Launch
Launch
Students will launch the water-and-civilization project by investigating mystery evidence, building background knowledge about geography and water systems, analyzing texts and images, and making first evidence-based claims that connect ancient settlement patterns to present-day water access questions.
Days 1 - 5
Empathy & Evidence
Empathy & Evidence
Students will gather and analyze evidence about water access through texts, maps, artifacts, local case studies, and direct community-informed research. They will check assumptions, practice empathy interview skills, synthesize patterns across sources, and produce a structured empathy artifact that identifies user needs before moving into solution design.
Days 6 - 14
Define Design Brief
Define Design Brief
Students will synthesize user research, historical evidence, literary and informational texts, maps, and community case studies into an evidence-based How Might We statement and a prioritized design brief for a civic water solution.
Days 15 - 23
Generate Multiple Concepts
Generate Multiple Concepts
Students will use their research portfolios, empathy notes, maps, text evidence, and design briefs to generate several distinct civic action concepts about water access. They will study how strong ideas connect to user needs, geography, and water systems, then sketch, compare, critique, and revise concepts before selecting a direction to carry into prototyping.
Days 24 - 32
Prototype & Test
Prototype & Test
Students will turn their water-access concepts into low-fidelity prototypes, test them with peers and outside users, analyze feedback against evidence from ancient and modern water case studies, and complete two visible revision cycles before committing to a stronger civic action direction.
Days 33 - 41
Refine & Present
Refine & Present
Students will refine their water-access civic action prototypes using evidence from prior testing, complete a final validation round with a new or representative user, and prepare a stakeholder-facing presentation that explains the problem, evidence, design changes, and next steps.
Days 42 - 50
Showcase
Showcase
Students will present their Ancient-to-Queens water research and civic action prototypes to authentic audiences, respond to stakeholder feedback, and complete a final reflection portfolio that shows how their understanding of geography, water, evidence, and design changed across the project.
Days 51 - 55
Launch
Days 1–5
Day 1
🗂️ Indus Case File Kickoff
Launch
50m
Day 2
🗺️ Water Trail Clue Stations
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 3
💧 Water Cycle and River Settlements
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 4
📘 A Long Walk and Evidence Notes
Research
50m
Day 5
🧾 Case Report Claim Check
Assessment
50m
Empathy & Evidence
Days 6–14
Day 6
🗂️ Indus Case File Reopen
Launch
50m
Day 7
🧭 Water Access Interview Practice
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 8
💧 Queens Water Connection Lab
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 9
🌦️ Water Cycle and Availability Model
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 10
📚 A Long Walk Sources Jigsaw
Research
50m
Day 11
🎤 Queens Water User Interviews
Community Experience
50m
Day 12
🧩 Insight Clusters and Need Statements
Project Work
55m
Day 13
📝 Empathy Board Draft Critique
Deliverable
50m
Day 14
✅ Evidence-Based Empathy Portfolio Check
Assessment
45m
Define Design Brief
Days 15–23
Day 15
🧩 Evidence Patterns on Water Need Maps
Launch
50m
Day 16
📝 Strong How Might We Moves
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 17
🗺️ Queens and River Valley Case Compare
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 18
💧 Water Cycle Limits and Access
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 19
📌 Design Brief Criteria Sort
Project Work
50m
Day 20
🗣️ Librarian and DEP Problem Check
Community Experience
50m
Day 21
🔄 HMW Critique Circle Revision
Deliverable
50m
Day 22
📄 Design Brief Draft Conference
Deliverable
50m
Day 23
✅ Evidence-Based Brief Checkpoint
Assessment
50m
Generate Multiple Concepts
Days 24–32
Day 24
🧭 Design Brief Criteria Sort
Launch
45m
Day 25
📚 Civic Action Mentor Texts
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 26
💧 Water Systems Idea Check
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 27
🧠 Crazy 8 Water Concepts
Project Work
50m
Day 28
🗺️ Concept Evidence Match-Up
Research
50m
Day 29
🗣️ Two-Peer Concept Critique
Deliverable
50m
Day 30
🏛️ Queens Expert Concept Consult
Community Experience
45m
Day 31
📄 Concept One-Pagers
Deliverable
55m
Day 32
✅ Concept Gate Decision
Assessment
50m
Prototype & Test
Days 33–41
Day 33
🧪 Prototype Testing Moves
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 34
🛠️ Water Action Prototype Sprint
Project Work
50m
Day 35
🗺️ Evidence Check for Prototype Claims
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 36
🗣️ Peer Test Round One
Deliverable
50m
Day 37
🔁 Revision Cycle One Build
Project Work
50m
Day 38
🌊 DEP or Library User Feedback
Community Experience
50m
Day 39
📊 Feedback Patterns and Trade-Offs
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 40
🧱 Revision Cycle Two Prototype
Deliverable
50m
Day 41
✅ Prototype Readiness Checkpoint
Assessment
45m
Refine & Present
Days 42–50
Day 42
🧭 Final Feedback Patterns Board
Launch
50m
Day 43
🗺️ Stronger Evidence for Exhibit Boards
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 44
🛠️ Prototype Revision Studio
Project Work
100m
Day 45
🎤 New User Validation Interviews
Community Experience
50m
Day 46
📝 Compare-and-Contrast Evidence Paragraph
Deliverable
50m
Day 47
🤝 Tuning Protocol on Slide Decks
Deliverable
50m
Day 48
🌧️ Water Cycle and Impact Check
Assessment
30m
Day 49
🖼️ Exhibit Board Build and Rehearsal
Project Work
50m
Day 50
✅ Stakeholder Presentation Readiness Conference
Assessment
20m
Showcase
Days 51–55
Day 51
🗣️ River to City Dress Rehearsal
Deliverable
50m
Day 52
🖼️ Showcase Board Final Revisions
Project Work
50m
Day 53
🌍 Water Shapes Civilization Expo
Community Experience
50m
Day 54
📋 Portfolio and Presentation Defense
Assessment
50m
Day 55
🪞 Geography Impact Reflection Conference
Assessment
50m
September 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
28
Day 1
Launch
🗂️ Indus Case File Kickoff
29
Day 2
🗺️ Water Trail Clue Stations
30
Day 3
💧 Water Cycle and River Settlements
1
Day 4
📘 A Long Walk and Evidence Notes
2
Day 5
🧾 Case Report Claim Check
October 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
5
Day 6
Empathy & Evidence
🗂️ Indus Case File Reopen
6
Day 7
🧭 Water Access Interview Practice
7
Day 8
💧 Queens Water Connection Lab
8
Day 9
🌦️ Water Cycle and Availability Model
9
Day 10
📚 A Long Walk Sources Jigsaw
12
Day 11
🎤 Queens Water User Interviews
13
Day 12
🧩 Insight Clusters and Need Statements
14
Day 13
📝 Empathy Board Draft Critique
15
Day 14
✅ Evidence-Based Empathy Portfolio Check
16
Day 15
Define Design Brief
🧩 Evidence Patterns on Water Need Maps
19
Day 16
📝 Strong How Might We Moves
20
Day 17
🗺️ Queens and River Valley Case Compare
21
Day 18
💧 Water Cycle Limits and Access
22
Day 19
📌 Design Brief Criteria Sort
23
Day 20
🗣️ Librarian and DEP Problem Check
26
Day 21
🔄 HMW Critique Circle Revision
27
Day 22
📄 Design Brief Draft Conference
28
Day 23
✅ Evidence-Based Brief Checkpoint
29
Day 24
Generate Multiple Concepts
🧭 Design Brief Criteria Sort
30
Day 25
📚 Civic Action Mentor Texts
November 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
2
Day 26
💧 Water Systems Idea Check
3
Day 27
🧠 Crazy 8 Water Concepts
4
Day 28
🗺️ Concept Evidence Match-Up
5
Day 29
🗣️ Two-Peer Concept Critique
6
Day 30
🏛️ Queens Expert Concept Consult
9
Day 31
📄 Concept One-Pagers
10
Day 32
✅ Concept Gate Decision
11
Day 33
Prototype & Test
🧪 Prototype Testing Moves
12
Day 34
🛠️ Water Action Prototype Sprint
13
Day 35
🗺️ Evidence Check for Prototype Claims
16
Day 36
🗣️ Peer Test Round One
17
Day 37
🔁 Revision Cycle One Build
18
Day 38
🌊 DEP or Library User Feedback
19
Day 39
📊 Feedback Patterns and Trade-Offs
20
Day 40
🧱 Revision Cycle Two Prototype
23
Day 41
✅ Prototype Readiness Checkpoint
24
Day 42
Refine & Present
🧭 Final Feedback Patterns Board
25
Day 43
🗺️ Stronger Evidence for Exhibit Boards
26
Day 44
🛠️ Prototype Revision Studio
27
Day 45
🎤 New User Validation Interviews
December 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
30
Day 46
📝 Compare-and-Contrast Evidence Paragraph
1
Day 47
🤝 Tuning Protocol on Slide Decks
2
Day 48
🌧️ Water Cycle and Impact Check
3
Day 49
🖼️ Exhibit Board Build and Rehearsal
4
Day 50
✅ Stakeholder Presentation Readiness Conference
7
Day 51
Showcase
🗣️ River to City Dress Rehearsal
8
Day 52
🖼️ Showcase Board Final Revisions
9
Day 53
🌍 Water Shapes Civilization Expo
10
Day 54
📋 Portfolio and Presentation Defense
11
Day 55
🪞 Geography Impact Reflection Conference