Packing for Another Planet

We use an alternative reality game (ARG) to teach a wide variety of STEM topics as a planetary exploration activity. The program is organized as a professional development workshop for middle and high school science educators and has included teachers from many fields: life sciences, physical sciences, and technology. Teachers are grouped into teams of scientists and charged with designing a scientific mission of discovery to another planet. The game culminates in a competition for funding. The ARG relies on the combined expertise of all participants and illustrates the highly interdisciplinary nature of science. The game combines fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and directed readings, as well as independent research. User reviews from before and after the use of the teaching ARG indicate that participants were more engaged and found it easier to apply large amounts of data and concepts when presented through a cohesive storyline with a defined goal.