Considering The BIG Question :

How will an industry anchored in an ancient lake bed meet the challenge of new technologies?

Your Minequest Team Plan

Use the comprehensive understanding you now have of the trona industry to consider the following problem and propose solutions. Use this link to print a copy of the Minequest problem solving matrix or your teacher will provide one for you. You need the matrix to complete the next tasks.

Task #5: Imagine that an especially creative inventor develops a piece of technology for mining and processing trona into soda ash that does not use any human labor. By purchasing and installing this piece of technology, the trona plants in southwestern Wyoming will become entirely automated. You are the manager of one of the plants and understand that you play an essential role in the economic health of your community. How will you manage this situation for the good of both your industry and your community? You will generate solutions and then rate your solutions using the problem solving matrix.

Follow these steps to complete your task.

Step 1: In your team, think about this situation and then develop at least four solutions to the problem. Think of solutions that could be used in the real world and when you do, talk about the consequences of your solutions for companies, people, the environment, and the state. Make notes on your ideas and the consequences. Enter a brief description of each solution in a cell on the matrix.

Step 2: Now that you have solutions, develop three to five criteria. Criteria are standards you will use to judge your solutions and identify the one solution that would do the most good and the least harm to people, companies, the environment, and the state. To give you an example, one of your criteria might be, “How would the miners be affected?” If one of your solutions resulted in miners losing their jobs, you might give that solution a low score on the matrix below because it would harm the miners. If miners would get higher salaries as a result of one of your solutions, you might give the solution a higher score because the miners would benefit. Your score might be very different if only a few miners are affected. Think deeply now and develop your criteria. Enter the criteria on your matrix.

Step 3: Using a scale of 1-10, with ten being the best rating and one being the poorest rating, rate each solution according to each criterion. It is quite possible that a solution might rate eights and nines across the criteria and another solution may not rate higher than a five on any criteria. Another solution may have both very high and very low ratings.

Step 4: When all the cells are filled with numbers reflecting your ratings, total the rows across for each solution. The solution with the highest total of ratings is your best solution.

Task #8: From the matrix above, select any two separate scores. Identify the scores you choose by the cell they are in such as Solution 3, Criterion 5. Explain what you were thinking when you gave these two ratings.

Task #9: Explain how the highest rated solution assures that the majority of individuals or groups involved are affected in a positive manner or a neutral manner. Explain how the consequences for some parties might be negative yet necessary. Can you modify the solution so that the consequences to most parties are equitable in that each party will realize some positive consequences and some consequences that are negative?

Last but not least ...

Task #10: Visit the Minequest Lobby and find the Lake Bottom Treasure conversations. Add your comment.

MOVING ON ...

Check to see that you have turned in any work your teacher requires for evaluation or to earn a class grade.

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