Community Stakeholders

7.B Evaluate communication options using a systematic process and agreed-upon criteria and constraints to determine how well the design (structure) serves to communicate to stakeholders (function).

Listen for agreement within the jigsaw groups about what their assigned communication option does well and what are its limitations. Then, across all groups, as a whole class, listen for ideas about how some communication options meet some criteria very well, while others meet other criteria well. The purpose of this work is to better understand that by combining multiple forms of communication, systems can address multiple stakeholder needs.

If students struggle to come to an agreement within the group, ask students, Does that fit the criteria we laid out? how do you know? Or, Does it fit some criteria well, but not others? When combining work across the groups, encourage students to consider patterns in what they are noticing, such as, Which of these options does ____ well? Which of these options does not do ______ well?

Discuss the benefits of having multiple options available. Come back together as a whole class and pose this question using slide K: Why would it be important to have multiple modes of communication in the event of a hazard? Would you know what to do when you hear a warning signal?

Suggested prompt

Sample student response

Why would it be important to have multiple modes of communication in the event of a hazard?

• To reach the largest number of people.
• To have a backup in case one thing fails.

Would you know what to do when you hear a warning signal?

• Maybe if I had heard it before and knew where to go.
• I am not sure if I would know what to do. Stay here or leave? I don’t know.

Transition to the next reading. Say, We have great communication options, and they do some things well and other things not as well. Having multiple options in place provides a back up, especially when one thing fails. We are going to read about some students’ experiences during the tsunami when their warning system broke, and we are going to see what back up plan they had in place.