Students are broken up into five groups and given the following scenario (which can be adjusted to reflect other types of course content):
A new commuter rail line is being proposed for the South Shore of Massachusetts to connect a growing suburb of the city to Boston.
- Group 1 – You are residents and commuters in a town where the new rail will pass through.
- Group 2 – You are members of an environmental group concerned about the rail’s proximity to a marsh.
- Group 3 – You are taxpayers of the state who live on the North Shore and will probably never use the new rail.
- Group 4 – You work for the state’s Transportation Board and are preparing a briefing on the rail for the public.
- Group 5 – You are owners of an industrial park that houses a number of businesses in a town the new rail will serve.
Each group identifies what information they need/want to know and develops a strategy for finding it.
Groups then share their results with the class, and the results are discussed - what do all the groups need/want to know? What information is unique to their group? Did they identify any information they wanted, but had no idea how to find? Brainstorm solutions with the class.