes, and craft a clear, evidence-based "How Might We" problem statement that defines a specific user need related to understanding main ideas through text evidence.
Days 4 - 6
Ideate
Students will generate a wide range of user-centered solutions to help 3rd graders understand how different types of text evidence support the main idea. They will move from divergent brainstorming to structured idea expansion, then evaluate concepts using criteria grounded in real user interview data before creating annotated concept sketches that serve as blueprints for prototyping.
Days 7 - 10
Prototype
Students will build, test, and refine low- to higher-fidelity interactive poster prototypes that help 3rd graders understand how different types of text evidence support the main idea, documenting feedback from real users and making evidence-based revisions.
Days 11 - 15
Test/Present
Students will validate their refined interactive evidence exhibits with new users, make final evidence-based revisions, and present their full design journey at the Text Detectives Showcase to university partners, families, and peers.
Days 16 - 20