The scientists should meet on a regular basis (at least once a day) to exchange views and ideas. The following scientists could work together if need arises:

• Paleontologist and petrographer
• Cartographer and volcanologist
• Geophysicist and petrographer
• Petrographer and paleontologist

A permanent exchange of ideas between these scientists could greatly accelerate the discovery of clues.

Suggestions (or a step by step time line to follow):
 

Choose the country of study: California, India, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia

Start your log. You will maintain it throughout the project.

Start with a team meeting and exchange ideas. You will need:

• a facilitator that will make sure that everyone can speak
• a time keeper to make sure that all tasks will be performed within the parameters given by your teacher
• a reporter that will take notes
• A report should be written at the end of your first meeting. It should outline your first assessment of the situation and what each scientist will do and/or not do.
• You should follow the links in the Resources to start finding your information. For each web site of interest, write a small note describing what you found, how it helps you in your quest for the problem at hand.
• Organize another team meeting and share your findings. You should start to build up the mechanisms that lead to plate tectonics. You can start to think about the destruction of Japan and write down hypotheses.
• Look in your web links to confirm or infirm the hypotheses you wrote.
• Start to work on your final presentation.
• Start to write the team report.
• Go back on the web to check your personal presentation, and the team presentation.
• At each step, present your work to your teacher.

You might need to organize more team meetings if needed.