Series · 3 missions
Holding It Together
A reactor, a company and a bank. Each time, a few people must judge how much strain a big system can carry.
- Ages
- 13 to 18
- Time
- About 60 minutes in all
- Shape
- 3 missions, in order
What the series asks
Big systems run on routine until a handful of people face a choice nobody planned for. In this series your teen sits in a control room, a boardroom and a weekend meeting, and each time weighs speed, rules and risk with incomplete information.
The order moves from one night shift to one company to a whole financial system, so each part asks your teen to keep more people and more moving pieces in view.
Each mission stands on its own, so your teen can start anywhere. What really happened is shown only after your teen writes a defense, one mission at a time.
The suggested order
- Part 1 · Chernobyl, Unit 4 · April 1986 · ages 13 to 15The Night Shift TestA safety test planned for the afternoon slides toward midnight, with a different crew.
- Part 2 · Enron's board · 1999 · ages 16 to 18The Partnership VoteThe star CFO wants to run side companies that trade with yours. The board votes tonight.
- Part 3 · The 2008 financial crisis · September 2008 · ages 16 to 18The Lehman WeekendIt is Friday night. Lehman Brothers needs a path before markets open on Monday.
Skills it practices
Using evidence, Seeing ripple effects, Judging risk, Making a clear argument, Weighing trade-offs, Seeing other sides.
Opening soon.
Accounts open shortly. Every student gets 15 free tutor messages, enough to try a mission. Signed-in students see their place in each series on their home page.