President Bush's Website:

The Zerkonians Are Coming!

INTRODUCTION

Humans have long awaited news of life in outer space. Scientists have looked for evidence of life on planets other than Earth. Science fiction writers have tried to imagine what it would be like if we encountered new life forms. Movie makers have created movie extravaganzas like Independence Day. Well, news has finally arrived. The Zerkonians are coming!

President Bush has just released a letter to all students announcing the arrival of space creatures called Zerkonians. The Zerkonians have beamed a message to Earth that they will be arriving in the United States in a few weeks. They have sent a request to the White House asking for a guided tour of each of the 50 states in the United States. They would like to receive these plans in one week so that they can review them, ask questions about them, and decide which tour they would like to take of each state. The Zerkonians, of course, will pay for their tour of each state so they need to know not only about the tour schedule but also about the cost of each tour.

What's Known About the Zerkonians' Visit

The Zerkonians will be on Earth for 100 days - that is the sequence of available descent and launch windows. They have requested that they be permitted to see each state in the United States. That works out to two days in each state. They will be arriving at the New Mexico/Arizona border west of Gallup at 9:00 am on the morning of June 24th. They need to be at the Las Cruces/El Paso border at 9:00 am on June 26th ready for a two day tour of Texas.

Wishes for Visit: While in each state, the Zerkonians have asked to see an example of at least one of each of the following: an example of a new electronic-based business, something related to the three cultures of New Mexico, something to do with political life, something to do with each state's history, a scientific endeavor OR something to do with religion and/or religious ceremony, something geological or a visit to a State of National Park, and the opportunity to purchase souvenirs. In addition, some Zerkonian attributes you need to be aware of include:

• Sleep/Wake Patterns: The Zerkonians' biorhythms cycle in nine hour blocks. Thus, they are awake for six hours; then sleep for three; then awake for six hours; then asleep for three hours. They will be starting a wake period when they arrive in your State. They do not need time for elaborate preparations for their waking or sleeping periods, but they do need to lay down to sleep.
• Nutrition: The Zerkonians eat one meal during each waking period, preferably at the wake period's beginning. They like, but do not demand, a short snack before sleep. The Zerkonian diet is somewhat flexible. However, they do require one meal once in every three waking periods that provides some sort of seafood, and one meal once in every three waking periods that is high in fat.
• Hygiene: One time during their visit in your state, the Zerkonians must have the opportunity to bathe and eliminate. In order to accomplish these functions, the Zerkonians must remove their outer protective covering. This can be done only when they are submerged in at least 30 feet of water. In between times, the Zerkonians will need access once in every three waking periods to carbonated water which they will insert underneath their protective covering.

All other considerations must be dealt with as they arise during the course of the trip. We are aware of no other requirements for which special preparation must be made.

THE TASK

President Bush is asking you, on behalf of your country, to assist him. He is asking you and three of your classmates to prepare a guided tour to show the Zerkonians your home state. Of course, your tour will have to be designed to meet all the Zerkonians needs. It should include stops that meet all the Zerkonian requirements for the kinds of things they would like to see as well as meeting their sleep/wake patterns and their nutritional and hygiene needs.

Carefully read all the steps to creating a prospectus included in THE PROCESS before your begin. When you have read through all the steps, make a web to plan out all the things you need to do and decide who in your group is going to be responsible for each part of your prospectus. When you have charted all the components and determined who is going to be responsible for each, arrange a group meeting with your teacher to explain your plan. Then, begin researching and planning a tour of New Mexico for the Zerkonians. Your tour will be presented to the Zerkonians as a tour prospectus.

THE PROCESS

Steps to Complete a Tour Prospectus for the Zerkonians:

Step 1: Construct your organization plan and have it approved by your teacher.

Step 2: Create a chart which identifies the exact times which relate to the sleep/wake patterns of the Zerkonians.

Step 3: Using your research skills, create a list of all the places in New Mexico that you might take the Zerkonians. Make sure you identify plenty of options to meet the Zerkonians' requirements for the kinds of things they would like to see.

Step 4: Using your research from Step 3, create a tour for the Zerkonians. Be sure that they visit at least one place that meets each of their requirements. Be sure you plan stops for nutritional breaks, hygiene breaks, and sleeping breaks. In New Mexico, you can plan to travel about 50 miles in one hour. Be sure that you include travel time from place to place.

Step 5: Prepare a trip prospectus for the Zerkonians. Use the following outline for creating your prospectus:

a.) A cover for your prospectus. Use any graphics program you choose.

b.) A table of contents (a word processor works here);

c.) A text-based overview of the trip. Capture your clients' attention. Include an outline of the trip indicating sleep/wake times, bathing opportunities, and times when fat and seafood will be available (a word processor works here);

d.) A graphic overview of the trip. Use a scanned image of a map of New Mexico, a graphics program, or create a flowchart using a program like Inspiration;

e.) A chronological description of the stops on the trip. Tell the Zerkonians where they will be going, what they will see, and some interesting information about each stop on the tour (a word processor works here);

f.) A detailed cost analysis with all expenses included. Include a total for the trip as well. (A printed copy of a spreadsheet would work well here.)

g.) A visual presentation of the highlights of your tour. (ClarisWorks Slide Show, a PowerPoint presentation or Hyperstudio Slide Show would work well here.)

Step 6: Be prepared to make a presentation to the Zerkonians. Your presentation and a copy of your prospectus should be ready on the date your teacher provides you.

RESOURCES

A variety of resources are available to you to assist you in completing your tour prospectus.

Classroom Resources

Multiple copies of maps of New Mexico supplied by the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, and

Multiple copies of:

Steven Metzger's New Mexico Handbook

Charles Cadieus' The New Mexico Guide

Explore New Mexico published by New Mexico Magazine

Library Resources

You may request a pass from your teacher to go to your school library. The librarian has been told about your project and will help you if you ask.

Computer Resources

A wide range of software resources are available on the classroom computers including several graphics programs, Hyperstudio , PowerPoint , and the ClarisWorks and Microsoft Works integrated packages.

Internet Resources

The following boldface topics are buttons to a variety of Internet Resources that you can use to gather information. Each button takes you to a list of sites on various aspects of the broader category identified by the button title.

Sites of Interest in New Mexico

Scientific and Research Sites in New Mexico

Native American Places of Interest

National Parks, Monuments, and Forests

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CityNet - Find Information about Cities Worldwide

Car Rentals - Information and Reservations

Hotel/Motel Accommodations - Information and Reservations

Restaurants - Locations and Menus

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General Search Engines

LEARNING ADVICE

For your team's project to really come together, it is important to create an overall plan first, clearly deciding exactly all the things that must be done and who will take the lead in making sure that they get done. Present your plan to your teacher who will help you make sure you have identified all the things you need to do and realistically divided responsibility for those things among your group members.

Even though you assign responsibility for the finished product to different people in your group, it will take a lot of close group work and sharing of information. Many of the items in the process will need to be completed and agreed upon by the whole group. This will take detailed and supported discussion among all your team members.

CONCLUSION

Plan a presentation and be prepared to present to the Zerkonians about the tour you have planned for them. Two of the Zerkonian representatives will be joining us the afternoon this project is due.

Many thanks to Dr. Pricilla Norton whose original Zerkon WebQuest made this WebQuest possible.

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