From: Jan Wee <jwee@mail.arc.nasa.gov>
Subject: ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS of the MYSTERY SITE ACTIVITY
Date: Tue, 27 May 1997 12:51:36 -0500
Dear discuss-lfm and debate-lfm members,
ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS OF THE...
"WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE THESE P.E.T. MYSTERY SITES?" ACTIVITY
Forty-five elementary, middle school, and high school classes
(approximately 1100 students) completed the Mystery Site Activity.
Each class submitted an entry by the due date (May 20th 1997) indicating
their BEST answers for the locales of the five MYSTERY SITES.
This enrichment activity required students to use their
critical thinking skills to analyze descriptive information
including weather, soil, water, flora and fauna data and digital
images (GIF files) and posed a *rigorous challenge* for all
participants. Each and every class can be PROUD of having
accepted and completed the challenge! It was no easy task!!
A full description of this activity is available online
via the Live From Mars web site at:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/events/pdi/mystery.html
The CORRECT ANSWERS and the WINNING CLASSES for each LEVEL
are indicated below. Thanks to all who participated and
CONGRATULATIONS to ALL who gave this their best effort!!
Jan Wee, PTK Education Outreach Coordinator
_________________________________________________________________
LEVEL ONE: ELEMENTARY (Sites #2,3, 5, 6, and 7)
Mystery Site #2 = B (Alaska) 58 degrees 25 minutes North Latitude
134 degrees 30 minutes West Longitude
Mystery Site #3 = A (Texas) 26 degrees North Latitude
97 degrees West Longitude
Mystery Site #5 = C (Michigan) 42 degrees 10 minutes North Latitude
83 degrees 40 minutes West Longitude
Mystery Site #6 = B (Palmer Station, Antarctica)
64 degrees 46 minutes South Latitude
64 degrees 05 minutes West Longitude
Mystery Site #7 = C (Wisconsin) 43 degrees 49 minutes North Latitude
91 degrees 15 minutes West Longitude
RESULTS --- Ten classes participated -- THREE classes had four out of
five answers CORRECT...
1) April Weyland of Gidding Texas
2) Julie Taylor of Adelanto, California
3) Sharon Regner of Los Gatos, California
WINNER -----> APRIL WEYLAND's class won the RANDOM DRAWING! <------
OTHER PARTICIPATING CLASSES: Ginny Dexter-- Hydesville School,
Hydesville, California; Mellie Lewis-- Atholton Elementary
School, Columbia, Maryland; Clara Schoppe (homeschool) of
Gilman, VT; Elaine Heine -- Lockmar Elementary of Palm Bay,
Florida; Ken Gagner--Morris Area Elementary of Morris,
Minnesota; Patricia Steiner-- John Glenn School of Pine Hill,
New Jersey; and Robin Woods--The Harley School of Rochester, NY.
________________________________________________________________________
LEVEL TWO: MIDDLE SCHOOL (Sites 1,2, 3, 4, 5)
Mystery Site # 1 D = England
53 degrees 21 minutes North Latitude
1 degree 48 minutes West Longitude
Mystery Site # 2 B = Alaska
58 degrees 25 minutes North Latitude
134 degrees 30 minutes West Longitude
Mystery Site # 3 E = Texas
26 degrees North Latitude
97 degrees West Longitude
Mystery Site # 4 A = Wisconsin
43 degrees 30 minutes North Latitude
89 degrees West Longitude
Mystery Site # 5 B = Michigan
42 degrees 10 minutes North Latitude
83 degrees 40 minutes West Longitude
Thirty-four middle school classes completed the challenge.
Six classes tied for the highest score of *three out of
five* correct answers. Eleven classes had two out of five
correct and fourteen had at least one correct answer.
The HIGHEST SCORING CLASSES included:
Darlene Taylor (Dixon Middle School, Provo, Utah
MESA 1sr hour)
Eileen Bendixsen (Beers Street Middle School, Hazlet, NJ
Period 10)
Cheryl Slawsky (Beers Street Middle School, Hazlet, NJ
Period 2)
Susan Hurstcalderone (Sacrament School, Washington, DC
8AB)
Kable 7 (Gates Intermediate, Scituate, MA)
Kable 1 (Gates Intermediate, Scituate, MA)
WINNER -----> Eileen Bendixsen's class won the RANDOM DRAWING! <------
OTHER PARTICIPATING CLASSES: James Carter -- South Lee, England; Susan
Hurstcalderone--8CD-Sacrament School, DC; Lucy Marske--Souix
Center Middle School-four classes-Sioux Center, Iowa; Cheryl
Slawsky--Beers Street Middle School- Period 10, 1, 8, 9;
Eileen Bendixsen-- Beers Street Middle School, Period 3,
6-7, 8, Arachnids, Hazlet, NJ; Clara Schoppe (homeschool,
Gilman, VT; Ann Min-- Beardsley Middle School, Crystal Lake,
Illinois; Theresa Hall, Canyon ES, Grade 6, La Canada,
California; Ruth Wahl - Central School, Allegheny, NY;
Susan Cowles--Linn-Benton School, Albany, Oregon, Charles
Lindgren (Periods 1,2,4,5,6 and Kable--Period 1, 3, 4, 6--Gates
Intermediate School, Scituate, MA.
_____________________________________________________________________________
LEVEL THREE: HIGH SCHOOL (Mystery Sites #1-5 -- See Answer's in Latitude
and Longitude given above in the Middle School
section)
Two classes completed the activity -- Karen Young's and
Debora Mosher's classes. High School level students
were required to submit their best guess for the exact
location in LATITUDE and LONGITUDE for each of the
Mystery Sites. The basis of determining the winner was the
LOWEST total number of degrees off from the exact locations.
WINNER --------------> Karen Young's Class, Serrano High
School, Partnership Academy Environmental Science, Grades
10 and 11.
Karen's class submitted Latitude and Longitude which
was only 169 degrees 85 minutes off for ALL FIVE SITES.
Karen's class came with in 1 degree of Mystery Site #4 and
3 degrees 40 minutes of Mystery Site # 5!
Debora Mosher's students (Virginia Beach, VA) had a total of
231 degrees 47 minutes off. These students also came
>>>>very close<<<< to the exact locations for sites number
four and five!
Both classes did terrific given the level of difficulty!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERY CLASS, STUDENT, AND SPONSORING
EDUCATOR WHO TOOK THE CHALLENGE! THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING!
CERTIFICATES WILL BE SENT TO EACH PARTICIPATING CLASS AND
PRIZES AND AWARD CERTIFICATES WILL BE SENT TO THE SPONSORING
EDUCATOR FOR THE WINNING CLASSES.
Jan Wee, PTK Education Outreach Coordinator