Week 15: Finding Problems and Opportunities
Part of The Value Creation Project | Focus: Entrepreneurship and Application
Over the past 14 weeks, students have built a strong foundation: they understand value, trade, money, budgeting, risk, banks, interest, and inflation. Now they put it all together.
This week begins the Value Creation Project — a four-week capstone where students go from noticing a problem to designing a solution to presenting their work. It is the most hands-on, creative part of the entire curriculum.
Every business, every product, every service that has ever existed started the same way: someone noticed a problem and decided to solve it. A long line at a store. A messy backpack. A neighbor who needed help. The ability to see problems clearly is the first step toward creating something valuable.
This week, students practice that first step. They become problem finders — careful observers who look at everyday life and ask: "What could be better?"
This Week's Anchor Activity: The Problem Hunt — students observe their school and community to find real problems worth solving.
- Ages: 8–12 | Sessions this week: 3 (about 20 minutes each)
- You do not need to teach every bullet on the page. Use the learning goal and one or two activities for the session you are teaching today.
- If time is short, teach one session well and leave the rest for later. The lessons are designed to stretch across the week.
- Session 3 works best after the learner has already explored the main idea with you once.
Key concept: Every business or project starts with noticing a problem that people need solved. Core activity: Have each learner list 3–5 problems they notice in their school, home, or neighborhood, then pick the one they find most interesting (15–20 minutes).
Facilitator Preparation
- Think of a few examples of businesses or products that were created to solve simple problems:
- backpacks with wheels (heavy books are hard to carry)
- delivery services (people do not always have time to go to a store)
- sticky notes (people needed a way to leave quick reminders)
- water bottles with built-in filters (clean water is not always available)
- Prepare materials for The Problem Finder activity (see Independent Session):
- notebooks, paper, or index cards for brainstorming
- colored pencils or markers for drawing (optional)
- a "Problem Finder Worksheet" with prompts (see activity steps)
- Consider taking a walk around the school, home, or neighborhood before the session and noticing a few problems yourself — sharing your own observations models the skill for students.
- Have a whiteboard or large paper for collecting class ideas.
- Set up a visual timer for sessions.
This week is about observation and curiosity, not perfection.
Students are not designing a finished product this week — they are practicing the skill of noticing. The best entrepreneurs are not the ones with the fanciest ideas. They are the ones who pay close attention to everyday life and ask "why is this hard?" or "what if this worked better?"
Encourage every observation, no matter how small. A messy desk, a tangled cord, a long wait — these are all real problems. The goal is quantity and creativity, not feasibility.
Session 1
Over the past 14 weeks, we have learned about value, trade, money, budgets, interest, and inflation. Now it is time to put it all together. In this final unit, you will create something valuable — a real project that solves a real problem.
Quick check: What does "value" mean? (Hint: we learned this in Week 1!)
(About 20 Minutes)
What Is a Problem Worth Solving?
Learning Goal
By the end of this session, the student can:
- recognize that many useful products and services began with someone noticing a problem
- identify different types of everyday problems (things that are difficult, inconvenient, or could work better)
- explain that problems can be opportunities to create something valuable
Activities
1. The Origin of Good Ideas
Start with a surprising claim:
"Almost every product you use — every tool, every service, every app — exists because someone noticed a problem."
Walk through a few examples:
| The Problem | The Solution |
|---|---|
| 📚 Books are heavy to carry to school | Backpacks — and later, backpacks with wheels |
| 🧊 Food spoils quickly | Refrigerators — a way to keep food cold |
| 📝 People forget things | Sticky notes — quick reminders that stick anywhere |
| 🔦 It is hard to see in the dark | Flashlights — and later, flashlights built into phones |
| 🛒 Going to a store takes time | Delivery services — things come to you instead |
Ask after each:
"What was the problem? And who benefited from the solution?"
Then ask the big question:
"What do all of these have in common?"
Answer: someone paid attention. They noticed something that was difficult, frustrating, or inconvenient — and they thought: "What if I could make this better?"
2. What Counts as a Problem?
Explain that "problems" come in many forms:
"When we say 'problem,' we do not mean something has to be broken or dangerous. A problem can be anything that makes life a little harder than it needs to be."
Share categories of problems:
- ⏱️ Something takes too long. Waiting in line, searching for a lost item, doing a task by hand that could be faster.
- 🗑️ Something is messy or disorganized. A cluttered desk, tangled cords, supplies that are hard to find.
- 😤 Something is frustrating. A tool that does not work well, instructions that are confusing, a process with too many steps.
- 🤷 Something is missing. A product that does not exist yet, a service nobody offers in your area, information that is hard to find.
- 🔁 Something keeps going wrong. A recurring annoyance that people deal with again and again.
Ask students:
"Can you think of an example for each category? Something at school, at home, or in your neighborhood?"
Let them brainstorm. Write their ideas on the board. The goal is to show them that problems are everywhere — once you start looking.
3. Problems They Already Know
Make it personal and immediate:
"Think about your morning today. From the moment you woke up to the moment you got here, was there anything that was annoying, slow, or harder than it should have been?"
Examples students might share:
- "I could not find my shoes."
- "The toothpaste cap was stuck."
- "My backpack was too heavy."
- "I had to wait a long time for the bus."
For each one, ask:
"If someone could solve that problem, would it be helpful? Would you want that solution?"
Most answers will be yes. The point clicks:
"If a problem is real — if other people have it too — then solving it creates value. And creating value is how businesses start."
Reflection Questions
- "What problems do you notice at school or home?"
- "What tasks do people often struggle with?"
- "Why do you think so many successful businesses started with someone noticing a small problem?"
Session 2
(About 20 Minutes)
Creating Value for Others
Learning Goal
By the end of this session, the student can:
- explain that solving a problem creates value when it helps someone else
- connect value creation to the concepts of trade and exchange from earlier in the curriculum
- recognize that successful businesses focus on helping people, not just making money
Activities
1. From Problem to Value
Start by connecting to Session 1:
"Last time, we practiced noticing problems. Today, we are going to think about what happens after someone notices a problem."
"Finding a problem is only the first step. The second step is creating a solution — and that solution has value when it helps someone else."
Explain what value means in this context:
"Value means something is useful, helpful, or desirable to another person. When you solve a problem for someone, you create value for them."
Walk through a few examples:
| The Problem | The Solution | The Value Created |
|---|---|---|
| A neighbor's lawn is overgrown | You offer to mow it | A clean yard — the neighbor is happy |
| A friend's desk is messy | You help organize the supplies | An organized space — easier to find things |
| People at school forget important dates | You create a simple calendar poster | Everyone knows what is coming up |
| A younger child cannot reach something | You build a step stool | They can reach it independently |
Ask:
"In each example, who benefited? The person who solved the problem — or the person who had the problem?"
Answer: both! The person with the problem gets help, and the problem-solver creates something valuable.
2. Why People Pay for Solutions
Connect to the trade and exchange concepts from the beginning of the curriculum:
"Remember way back in Week 1 and Week 2, when we learned about value and trade? People exchange things because both sides benefit. The same idea applies here."
"When someone solves a real problem for other people, those people may be willing to trade for the solution — they might pay money, offer a service in return, or simply be grateful."
Walk through the logic:
- Someone has a problem they want solved.
- Someone else creates a solution.
- The solution helps the person with the problem.
- The person with the problem is willing to pay (or trade) for that help.
"This is the basic engine of every business in the world. Find a problem. Create a solution. Provide value. Receive something in return."
Ask:
"Why might someone pay for a solution to a problem instead of solving it themselves?"
Possible answers:
- They do not have the time to solve it themselves.
- They do not have the skills.
- The solution is better than what they could do alone.
- It is more convenient to let someone else handle it.
3. Helping First, Money Second
Address an important idea:
"Sometimes people think entrepreneurship is about making money. And earning money is part of it. But the most successful entrepreneurs focus on something else first: helping people."
"If you create something that genuinely helps people, the money follows. If you only think about the money without thinking about who you are helping, the solution usually is not very good."
Share an example:
"Think about your favorite store, restaurant, or app. Why do you like it? Probably because it solves a problem for you — it makes something easier, more enjoyable, or more convenient. The people who created it focused on helping you. And because they helped you well, you keep coming back."
Ask:
"If you were going to start a small business or service, what problem would you want to help people solve? Why?"
Let students share. This is a preview of the project they will be developing over the next three weeks.
Reflection Questions
- "Why might someone pay for a solution to a problem?"
- "How do businesses help solve problems for people?"
- "Why do you think the best businesses focus on helping others, not just earning money?"
Session 3
(About 20 Minutes)
The Problem Finder
Instruction
In this activity, students become careful observers of their everyday environment — identifying real problems, frustrations, and needs that could potentially be improved or solved. This is the foundation for the Value Creation Project that continues over the next three weeks.
Setup:
Each student needs a Problem Finder Worksheet — a piece of paper (or notebook page) divided into sections.
Step 1: Observe and List
Students think about their daily life — at home, at school, in their neighborhood, or during activities — and list at least five problems they have noticed.
Use these prompts to guide their thinking:
| Prompt | Think About... |
|---|---|
| ⏱️ What takes too long? | Tasks, routines, waiting |
| 🗑️ What is messy or disorganized? | Spaces, supplies, belongings |
| 😤 What is frustrating? | Tools that do not work well, confusing processes |
| 🤷 What is missing? | Something you wish existed but does not |
| 🔁 What keeps going wrong? | Recurring annoyances that happen again and again |
Students write one problem per line, briefly describing what the issue is and who it affects.
Example entries:
- "My backpack is always too heavy because I cannot easily tell which books I need. (Affects: students)"
- "The recycling bins at school are confusing — people put the wrong things in. (Affects: school staff, environment)"
- "My little brother always loses his crayons. (Affects: younger kids)"
- "It takes a long time to set up for art class because supplies are scattered everywhere. (Affects: art teacher and students)"
- "Our neighbor has trouble carrying groceries because the bags are heavy. (Affects: elderly neighbors)"
Step 2: Pick Your Top Three
From the list, students choose the three problems they find most interesting. For each one, they answer:
- "Who has this problem?"
- "How often does it happen?"
- "How big of a deal is it for the people affected?"
Step 3: Brainstorm Solutions
For each of their top three problems, students brainstorm at least one possible solution. Solutions do not need to be perfect, realistic, or fully developed — this is creative thinking time.
| Problem | Possible Solution |
|---|---|
| Heavy backpack | A checklist app or chart that shows which books are needed each day |
| Confusing recycling bins | Color-coded labels with pictures of what goes in each bin |
| Lost crayons | A crayon pouch that clips onto the desk or chair |
Encourage wild ideas! At this stage, creativity matters more than practicality.
Step 4: Pick Your Favorite
Each student picks one problem they want to carry forward into next week's lesson. They should choose the one that:
- they find most interesting
- affects real people they can observe
- they feel excited about trying to solve
Have them circle or star their choice. This becomes the starting point for their Value Creation Project.
Step 5: Share and Discuss
Students share their chosen problem with the group:
- "What problem did you pick?"
- "Who does it affect?"
- "Why did you choose this one?"
- "What is your early idea for solving it?"
Discussion questions:
- "Which problems were easiest to identify?"
- "Which ideas might help the most people?"
- "Which problems would you enjoy solving?"
- "Did anyone pick a similar problem? How were your solution ideas different?"
Running the Activity
In a classroom: Give students 10 minutes of quiet brainstorming time for Step 1. Then have them pair up to discuss and refine their lists before picking their top three. The sharing round works well as a whole-class discussion.
At home or in a small group: Take a "problem walk" together — walk around the house, yard, or neighborhood and point out problems as you see them. Students write them down as they go. This makes the observation process active and collaborative.
For younger students: Simplify to three problems instead of five. Focus on problems they see at home or school. Use drawings instead of (or in addition to) words.
For older students: Add a "who would pay for this?" column to the brainstorm. For each solution idea, students consider whether someone would actually trade money, time, or effort for the solution. This introduces the concept of market demand without using that term.
As a multi-day activity: Assign Step 1 as a "homework observation" — students carry a small notebook for a day and jot down problems as they notice them. They bring their lists to the next session for Steps 2–5. Real-time observation over a full day produces richer results than brainstorming from memory.
Skills Reinforced
- practicing careful observation of everyday environments
- identifying problems and needs as opportunities for value creation
- brainstorming creative solutions without self-editing
- evaluating which problems are most significant and interesting
- communicating ideas and reasoning to others
Facilitator Notes
This is the launch of the Value Creation Project — the capstone experience of the entire curriculum.
Everything students have learned about value, trade, money, budgeting, opportunity cost, and economic systems comes together here. But instead of learning about these concepts, students now apply them by creating something.
The most important skill this week is observation. Entrepreneurs, inventors, and problem-solvers all share one trait: they pay attention. They notice the frustrations that other people walk past. They ask "why is this hard?" when everyone else just accepts it.
Students do not need to have a brilliant idea this week. They need to start looking — and trust that the ideas will follow from what they see. The Problem Finder activity is designed to make observation a structured, repeatable skill, not a flash of inspiration.
The problem each student selects at the end of this week will carry forward into Weeks 16–18, where they will design a solution, think about costs and pricing, and present their work. Encourage students to pick problems they genuinely care about — passion sustains a project far better than obligation.
Encourage facilitators to:
- Celebrate quantity over quality in the brainstorming phase. Five mediocre problems are better than zero "perfect" ones. Students can refine later.
- Share your own problem observations. When the facilitator says "I noticed that our kitchen drawer is always jammed because there is no organizer," it models the skill and gives students permission to think small.
- Validate every problem. If a student says "my shoelaces always come untied," that is a real problem millions of people share. Do not dismiss small frustrations — they are where many great ideas begin.
- Connect to real entrepreneurs. If possible, share a brief story of a business that started from a simple observation. Sticky notes, Velcro, and wheeled suitcases all came from someone noticing a small everyday problem.
- Remind students that the solution does not need to be perfect. This week is about finding the problem. Next week is about designing the solution. One step at a time.
Age Adaptation Notes
Ages 8–9:
- Focus on problems in their immediate environment: home, school, playground.
- Simplify brainstorming to 3 problems instead of 5.
- Let learners draw their problems and solution ideas rather than writing full descriptions.
- Use a guided walk: "Let's walk around and point at things that are annoying or could be better."
- Keep the "who else has this problem?" discussion brief — at this age, personal experience is enough.
Ages 10–12:
- Encourage learners to think about problems in their community, not just their home.
- Add a "who would pay for this?" column to the brainstorm — gently introducing market thinking.
- Challenge them to rank their problems by impact: "Which problem affects the most people?"
- Ask: "Is a problem that bugs you more important or less important than a problem that bugs 100 people?"
- Encourage longer observation periods — finding problems over a full day produces richer ideas.
Check for Understanding
- Where do most business ideas come from?
- Why is observation an important skill for creating value?
- What makes a problem "worth solving"?
- Give an example of a product or service that was created to solve a simple everyday problem.
- What problem did you choose to explore, and why?
What Success Looks Like
By the end of this week, a learner is on track if they can:
- Identify at least three real problems or frustrations in their everyday environment
- Explain why observation is the first step in creating value
- Select one problem to carry forward into the design phase
- Describe their chosen problem clearly enough for someone else to understand it
- Connect problem-finding to the idea that businesses exist to solve people's problems
Reflection Prompt
"What is one problem you noticed this week that you had never paid attention to before? Why do you think you noticed it now, when you had not noticed it before?"
Companion Materials
- Capstone Planning Guide — Step-by-step student planning worksheets for Weeks 15–18
- Glossary — Kid-friendly definitions for all key terms
- Facilitator Quick Reference — One-page facilitation guide
Preview of Next Week
Next week, students begin designing a solution to the problem they identified. They will think about what their product or service looks like, who it helps, and how it works — turning an observation into a practical idea that could provide real value to others.