Part I - Mystery location
The teacher uses narrative and online materials to convey a fantastic opportunity to the class of "aliens" from the planet Hydrus - the discovery of clues to exotic unknown locations on the distant planet Earth.

To solve the mystery, pairs of students deduce a unique location unique based on three geospatial clues. Clues include objects, images, maps and data that require scientific analysis and synthesis to decipher. Mystery locations include an array of places on land and in the ocean.

Clues focus on different content areas -

• Clue 1: Rock type that indicates tectonic setting
• Clue 2: Image and/or map that indicates geographic setting - latitude, elevation, land or sea
• Clue 3: Cultural artifact that indicates environmental setting - climate, proximity to ocean, biota

Students receive confirmation of their mystery location after they complete a short online game that reinforces skill in finding a place on Earth using latitude and longitude coordinates.

Part II - Motivation, authenticity, societal and individual needs, and design
The teacher uses narrative and online materials to relate a common problem on Earth - a shortage of freshwater on a blue planet. The earthlings present the students with an opportunity to trade some of the abundant freshwater on their bland planet for ecotours of the extraordinary, but freshwater-starved Earth. They ask each group to design a travel brochure with some specifications, that will entice interplanetary ecotourists, highligh the natural features and water needs of each location. Given this design challenge, the students devise a strategy and product to promote ecotourism. As a class, they make up a rubric that defines success. They use that rubric later in assessing each other's brochures. The students produce the brochure.

Part III - Assessment - specifications, expertise and persuasion
The students conclude their activity at an open house where they view all the brochures, learn about other locations, share artifacts, evaluate brochures based on the rubric and select favorite locations other than their own.