Lessons 3 & 4 – Live chats


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Lesson Resources

Starter

Class discussion (you could put the zone home page on the screen as a stimulus)

  • Who is your favourite team so far? – Do a show of hands for each team.
  • Have any of your students’ questions been answered?
  • Have students been reading about the team’s progress on the site?
  • Write a list of questions you could ask the engineers to find out more about them and their work – keep these for the live chat.

Main activity – Live chat!

Not all the engineers can make every chat but students will be meeting some of them today. If students were hoping to chat with a specific person, encourage them to post their question(s) in ASK instead.

Log in using your teacher account to monitor the chat on screen and download a copy of the chat transcript at the end. Here’s a guide to using your chat transcript.

1. Explain how the live chat works:

  • Click the name of the person you’d like to direct your question to (below the typing box) before you start typing.
    • This makes it easier for them to see your question.
  • Click on a comment to reply to it – this links the conversation.
    • You can see linked conversations by clicking the speech bubbles next to a comment.
  • Don’t be rude, write in capital letters or spam.
    • If you do, you’ll be blocked from the chat.

2. Get students logged onto the site individually or in small groups.

  • Click CHAT at the top of the page to access the live chat.

Plenary

  • Students VOTE for the team they think should win.
  • Discuss as a class what the engineers are working on – what will they be doing when you have your second live chat? How do students think the mission will have progressed?

Suggested Homework

  • Students continue to log into the site, ASK questions and read about the engineers’ progress.
  • Remind students about the evening chats and encourage them to join. Dates will be announced here.