You have done a lot of research into water in your community, now its time to decide -- is there a problem you identified that your team wants to focus on? Or, if you didn't find a problem, is there a potential risk to water in your community that you think needs to be researched or monitored further?
Discharge into Surface Water
Is there a problem with the health and quality of surface water in your community (i.e. rivers, lakes, streams, ocean) as the result of pollution discharging directly into the water? Where is this a problem? When is it a problem?
Flooding
Does your community experience issues with flooding? Flooding not only damages property, but also presents health issues when water carries pollution and waste to places where it doesn't normally exist. If flooding is a problem, what is CAUSING the flooding?
Contaminated Tap Water
Is there a problem with the quality of the water coming out of the taps and faucets in your community or school? What is the problem? What might be contributing to the problem?
Identifying the Root Cause of the Problem
The Green Heart STEM Challenge is asking your team to design a feasible solution to a water and/ or water justice problem you have identified in your community. Key to success is CLEARLY DEFINING the problem you are working to address. It's not enough to say you have a problem -- you need a clear understanding of the problem you are addressing, and where that problem is coming from. This is where identifying the ROOT CAUSE of your problem come into play. Where do you think your problem is coming from? What is CAUSING your problem?
Exploration
Using the graphic organizer and the research you have done so far, work backwards from the problem you want to address -- what do you think is the origin or root cause of the problem? This root cause should be the problem you focus on for your design.
