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Inside the Machine G3 to G5 / Week 09 / Crew Quest
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Week 09 · The troubleshooting method

Crew Quest

Crew Quest: Fix-It detective
// Notice, name it, test one thing, write it down, ask
⏱ about 15 min

Crew Quest: Fix-It detective

The Fix-It Bay is closed, but Rocket has made badges that say Detective. "Problems at home are cases," he says. "We solve them with the method."

Raven holds up the fix log. "What do you notice at home that does not work quite right?" Nova glows. "A squeaky door, a dim lamp, a stuck drawer. Any case will do."

  1. Notice: look and listen before you touch anything.
  2. Name it: say what should happen and what happens instead.
  3. Test one thing at a time. Check. Undo if it did not help.
  4. Write it down in a fix log.
  5. Ask a grown-up when the fix is not yours to do.
Notice
↓
Name it
↓
Test one safe thing
↓ DECISION ↓
Fixed: write it down
↓
Not fixed: undo, next test, or ask
◇ SOLVE A HOME CASE TOGETHER
Pick one small thing at home that does not work quite right. No devices with plugs this time.
Good cases: a squeaky door, a drawer that sticks, a zipper that catches.
Step 1: Both of you notice. Say three things you see or hear.
Step 2: The child says the problem sentence with should and but.
Step 3: Try one safe test. Check. Undo if it did not help. Try the next.
Step 4: Write a four-line fix log together.
Step 5: If a tool, a liquid or anything sharp is needed, ask the grown-up.
Safety first
Pick a case with no plugs, batteries, liquids or sharp parts.
A grown-up does anything that needs a tool.
If something looks cracked or smells strange, stop and tell a grown-up.
For a grown-up
Resist fixing it yourself at first. Let your child lead the noticing and naming.
Say one at a time whenever a second change is about to happen.
Keep the fix log somewhere you can find it. It is the start of a real habit.
DETECTIVE CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Your drawer sticks. What is the first thing the detective does?
Pick the problem sentence for the drawer.
You moved one item inside the drawer and it still sticks. Next?
How many lines does the fix log in this quest have?
WHY THIS EXERCISEFour short lines are enough to remember any fix.
On paper, draw the five-step method as a flowchart with arrows. Put a star on the step a grown-up does.

Case closed, Detective! Next week the crew uses the method on the five most common device problems.

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