1. WebQuest: Where you design your own Space Exploration Mission
Space Quest
WebQuest: Where you design your own Space Exploration Mission

2. Introduction Your Task
Your company was just awarded a 1 million dollar grant to plan a space mission. You and a team of your colleagues are to purpose your ideas based on the past and current space exploration history. You should also plan which of NASA’s astronauts should be assigned to participate in your mission. This is a competition with the other groups in your company and whoever plans the best mission might see it take off or at least get rewarded some of that 1 million dollar grant money (or some extra credit in your science class), so plan well.

3. As you prepare your mission, keep in mind the question:
What scientific space research do you want your tax dollars funding?
Grants like the one your company just received are funded by your and my tax dollars.

4. Background Information
Before you decide on a location for you mission, we'd better make sure that everyone on your WebQuest team knows where we have already been in space.
Use the following links to learn the basics

5. Plan where you want to go for your space mission
Brainstorm
Plan where you want to go for your space mission
1. With your assigned group, select a leader and a recorder (they may be the same person).
2. Brainstorm ideas on space missions that your group would like to see happen in your life time. Make sure everyone is clear on the topic being explored.
3. Set up the rules for the brainstorming session. They should include
* letting the leader have control.
*allowing everyone to contribute.
*ensuring that no one will insult, demean, or evaluate another participant or his/her response.
* stating that no answer is wrong.
* recording each answer unless it is a repeat.
* setting a time limit and stopping when that time is up.
4. Start the brainstorming. Have the leader select members of the group to share their answers. The recorder should write down all responses if possible, so everyone can see them. Make sure not to evaluate or criticize any answers until after the brainstorming session.
5. Once you have finished brainstorming, go through the results and begin evaluating the responses. Some initial qualities to look for when examining the responses include
*looking for any answers that are repeated or similar.
*grouping like concepts together.
*eliminating responses that definitely do not fit.
Now that you have narrowed your list down some, discuss the remaining responses as a group.
6. Decided on a space mission that you will plan as a group.

6. Individual Roles
Now you have some overall background knowledge, and you have an idea for your space mission. Your team can plan something this big and important better when a few people are working on it from different areas of expertise. This way team members can become experts on different aspects of the mission and then come together to pool their learning. This is where teamwork pays off. So are you ready to divide and conquer this question?
You will need three roles: the historian, the now person and the people person

7. The Historian
Yes, this is science and not history, but we can always learn from the past.
Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:
What missions have already been to your location?
What did past missions learn about your location?
What is left to learn about your location in space?

8. The Now and Future Expert
You are to become the expert on NASA’s plans right now!
Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:
What space missions to your location are on NASA’s plan?
What does NASA have to do to plan a mission?

9. Your job is to staff the mission
The People Person
Your job is to staff the mission
Use the links below to learn more about your role. Specifically, look for answers to the following questions:
Who is involved in getting a mission off the ground?
Who do you want to be part of your space mission, and why them?

10. Plan Your Mission
Congratulations! Your team is now full of expertise. Each person (or pair) on your team has become an expert on a topic to plan your space mission. You've all learned a lot of information. Now you get to share with your team what you have already learned and fine tune your brainstormed idea with what would really work.

11. Answer these questions
Three Parts of the Plan
Answer these questions
Why plan this mission?
What are you hoping to learn?
Who will go and why?

12. Share Your Mission
Now that you have planned your mission, prepare a presentation to answer the three questions about your planned mission.

13. Write Your Congressman
Your thought on the space program
1. Read through this web page it talks about what you can do to help the space program.
2. Think about to your experience planning a space mission, as well as the things you learned about the space program.
3. Decide if you are for or against the space program, and write a persuasive letter to your congressman following the format on the next slide.

14. Format for Congressman Letter
1. Introduction - Inform the reader/listener about the issue at hand. State the facts that surround the situation.
2. State your case - Discuss why your way is the best way. Share evidence and expert opinion supporting your position.
3. Examine and refute the opposition - It is vital that you recognize and discredit opposing views. Look for flaws, loopholes, and reasons to reject other suggestions. If there are positive aspects of the opposing view, point them out, but compare them to the overall benefit of your case.
4. Reconfirm your position - Now it is time to review the main points of your arguments. Be sure to address any items that may have come while refuting the opposition.
5. Conclude that your position is superior. Be confident in your closing that your way is, indeed, the only way based upon all the information you just provided.