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
ποΈ Indus Case File Kickoff
Launch
50m
Day 2
πΊοΈ Water Trail Clue Stations
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 3
π§ Water Cycle and River Settlements
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 4
π A Long Walk and Evidence Notes
Research
50m
Day 5
π§Ύ Case Report Claim Check
Assessment
50m
Empathy & Evidence
Days 6–14
Day 6
ποΈ Indus Case File Reopen
Launch
50m
Day 7
π§ Water Access Interview Practice
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 8
π§ Queens Water Connection Lab
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 9
π¦οΈ Water Cycle and Availability Model
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 10
π A Long Walk Sources Jigsaw
Research
50m
Day 11
π€ Queens Water User Interviews
Community Experience
50m
Day 12
π§© Insight Clusters and Need Statements
Project Work
55m
Day 13
π Empathy Board Draft Critique
Deliverable
50m
Day 14
β
Evidence-Based Empathy Portfolio Check
Assessment
45m
Define Design Brief
Days 15–23
Day 15
π§© Evidence Patterns on Water Need Maps
Launch
50m
Day 16
π Strong How Might We Moves
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 17
πΊοΈ Queens and River Valley Case Compare
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 18
π§ Water Cycle Limits and Access
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 19
π Design Brief Criteria Sort
Project Work
50m
Day 20
π£οΈ Librarian and DEP Problem Check
Community Experience
50m
Day 21
π HMW Critique Circle Revision
Deliverable
50m
Day 22
π Design Brief Draft Conference
Deliverable
50m
Day 23
β
Evidence-Based Brief Checkpoint
Assessment
50m
Generate Multiple Concepts
Days 24–32
Day 24
π§ Design Brief Criteria Sort
Launch
45m
Day 25
π Civic Action Mentor Texts
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 26
π§ Water Systems Idea Check
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 27
π§ Crazy 8 Water Concepts
Project Work
50m
Day 28
πΊοΈ Concept Evidence Match-Up
Research
50m
Day 29
π£οΈ Two-Peer Concept Critique
Deliverable
50m
Day 30
ποΈ Queens Expert Concept Consult
Community Experience
45m
Day 31
π Concept One-Pagers
Deliverable
55m
Day 32
β
Concept Gate Decision
Assessment
50m
Prototype & Test
Days 33–41
Day 33
π§ͺ Prototype Testing Moves
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 34
π οΈ Water Action Prototype Sprint
Project Work
50m
Day 35
πΊοΈ Evidence Check for Prototype Claims
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 36
π£οΈ Peer Test Round One
Deliverable
50m
Day 37
π Revision Cycle One Build
Project Work
50m
Day 38
π DEP or Library User Feedback
Community Experience
50m
Day 39
π Feedback Patterns and Trade-Offs
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 40
π§± Revision Cycle Two Prototype
Deliverable
50m
Day 41
β
Prototype Readiness Checkpoint
Assessment
45m
Refine & Present
Days 42–50
Day 42
π§ Final Feedback Patterns Board
Launch
50m
Day 43
πΊοΈ Stronger Evidence for Exhibit Boards
Knowledge/Skill Building
50m
Day 44
π οΈ Prototype Revision Studio
Project Work
100m
Day 45
π€ New User Validation Interviews
Community Experience
50m
Day 46
π Compare-and-Contrast Evidence Paragraph
Deliverable
50m
Day 47
π€ Tuning Protocol on Slide Decks
Deliverable
50m
Day 48
π§οΈ Water Cycle and Impact Check
Assessment
30m
Day 49
πΌοΈ Exhibit Board Build and Rehearsal
Project Work
50m
Day 50
β
Stakeholder Presentation Readiness Conference
Assessment
20m
Showcase
Days 51–55
Day 51
π£οΈ River to City Dress Rehearsal
Deliverable
50m
Day 52
πΌοΈ Showcase Board Final Revisions
Project Work
50m
Day 53
π Water Shapes Civilization Expo
Community Experience
50m
Day 54
π Portfolio and Presentation Defense
Assessment
50m
Day 55
πͺ Geography Impact Reflection Conference
Assessment
50m
October 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
19
Day 1
Launch
ποΈ Indus Case File Kickoff
20
Day 2
πΊοΈ Water Trail Clue Stations
21
Day 3
π§ Water Cycle and River Settlements
22
Day 4
π A Long Walk and Evidence Notes
23
Day 5
π§Ύ Case Report Claim Check
26
Day 6
Empathy & Evidence
ποΈ Indus Case File Reopen
27
Day 7
π§ Water Access Interview Practice
28
Day 8
π§ Queens Water Connection Lab
29
Day 9
π¦οΈ Water Cycle and Availability Model
30
Day 10
π A Long Walk Sources Jigsaw
November 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
2
Day 11
π€ Queens Water User Interviews
3
Day 12
π§© Insight Clusters and Need Statements
4
Day 13
π Empathy Board Draft Critique
5
Day 14
β
Evidence-Based Empathy Portfolio Check
6
Day 15
Define Design Brief
π§© Evidence Patterns on Water Need Maps
9
Day 16
π Strong How Might We Moves
10
Day 17
πΊοΈ Queens and River Valley Case Compare
11
Day 18
π§ Water Cycle Limits and Access
12
Day 19
π Design Brief Criteria Sort
13
Day 20
π£οΈ Librarian and DEP Problem Check
16
Day 21
π HMW Critique Circle Revision
17
Day 22
π Design Brief Draft Conference
18
Day 23
β
Evidence-Based Brief Checkpoint
19
Day 24
Generate Multiple Concepts
π§ Design Brief Criteria Sort
20
Day 25
π Civic Action Mentor Texts
23
Day 26
π§ Water Systems Idea Check
24
Day 27
π§ Crazy 8 Water Concepts
25
Day 28
πΊοΈ Concept Evidence Match-Up
26
Day 29
π£οΈ Two-Peer Concept Critique
27
Day 30
ποΈ Queens Expert Concept Consult
December 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
30
Day 31
π Concept One-Pagers
1
Day 32
β
Concept Gate Decision
2
Day 33
Prototype & Test
π§ͺ Prototype Testing Moves
3
Day 34
π οΈ Water Action Prototype Sprint
4
Day 35
πΊοΈ Evidence Check for Prototype Claims
7
Day 36
π£οΈ Peer Test Round One
8
Day 37
π Revision Cycle One Build
9
Day 38
π DEP or Library User Feedback
10
Day 39
π Feedback Patterns and Trade-Offs
11
Day 40
π§± Revision Cycle Two Prototype
14
Day 41
β
Prototype Readiness Checkpoint
15
Day 42
Refine & Present
π§ Final Feedback Patterns Board
16
Day 43
πΊοΈ Stronger Evidence for Exhibit Boards
17
Day 44
π οΈ Prototype Revision Studio
18
Day 45
π€ New User Validation Interviews
21
Day 46
π Compare-and-Contrast Evidence Paragraph
22
Day 47
π€ Tuning Protocol on Slide Decks
23
Day 48
π§οΈ Water Cycle and Impact Check
24
Day 49
πΌοΈ Exhibit Board Build and Rehearsal
25
Day 50
β
Stakeholder Presentation Readiness Conference
28
Day 51
Showcase
π£οΈ River to City Dress Rehearsal
29
Day 52
πΌοΈ Showcase Board Final Revisions
30
Day 53
π Water Shapes Civilization Expo
31
Day 54
π Portfolio and Presentation Defense
1
Day 55
πͺ Geography Impact Reflection Conference