This illustrated lesson teaches students problem solving strategies and how to evaluate solutions. The lesson includes student questions and activities.

1. Problems and Solutions:
Low Minimum Wages
By
Dean Berry, Ed. D.
The Teachers’ Choice Library

2. Unsolved Problems: Potential
Consequences
Millions of Americans earn so little money after
working full time jobs that they are unable to escape
the problems of poverty. Their hourly wages are far
too low to support decent living conditions.

3. Consequences and Effects
Meet in a small group and identify the serious
consequences of millions of Americans working in
minimum wage jobs that pay so little that they
have to live in poverty.

4. Research the Consequences
• Use the consequences identified by your small
group.
• Select credible sources from sites that use filters
(google news.com, bing news.com)
• Conduct a brief scan of 10-15 articles and choose 5-7
that seem to provide the best information about
possible negative consequences of the
unsolved problem
• Take 3 or 4 pages of notes
• Write a “Findings Report” by providing 1 or 2
paragraphs describing each consequence. Number
the consequences and title the paper “The Consequences
of not Addressing the Problem of ________”

5. The Problem
Many American workers work a lot of
hours but get paid very low wages.
Their income is so inadequate that
they have trouble paying rent and
keeping food on the table.

6. Clarifying the Problem
• Meet in a small group and discuss the
problem. Agree on a statement that clearly
defines the problem.
• After your group has agreed on an acceptable
definition of the problem, brainstorm
possible solutions without evaluating
the ideas(that will be done later).
• Select the three most feasible
solutions for future study

7. Possible Solutions
Millions of Americans work full time but earn very low
wages. They work very hard, yet they are stuck in a vicious
cycle of poverty. What can be done to help hard working
Americans earn enough to escape severe poverty?

8. Unintended Consequences
Sometimes a solution to a problem creates new problems
that were not anticipated when the preferred solution was
chosen. For example, spraying insecticide in neighborhoods
to stop the Zika Virus may also endanger human health.
Rounding up undocumented immigrants to enforce
immigration laws may result in broken families or a serious
labor shortage. The consequences of an action that seeks
to solve a problem sometimes creates more serious
problems than it solves. These types of unintended
consequences must be determined before solutions
to complex problems are implemented. Creating more
problems when trying to solve a problem is
dysfunctional.

9. Identifying Unintended Consequences
Meet in a small group and identify
several negative unintended
consequences of implementing the
two top solutions to this problem.
What is the downside, if any, to your
agreed upon solution?

10. Asking Essential Questions
• Consider each possible solution separately
• Think about what you need to know about the
potential solution and how it might help solve the
problem
• Prepare a minimum of three questions that
you will use to guide your research for each
possible solution
• Conduct your research using credible sources(see
google news.com or bing news.com)
• Collect several pages of notes on the
problem and your preferred solutions

11. Prepare to Make Your Argument
• Once you have completed your research, you will settle on
the solutions that were supported by clear evidence
and logical arguments.
• As you argue in favor of a particular solution, you will make
several claims related to the solution.
• Each claim you make must be supported by
evidence such as research studies, statements by
established experts, data presented in charts and graphs,
reasons clearly supported by logic, or other forms of
dependable evidence.

12. Present to Your Group
• Meet with your group and present your
solutions and claims with supporting
evidence.
• Claim:_____________________________
• Evidence___________________________
• Evidence/argument__________________
• Claim:_____________________________
• Evidence___________________________
• Evidence/argument___________________

13. Write your Argumentative Paper
• Introduce your topic with background
information and the negative consequences of
not addressing the problem. Make a claim about
what needs to be done to solve the problem.
• Compose the body of your essay and
include your major points supported by claims
and evidence(details, data, examples, logical
arguments).
• Add your concluding remarks that
summarize your key points and stress the
importance of solving the problem before the
negative consequences become more severe.

14. Optional Common Core Activity
Multidisciplinary
Perspective

15. Interdisciplinary Exploration
Most national or international problem solving
requires an investigation using various academic
disciplines. Solving a problem may necessitate an
examination of economic, historical, governmental,
and scientific perspectives.
As you begin your research into an issue, you will
need to select one or more of the following
academic disciplines to guide your exploration of the
potential consequences and solutions.

16. The Economic
Perspective
How does money or financing relate to
solving this problem?
Would changing tax policies affect this
issue?
Does the existence of this problem create
economic consequences?
Who will help pay for solving this problem?
Will addressing this problem be fair to all
economic groups in society?
Will the solution to this problem create
unintended economic consequences?

17. The Historical
Perspective
• Which previous historical events are related to
this issue?
• How did a previous historical event contribute
to this problem?
• How are current circumstances that relate to
this problem different from circumstances in
the past that affected this problem?
• What makes you believe that this problem may
be more solvable in today’s world than in the
past?
• This problem may be different from any
problem that we have experienced in the past.
Considering this, how might the problem be
similar to some prior historical event or issue?

18. The Governmental
Perspective
• Can the government take any action that would help
alleviate this problem?
• What kind of government action should be taken to help
solve this problem?
• Should the American government seek assistance from
other countries to solve this problem?
• What can Americans do to help create enthusiasm or
pressure to solve the problem?
• What can each individual do to address the problem?
• Has our government attempted to solve this problem in
the past? What happened?

19. The Earth Science
Perspective
• Does this problem have any impact on the way
humans use the environment? Explain in detail
• Will possible solutions to this problem have any
positive or negative consequences for the
environment in which we live? Explain in detail
• How might this problem result in damage to our
planet? Explain in detail
• Could this problem have an impact on climate
change? Explain in detail
• How might this problem affect the earth’s natural
resources?

20. The Life Science
Perspective
• Could this problem have an impact on human
longevity? Explain in detail
• How might this problem affect people’s stress
levels and health? Explain in detail
• How might this problem affect the physical and
emotional development of children? Explain in
detail
• Will this issue have any affect on the plant and
animal life on our planet? Explain in detail