1.  一 Problems As a class, select one person from the class to write on the board today. You have one minute to make your selection before I pick for you.

2.  一 Problems Time’s up!

3. 一 Problems What problems in our school would you like to see changed? Writer, please take six suggestions from the class. I need two volunteers to pass out worksheets.

4. 二 Solutions! After you have chosen two problems, we need to come up with action steps to solve these problems. An action step is a good starting point when you are looking for a solution. Use the suggestions on the next page for ideas. You may make up your own. Write one action step for each problem. After you write an action step for each problem, explain how that action step could help solve the issue. On the worksheet, write down the two problems with school that you care MOST about. If you hate them all, make up your own.

5. Action Step Examples blog about it complain about it to your pet dog make Facebook posts on all of your friends’ timelines make posters for your school open your own store prepare a report and present it to your city council put up fliers in your neighborhood raise money by selling chocolate raise money with a lemonade stand start a neighborhood watch tweet about it whine about it to your friends * whine about it to your friends * write letters to companies * write to City Hall and the mayor * write to the President of the United States * write to the school board * write to the principal * write to Santa Claus * write to your representative in Congress * write to your representatives in the legislature * write to your senators

6.  三 Planning a Problem Plan I will now separate you into groups. You will be completing the back of the worksheet together.

7. If you want to solve a problem, you have to work together. The next step is take action on your problem. No matter what you want to change at school, writing one letter might not get things done. You have to use the power of numbers. In your groups, you are going to compose a short persuasive paragraph explaining why the principal or a teacher needs to help you make whatever change you want. Get our a CLEAN, BLANK sheet of paper.

8. Dear __________, I am writing to you to tell you about a problem in our school. That problem is ________. This issue is important to me because ________ and ________. If we could fix this problem, life would be better at school because ________. The causes of our problem are ________ and ________. A good first step to solving this problem would be ________. Thank you for reading about the problem of ________ in our school. I hope you will join me in trying to address this issue. Sincerely, ________