You and your space crew have made an emergency landing on the moon after mechanical failure. You must choose 15 survival items to help make the 300 mile journey to the international space station. You are asked to individually and then as a group rank the 15 items from most important (1) to least important (15). The expert rankings provide reasoning for their order of importance.

1. LOST IN SPACE
In the following situation, your survival will depend upon how well your sub group
can share its knowledge and thinking on an unfamiliar situation to make the right
decision.
TASK
1. Read over the situation and complete stage 1 without discussing it with your other sub group
members.
2. Once everyone in the sub group has completed stage 1, go on to complete stage 2 together.
Situation
You are a member of a space exploration crew scheduled to dock with an international
space station. In the process, your shuttle suffered mechanical failure, forcing you to land
on the lighted side of the moon, at a point 300 miles from the space station. During the
emergency landing, most of the shuttle’s equipment was damaged, and, since survival
depends on reaching the space station, the most vital items available must be chosen for
the 300-mile journey.
Your task
On the following page are the 15 items left intact and undamaged after landing. Your
task is to rank these items according to their importance in helping you reach your
destination, starting with “1” the most important, to “15” the least important. You should
assume the number in the crew is equal to the number in your sub group, you are the
actual people in the situation, the sub group has agreed to work and stay together, and
all 15 items are in good working condition. Go on to complete stage 1 on the following
stage. This should be done individually without discussion with the sub group members.
Stage 1
You should individually rank each item. 1 is most important; 15 is the least
important. Do not discuss the situation or the task until each member has finished
the individual ranking.

2. Items Individual Sub Group Expert Ranking
Ranking Ranking
Box of matches
Food concentrate
20 meters of nylon
rope
Parachute silk
Portable heating
unit
Two .45 caliber
pistols
One case
dehydrated milk
Two 50 kg tanks of
oxygen
Stellar map (of
moon’s
constellations)
Life raft
Magnetic compass
25 life of water
Signal flares
First aid kit with
hypodermic needle
Solar powered FM
receiver/transmitter
Stage 2
Now get together to rank the 15 items as a team. Once discussion begins, don’t
change your individual ranking.
Lost in Space Answer Sheet
Expert Ranking
Items Ranking Reason
Oxygen 1 Fills respiration requirements
Water 2 Replenishes that lost through
sweating, etc.

3. Map 3 Principal means of finding
direction
Food 4 Supply daily food required
FM Receiver 5 Distress signal transmitter, possible
communication with space station
or another shuttle
Rope 6 Useful in tying injured together,
help in climbing
First Aid Kit 7 Oral pills or injecting medicine
available
Parachute 8 Shelter against sun’s rays
Raft 9 Could be used along with self
propulsion devices to cross chasms,
etc.
Flares 10 Distress call when line of sight
possible
Pistols 11 Self-propulsion devices could be
made
Milk 12 Not needed as food mixed with
water is used for drinking
Heating Unit 13 Useful only if party landed on
dark side of the moon
Compass 14 Probably no magnetized poles, so
useless
Matches 15 Little or no use on the moon