Introduction
In this lesson the expert instructions are reviewed with the students to aid them in selecting a role. Selecting roles helps students feel ownership over the simulation and will make preparing for the live simulation more meaningful. As an optional activity, students can apply for desired roles by completing The Daily Planet worksheet.

Duration

30 minutes: Read team instructions with students.

30 minutes: Job Application: The Daily Planet worksheet (optional).

Vocabulary

None

Materials

• Copies of expert instructions for each student

• Copies of The Daily Planet for each student (optional)

• Pencils

Procedure

1. Read the expert instructions with the students. Discuss the responsibilities for each role and the flow of information among team members.

2. Allow time for questions and discussion.

3. If you decide to allow students to apply for their desired roles in the mission, distribute The Daily Planet worksheet.

4. Students should complete the worksheet and then turn their application in to you. Based on the number of groups you plan to have for Mission Day, you can assign expert roles for each team. You may need to make a judgment call based on student strengths.

5. Announce team assignments.

Discussion Tips
Students review the team descriptions and application process. They decide which team they would like to join and find out about the tasks they will perform on the mission. This is a good time to have them assess their qualifications for a particular job. They should begin to connect skills with job applications and the importance of knowing how to complete an application.  

Special Comments
The student job application is optional, but it is a good way to dramatically increase student buy-in to the mission. Students who are accepted for a position they have chosen, have more interest in learning the skills for the team tasks. They choose their top two choices; reinforce the fact that not everyone will get their first choice. Because students’ assessments of their abilities are not always realistic, this strategy gives you the discretion of choosing the team that better matches the students’ skills.

When putting students into teams, our advice is to strategically select who you think should be on each team. Distribute your higher ability students and class leaders evenly. Take temperaments and special needs into consideration.

Extensions
See the Career Exploration section of the web site for two additional career activities: Career Exploration and Career Bingo.