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Below is a list of tips for teachers to
help you make the most of your e-Mission experience.
Practice, practice, practice
We recommend fifteen 45-minute class periods to familiarize
students with the important material. We have found that those
who spend an appropriate amount of classroom time run the
best missions. It is VERY important to have students practice
with the idea of real-time data, data analysis, and report
forms before the mission begins.
After you have divided your class into teams,
have every student practice the calculations required to complete
the tables and graphs. Every team has a set of practice data
that they can use to practice making calculations. This exercise
increases the students’ comfort and confidence. During
the mission itself, the data comes regularly at 5 minute intervals.
Your students need to be able to calculate quickly and accurately.
The students must become familiar with the Data Report Form
so that they know what they will be reporting to Mission Control.
Test the Connection
Do a test link-up with Challenger Mission Control a week ahead
of time. In this way, you can make sure you will have the
best possible connection.
Plan for emergency link-up measures if the primary link fails
in mid-mission.
Make sure that there is a phone in the room where the mission
takes place so that you can communicate with Mission Control
to work out technical problems. This is also good in the event
that the Internet connection fails during the mission.
Have a technical support person on call.
Mission Day
1. Make sure ALL forms required during the mission (report
forms, maps, graphs, etc.) are copied and ready to go before
the students arrive in the classroom.
2. Use a different color paper for each team’s report
forms. This will help the Communications Team distinguish
one team’s reports from the other.
3. Tell Mission Control at what time your double-period mission
must end. (Allow an extra 5 minutes for the students to collect
their belongings and prepare to go to their next class.)
4. Tell Mission Control f there is anything else going on
in the school that may affect the mission. This can be done
through the chat window before the mission starts.
Create student teams based
upon your students’ abilities and team skills.
Communications Team:
Number of students: 2
Student Assignments:
- Communications Officer will communicate
verbally via computer (microphone and videocam) with the
Mission Flight Commander at the Challenger Learning Center.
Select an outgoing person to be the
Communications Officer. This person needs to be comfortable
with the sound of their own voice because they will be talking
the whole time. (Students who spend a lot of time talking
to their friends on the phone are ideal!) This student
must be able to learn the appropriate protocols, and assume
a leadership role during the mission. This
person will be responsible for receiving all the messages
and categorizing each according to its priority level. He
or she determines what information needs to be communicated
orally and what can be sent through the chat window. Finally,
he or she is responsible for getting the attention of specific
teams, or the entire group, when asked to do so by Mission
Control. The Communications Leader must be able to “work
the room,” and make sure that Mission Control is receiving
a steady supply of information.
- Data Officer will communicate via the
chat window. This student must be able to type quickly,
prioritize tasks, and compose messages regarding the data
that will be transmitted to Mission Control. A
lot of numbers will be typed, and speed and accuracy are
important.
- Ideally, this team should have
three or four people on it. One student is the primary communicator,
the Communications Officer. The two Data Officers will be
typing data into the chat window. Each Data Officer needs
a computer. The fourth student, the Communications Leader,
can coordinate the whole process and work directly with
the Crisis Management Team members.
Hurricane Team:
Number of students: 4 – 8
Student Assignments:
- Team Captain ensures that the team keeps
up with its assignments as the data is distributed. This
student should be able to assess the strengths of his or
her fellow teammates and help the team complete its assignments.
This student should ensure that the Report Forms are complete
and that all students share in the analysis of the situation.
He/She will also prepare for and conduct the mid-mission
briefing with Mission Control.
- Team Messenger will deliver the team’s
Report Forms to the Evacuation Team and/or the Communications
Team.
- Team Recorder(s) will record key information
on a wall chart located on the wall near the team’s
section of the room and complete the Report Forms. The information
recorded on the wall may be in the form of a graph, etc.
Its purpose is to keep members of the other teams aware
of the situation on the island.
- Hurricane Specialists organize data,
make calculations, graph, and analyze the ongoing situation.
Volcano Team:
Number of students: 4 – 8
(Team divided into two groups.
Student Assignments:
- Team Captain will ensure that the team
keeps up with its assignments as the data is distributed.
This student should be able to assess the strengths of his
or her fellow teammates and help the team complete its assignments.
This student should ensure that the Report Forms are complete
and that all students are involved in making an analysis
of the situation.
- Team Messenger will deliver the team’s
Report Forms to the Evacuation Team and/or the Communications
Team.
- Team Recorder(s) will record key information
on a wall chart located on the wall near the team’s
section of the room and complete the Report Forms. The information
recorded on the wall may be in the form of a graph, etc.
Its purpose is to keep members of the other teams aware
of the situation on the island.
- Volcano Specialists organize data, make
calculations, graph, and analyze the ongoing situation.
Evacuation Team
Number of students: 4 – 8
(Team divided into two groups.)
Student Assignments:
- Team Captain will ensure that the team
keeps up with its assignments as the data is received from
the other teams. This student should be able to assess the
strengths of his or her fellow teammates and help the team
complete its assignments. This student should ensure that
the Report Forms are complete and that all students are
involved in making an analysis of the situation.
- Team Messenger will deliver the team’s
Report Forms to the Communications Team.
- Team Recorder(s) will the status of the
evacuation of populated parts of the island on a wall chart
located on the wall near the team’s section of the
room and complete the Report Forms. The information recorded
on the wall may be in the form of notes. Its purpose is
to keep members of the other teams aware of the situation
on the island.
- Emergency Evacuation Specialists organize
data, make calculations, graph, and analyze the ongoing
situation.
Research Team (Optional)
Number of students: 2 – 4
Student Assignments:
- Team Captain will select or approve topic
research ideas by the other team members and as assigned
by Mission Control and the Teacher. Topics for research
will arise as the e-Mission progresses. The team may do
research on the e-Mission website, an online encyclopedia,
or by searching websites using Google or Vivisimo and the
key words “hurricane” or “volcano.”
The goal of this research is to heighten all the students
understanding of the situation on the island and to forecast
possible dangers based upon the information at hand.
- Team Messenger will carry messages regarding
information discovered while conducting research to the
appropriate teams.
- Team Recorder will record key information
on a wall chart located on the wall near the team’s
section of the room and complete a Report Form that should
be sent to all Teams.
- The teacher may wish to play an important
role in keeping this team focused and on task.
- Topics of research may include the following.
Other topics may arise during the mission.
- magma, lava flows (temperatures, speed,
etc.), pyroclastic flow
- Mud flows and ash, tephra
- Tsunami
- Storm surge
- Wind damage potential
- Parts of a hurricane
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