TEAM
PROGRAMS

Global Issues Problem Solving

Teams of 4

Designed for grade levels 4-12, the FPSB GLOBAL ISSUES PROBLEM SOLVING (4 Person Team) component is a statewide, national, and international competitive program. Students form a 4 Person Teams. Students research topics that have implications for the future. FPSB teams apply the 6 step process to three topics annually. A future scene or imagined future story prompts students to tackle social, scientific, political, economic, or technological issues. Teams explore challenges to the future as they refine thier critical and creative thinking skills; select one problem area; produce unique solution ideas; and develop an action plan to resolve their specific problem. Students then present a 5 minute skit to "sell" their solution to an audience of their peers. Grade levels are Junior (4-6), Middle (6-8), and Seniors (9-12)

Team Community Problem Solving

Teams of up to 15

In TEAM CMPS a group of up to 15 students from a school or classroom apply the 6 STEP problem solving process to real community challenges. Students gain networking skills as they experience the process of change. School and community are linked more closely together as students reach out to solve issues in the real world. Our team from Alcott School in Chicago during 2002-2003 school year focused on the West Nile Virus, a critical issues in Illinois. Other teams have worked with the elderly (Gary School in West Chicago), turned flood plains into parks (PORTA H.S. in Petersburg), and teen race relations (Danville H.S.). Grade levels are Junior (4-6), Middle (6-8), and Seniors (9-12)

Action Based Problem Solving (ABPS) is the non-competitive classroom program for Illinois-FPSB. It is a year-long program for grades K-3, 3-5, or 6-8. ABPS introduces all of the skills of creative problem solving in a hands on approach. Creative thinking is encouraged as students generate ideas through a number of strategies. The K-3 program uses Fairy Tales to teach the process. Grades 3-6 and 6-8 work on two topics, one each semester to teach the students. Previous topics choices have been: the elderly, water pollution, endangered animals, school safety, and literacy. Each year teachers have a number of choices to choose from. At the end of the year, students present their information in an Action Fair (similar to a Science Fair).

Teams up to 15