The pieces of information extracted during the inquiry segment become building blocks for students to later write their essays and compose their Hyperstudio presentations. Problem Solving presents itself in a variety of tasks. During the first week students solve the problem of using various search engines to find web sites about their historical topics. Time management is a problem for students to solve as they struggle to fit their readings and other assignments around various aspects of their busy lives. As students read and discuss the conflicts in Romeo and Juliet , they vicariously struggle to theoretically solve the problems of the star crossed lovers, as well as Friar Lawrence, the Nurse, Lord Montague, Lord Capulet, Tybalt, and Prince Escalus.
Students solve social issues and tactical problems as they delve to perform a scene from the play.
Finally, as they embark on their final projects the essay and the multimedia project students perform problem solving as they determine which examples from the text best illustrate their points, the best vocabulary and diction with which to express these thoughts, and how to creatively and aesthetically present their essays in Hyperstudio. Lastly, some students will undoubtedly encounter problems as they attempt to post their projects on the class web page, so they must solve these pesky details as well. Overall, problem solving is one of the most underestimated and overlooked skills encountered daily by students and people in general. Synthesis is a higher level thinking skill that is employed as students compose their summaries of the historical research related to the play. Copying and plagarism are strictly forbidden, and students will explain the main ideas as well as capture important details and express them in a fresh manner.