\documentclass[a4paper, 12pt]{article} \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} % \usepackage{helvet} % \renewcommand{\familydefault}{phv} \usepackage{comment} % enables the use of multi-line comments (\ifx \fi) \usepackage{lipsum} %This package just generates Lorem Ipsum filler text. \usepackage{fancyhdr} % fancy headers! \renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0pt} \renewcommand{\footrulewidth}{0pt} \usepackage{graphicx} % include graphics % \usepackage{titlesec} % \titlelabel{\thetitle\enspace} \date{} % don't print the date \usepackage[a4paper, rmargin=24mm,lmargin=24mm]{geometry} \usepackage{xcolor} % colored text \usepackage{hyperref} % href and more \lhead{\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{../latex/graphics/icecube-line}} \rhead{} \lfoot{\textcolor{gray}{\small Activity designed by Christoph Raab, March 2018. Contact \href{mailto:learn@icecube.wisc.edu}{learn@icecube.wisc.edu} with your questions/suggestions or visit \href{https://go.wisc.edu/a3qi7z}{go.wisc.edu/a3qi7z} to get access to IceCube educational resources.}} \cfoot{} \title{\noindent \textbf{Multimessenger Astronomy}\\an icebreaker game} \begin{document} \pagestyle{fancy} % \noindent \maketitle \thispagestyle{fancy} \section*{Learning goals} Understand the basic principle of multimessenger astronomy: detecting several types of particles from the same source (steady or transient) to better understand it.\\ Encounter the key players: sources, messengers, and detectors: especially those the hosting group is involved with.\\ Learn about the missing puzzle pieces in our multi-messenger view of the universe: often we are hoping for a detection.\\ These specific learning goals stand next to the more general, social goals of the game: to lower the threshold for talking with each other and the group members, to start conversations, encourage curiosity and seed questions. \section*{What's needed} \subsection*{Basic variant} One detector/source badge per student with the personal information on the front and instructions on the back. The split between detectors and sources should be about equal. If there are more students than badges, it's possible to make duplicates.\\ You can chose to use badge holders of 90mm x 60mm dimensions. If you have holders that are smaller, you will need to adapt the layout size in \verb|header.tex|. Else it's totally valid to just use transparent tape. You can also print on sticky-sided paper, but in this case it's better to print the instructions separately.\\ One physicist badge per group member, with their name and languages spoken. In addition to that, blank physicist badges so that those outside the group who might be around can participate.\\ The instruction sheet for every group member to read beforehand.\\ \subsection*{Forced interaction} In the ``forced interaction'' variant, print the blank badges. Print the ``complete'' badges on regular paper. \section*{List of contents} The contents of the game should have been delivered with this file. If not, you can find them \href{https://docushare.icecube.wisc.edu/dsweb/View/Collection-16824}{here}. \begin{itemize} \item \verb|detectors.pdf|\\ Badges for students playing detectors. These include neutrino, gravitational wave, cosmic rays, gamma-rays and other wavelengths. These figures show an example of their front, and the explanation on the back:\\ \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{detector_front.png} \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{detector_back.png} \item \verb|sources.pdf|\\ Badges for students playing astrophysical sources. These figures show an example of their front, and the explanation on the back:\\ \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{source_front.png} \includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth]{source_back.png} \item \verb|physicists.pdf|\\ Pre-printed name badges to show the students who is there to answer questions. This also contains a set of blank nametags for your colleagues who just happen to be around to write their names. \item \verb|instructions/coordinator_instructions.pdf|\\ This document, meant as a guide for those who organize this activity. \item \verb|instructions/reference.pdf|\\ A short reference to use by the physicists joining the game. \end{itemize} \section*{Activity proposal} This is a role-playing game where participants take the part of detectors and sources, trying to make multimessenger observations. Since it doesn't require any particular combination of these ``characters'', the activity can start up gradually, for example as students are arriving to a masterclass breakfast. The end of the game is similarly open. In case you played for a defined time, you can tally up the scores and crown winners. \subsection*{Basic variant} Each student receives a badge with their character. Because this is an icebreaker game, the badge also serves as a name tag, so ask them to write their name on the front. On the back they will be able to read the rules of the game. If you are using sticky-backed paper, they can keep the peeled-off instructions in their pocket. Else, the badge should be fixed loosely (with a safety pin, a single piece of tape, or in a badge holder) so they can re-read the rules later.\\ \textbf{As a detector}, the students know which messengers they can detect and are looking for sources that emit one of them.\\ \textbf{As a source}, the students know which messengers they emit and are looking for detectors that can observe them. Some of the messengers are listed as hypotheticals. These haven't yet been observed from this source in real life, but are of great interest and so we will play as if they have. The students know this, but be prepared to explain it if they ask.\\ Each time a source and detector find each other, they increase the tally of their detections on the front of their badge. This is meant to encourage a friendly competition that enhances engagement in the game.\\ The mass of technical terms is intentionally left unexplained in the beginning. Instead the students are encouraged to ask questions to the physicists, who signal their availability by wearing the \textbf{physicist} badge. This is meant to help the students lose their shyness in front of scientists and keep asking questions as the day progresses.\\ There are two variants to this game. You can adapt the game to them by uncommenting the relevant sections in the TeX files (see: ``Customising the actvity''). \subsection*{Variant A: Forcing interaction} If you expect the students to be extremely shy and simply copy off from each others' badges, this variant can help. The usual badges are still printed, with the instructions on the back, but the students keep those cards secret. In addition, print badges that only indicate their role and name for them to wear. The students then approach each other, and need to ask the other to show their badge. At this point, the game proceeds like in the basic variant.\\ \subsection*{Variant B: Strict multimessenger} Detections (a connection source-messenger-detector) are only made when there is a team of detectors seeing the same source in several different messengers. For example, a group of detectors just has to find one source between them to each make a detection. That source will have to find several detectors, but can make a detection with each of them. % => collaborations form, they go around to sources % but again, sources do not have similar lasting contacts... % need something to make sources talk to each other!\\ % \subsection*{Increasing competition} % Promise a reward/prize for... \section*{Customising the activity} You can use the PDF files as they are provided. However, the activity is set up to make it easy to customise for your group: it's all written in LaTeX, and contents and layout/style are separated. First, you will want to write your own names into \verb|latex/physicists.tex|. This is easy to do collaboratively by setting up a Google Sheet with rows formatted as\\ \verb|\badge{Name} {First line} {Second line}|,\\ letting everyone add themselves, and finally copying the entire block from there. In the same way, you might adapt the selection of detectors (\verb|latex/detectors.tex|) and sources (\verb|latex/sources.tex|) to match what you yourself are working on. That way, once the students start asking questions the conversations you'll will be a lot more engaging! The file \verb|latex/header.tex| contains definitions of the layout and is commented. It also contains macros you can use to e.g. insert a page of explanations, a page of blank badges, or a en entirely blank page into the documents.\\ To make any of these changes, just edit the TeX files and re-compile (\verb|cd latex;make|). The embedded graphics are found in \verb|latex/graphics|. \end{document}