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STAGE 1 – Cooperative Team Role Assignment + Story-Based Introduction
Duration: 30 minutes
SPIRIT Skills:
- Emotional awareness, regulation and communication
- Empathy
- Valuing people and nature
Brief Description:
Students are introduced to a fictional scenario: they are astronauts landing on a damaged planet and must complete three survival missions. The story creates a sense of urgency and engagement. This stage builds curiosity and sets expectations. Students work in teams of 4–5, read their mission briefing, and assign roles such as:
- Mission Leader
- Materials Manager
- Emotional Reporter
- Timekeeper
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
This stage supports:
- Cooperation and role clarity within a team
- Active listening and shared decision-making
- Emotional awareness through the introduction of the Emotional Reporter role
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
- Foster collaborative mindset.
- Develop imagination and problem-solving in a cooperative setting.
- Begin awareness of roles and emotional dynamics within a group.
Academic/Curriculum Objectives Connection
Science (Earth and Environmental Science)
- Understand the importance of clean water for ecosystems and human survival.
- Explore basic water filtration techniques using natural materials.
- Investigate properties of materials (absorption, filtration, permeability).
Geography
- Recognize the role of water in sustaining life on planets.
- Consider environmental challenges in extreme habitats (e.g., arid or polluted areas, extraterrestrial environments).
Engineering
- Apply problem-solving and design thinking to create a functional filtration system.
- Use iterative testing and improvement to refine solutions.
Materials and tools needed for implementation
- Mission folders (with printed storylines and objectives)
- Role badges or cards (Leader, Materials Manager, Emotional Reporter, Timekeeper)
Preparation notes
- Prepare classroom space with themed posters or props.
- Create and print mission folders and role cards in advance.
Guided Questions
- What kind of problems do you think we might face on this planet?
- How do you think your role can help your team succeed?
- What does it mean to be a good teammate?
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- How did you feel being assigned a role?
- What are you excited or nervous about in this mission?
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- Ensure students understand their roles clearly.
- If some students are disengaged, use dramatic storytelling or space-themed visuals to captivate them.
- Offer flexibility for students to switch roles later if needed.
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STAGE 2 – Clean Water Challenge + Team Emotional Check-in
Duration: 90 minutes (70 min + 20min)
SPIRIT Skills:
- Emotional awareness, regulation and communication
- Empathy
- Resilience
- Problem-solving
Brief Description:
After landing on the planet, teams must ensure access to clean water. Their task is to build a simple filter using natural/recycled materials. Afterwards, they check in emotionally as a team.
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
Enhances emotional awareness by pausing for a shared emotional check-in, using metaphors and symbols to identify group feelings.
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
- Students apply hands-on problem-solving to simulate survival thinking.
- They identify and name their emotional state using symbolic tools.
- They listen actively to teammates and begin building emotional language together.
- They experience the link between teamwork, stress, and emotional regulation.
Academic/Curriculum Objective connection
Science (Earth and Environmental Science):
- Understand basic filtration and the role of clean water in ecosystems and survival.
Geography:
- Explore resource challenges in different environments.
Engineering:
- Practice design thinking and material testing.
Materials and tools needed for implementation
- Dirty water (pre-prepared by teacher)
- Natural materials: sand, gravel, fabric, cotton, coffee filters, plastic bottles, cups
- Clear containers
- Emotional check-in cards (emoji, weather icons).
Preparation notes
- Prepare dirty water safely (e.g., add soil, food colouring).
- Print visual cards for emotion check-in.
- Ensure equal access to materials for all groups.
Guided Questions
- What strategy did your team use to filter the water?
- What materials worked best? Why?
- How did your team communicate during the challenge?
- What feeling best describes your team right now?
- What made you feel included or excluded during the challenge?
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- What would you improve if you had to filter water again?
- Did anyone’s emotion change during the activity? Why?
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- If emotions are hard to identify, offer simple prompts: “Are we sunny or cloudy today?”
- If groups struggle with the filter design, encourage peer advice across teams.
- Keep the check-in short but sincere; use it to build team trust, not perfection.
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STAGE 3 – Lava Bridge Challenge + Team Emotional Check-in
Duration: 90 minutes (70 min. challenge + 20 min. reflection)
SPIRIT Skills:
- Emotional awareness, regulation and communication
- Empathy
- Resilience
- Problem-solving
Brief Description:
Teams must build a bridge over a “lava field” (area marked on ground) using limited materials. Then, they pause for emotional reflection and share how the challenge made them feel and how they supported each other.
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
- Encourages empathy by having team members notice stress or frustration in others and support them.
- Builds resilience and emotional regulation when parts fail or designs don’t work.
- Promotes collaborative problem-solving, where success depends on listening and adapting.
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
- Students learn to handle frustration and regroup collaboratively.
- They build sensitivity toward teammates’ emotional states.
- They practice balancing technical demands with emotional awareness.
- They articulate emotional coping strategies in real time.
Academic/Curriculum Objective connection
- Mathematics / Physics: force, tension, load distribution
- Engineering / STEM: prototype design, material constraints
- Science / Earth: thinking about structural solutions in nature or other worlds.
Materials and tools needed for implementation
- Sticks, cardboard, tape, string
- Small object (rock, bottle) for testing
- Emotional check-in cards (emoji, weather icons).
Preparation notes
- Define the “lava gap” clearly with tape or markers
- Ensure each group has same material set
- Remind students that partial failures are opportunities to iterate.
Guided Questions
- Which part of your bridge is the strongest? Which is weakest?
- How did your team react when a piece failed?
- What emotion are you feeling right now?
- What could someone in your team say or do to help at this moment?
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- If you built this again, what changes would you make?
- Did your emotional check-in help your team stay focused or calm?
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- If a team can’t complete a full bridge, encourage them to test smaller spans
- Remind them to pause and breathe if frustration levels rise
- Encourage cross-team sharing of small tips when stuck.
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STAGE 4 – Building a Wind-Resistant Shelter
Duration: 60 minutes
SPIRIT Skills:
- Emotional awareness, regulation and communication
- Empathy
- Resilience
- Problem-solving
Brief Description:
Teams are challenged to build a shelter using natural or recycled materials that can protect from strong “alien winds” (simulated by a fan or cardboard flapping). The structure must stay upright and shelter a small object (e.g., a cup or a plastic figure).
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
- Promotes problem-solving and resilience in the face of failure.
- Fosters collaboration as students must combine ideas and adapt.
- Encourages emotional regulation when projects don’t work initially.
- Creates opportunities for empathy, as students support teammates who may feel discouraged.
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
- Students practice staying calm and thinking constructively when facing obstacles.
- They develop patience and perseverance.
- They learn to encourage and validate each other’s contributions.
- They understand the value of testing, feedback, and redesign.
Academic/Curriculum Objective connection
- Science: properties of materials, weather/wind resistance
- Engineering / Technology: design, build, and test cycles
- Mathematics: structure dimensions, balance, and proportion.
Materials and tools needed for implementation
- Recycled and natural materials: cardboard, sticks, cloth, string, tape
- Small test object (e.g., plastic figure or paper cup)
- Fan or large piece of cardboard (for wind simulation).
Preparation notes
- Set clear size limits for the shelter (e.g., must fit on a desk)
- Prepare testing area and fan in advance
- Remind students that testing is part of the design, not a final judgment.
Guided Questions
- What shape is most stable in the wind?
- What did you learn from your first test?
- How are you deciding who does what in your team?
- How does your team support each other when things go wrong?
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- What was your team’s biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?
- What role did emotions play in your problem-solving?
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- Encourage iteration: redesign is part of the learning
- Remind students that strong wind might knock down any shelter — it’s about learning, not perfection
- Offer positive reinforcement for collaboration, not just final structure.
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STAGE 5 – Reflective walk with emotional prompts
Duration: 30 minutes
SPIRIT Skills:
- Emotional awareness, regulation and communication
- Empathy
Brief Description:
Students go on a short walk (in a hallway, schoolyard, or designated space) with their group and emotional reporter. Along the path, they encounter reflection prompts that guide them to discuss both the technical and emotional aspects of their missions.
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
- Supports emotional awareness by inviting reflection on feelings and team dynamics
- Strengthens empathy through shared stories and active listening
- Encourages collaboration through group discussion
- Builds resilience by normalizing challenges and celebrating growth.
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
- Students learn to talk about emotions using constructive language
- They reflect on how teamwork made a difference
- They normalize emotional ups and downs in group tasks
- They practice deep listening and support for peers.
Academic/Curriculum Objective connection
- Physical Education: structured movement and spatial awareness
- Citizenship Education: emotional literacy and group communication.
Materials and tools needed for implementation
- Reflection cards or printed prompts
- Signs, cones, string, or tape to mark the path
- Optional: clipboards and pens for note-taking.
Preparation notes
- Select a safe, quiet route
- Place 4–6 prompt cards at visible intervals
- Prepare one student per group (emotional reporter) to guide the conversation.
Guided Questions
- When did your team feel most connected?
- Which mission was the hardest emotionally?
- How did someone in your group support you today?
- What’s one thing you learned about emotions during the missions??
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- What did you notice during the walk that you hadn’t thought about before?
- How can we use these reflections in our everyday school life?
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- Keep the atmosphere calm and respectful
- Encourage each student to speak at least once
- Allow flexibility in how students express themselves (words, drawings, gestures).
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STAGE 6 – Whole-class reflection and sharing circle
Duration: 25-30 minutes
SPIRIT Skills:
- Emotional awareness, regulation and communication
- Empathy
- Valuing people and nature
Brief Description:
After completing all missions and the reflection walk, the whole group gathers in a circle. Each team is invited to share one technical learning (from the challenges) and one emotional insight (from teamwork or check-ins). The teacher gently facilitates the conversation, celebrating both engineering effort and emotional growth.
How does this develop particular SPIRIT skills
- Develops self-awareness through emotional expression
- Builds empathy by listening to peers’ experiences
- Encourages communication skills in a respectful group setting
- Fosters a sense of community and shared purpose.
What do we want to achieve regarding SPIRIT skill development (student understanding and/or behaviour)?
- Students articulate their emotional learning and team challenges
- They validate one another’s efforts and feelings
- They practice turn-taking and active listening
- They leave the experience with a sense of shared achievement.
Academic/Curriculum Objective connection
- Citizenship Education: group dialogue, emotional literacy
- Oral Communication (language): structured sharing and vocabulary building.
Materials and tools needed for implementation
- A talking object (optional, to take turns)
- Emotion cards or anchor prompts (if needed)
- A soft bell or chime to close the session.
Preparation notes
- Prepare 1–2 prompts for each group to choose from
- Set up a quiet, inclusive space
- Remind students of respectful discussion norms.
Guided Questions
- What was one thing your group did well?
- What emotion surprised you today?
- What helped you stay focused during the missions?
- What would you do differently next time??
Stage Debriefing Questions (Optional)
- How can we bring what we learned today into other lessons?
- What emotion are you feeling as we end?
Tips and Tricks for dealing with stage challenges
- Use a talking object to help manage turns
- Allow shy students to speak in pairs or write their reflections
- Keep the pace gentle, but don’t let one group dominate
- Acknowledge all contributions warmly and briefly.
