About "Classroom Quests"

"Classroom Quests" is a special series on my VRGetaway blog. As a creator passionate about transporting people to beautiful, magical worlds, I bring that same spirit of adventure and storytelling into my other passion: teaching. These posts are the official "guidebooks" for my thematic, engaging, and dragon-worthy math lessons, designed to inspire other educators to turn their classrooms into an epic quest!

← Previous Mission: 🗺️ Wayfinder's Quest Next Mission: Day 2 - Unlocking the Time Variable →

☣️ Operation: Containment (Day 1) - Basic Recon

Exponential Review Launch

Identifying the "Viral" Threat and the "Containment" Tool

"In an epidemic, the first step isn't to fight. It's to see. To find the pattern in the chaos. Our survival depends on it."

📜 Mission Briefing

🎯Mission Objective: Visually identify, sort, and match exponential graphs ("Infection Reports") and logarithmic graphs ("Containment Reports") to their parent equations.
⏳Class Time: 1 Class Period (Approx. 90 mins)
📚Subject & Level: Secondary Math 3 / Algebra 2 (Intro to Exponentials & Logs)
👻The Adventure: Our first day at QERC! We must sort the chaotic data streams to identify the two key patterns at the heart of the crisis.

🎒 The Armory

📋 Supply List:

🗺️Unit Mission Guide: Get the Steps to Success
📈Personal Goal Card: Get the SMART Goal Card (Note: Fill this out at the start of the unit!)
Unit 4 Schedule
🖥️Day 1 Slideshow: Get the QERC Briefing Slides
🧠Day 1 Intel Briefing: Get the QERC Reference Sheet
📄Day 1 Activity: Get the Data Triage Matching Activity
📱Day 1 Practice: Get the Fast Feedback: Graph ID (Note: Recruits use this *after* the matching activity!) D(CTA *(Note for teachers: To get access to this amazing resource, please contact darcistone@alpinedistrict.org! Also, please hit "submit" to start the quiz fresh, as it generates a new version on each attempt.)*
🧑‍🏫 Analyst Support (Video)
- Pre-load / Post-Help: Watch the Support Briefing (Note for teachers: This is the support video for students who need a preview or extra help.)

👕 Costume & Prop Ideas:

To become "Director Stone," all you need is a professional look!

A dark-colored shirt or polo.
(Optional) A simple lab coat to look extra official.
(Key Prop) A printed **"QERC ID Badge"** on a lanyard.
(Student Prop) Get the Recruit ID Badge Template
(Note for teachers: Recruits can create their own ID badge with their picture using this template!)
Don't forget **Patty Paper** for your recruits—this is their secret weapon.

Using Infection Spread with Expoentials

🗺️ The Walkthrough

✨ Introduction: The Motivational Message (Approx. 5-7 mins)

(Standing at the front of the "Command Center," clipboard in hand. The QERC logo is on the screen.)

"Alright, recruits, listen up. This isn't a drill. You're not in a normal classroom, and this is *not* a normal day. You're in the QERC Command Center, and you've been called up because this city is facing a crisis.

The Z-Virus is spreading. But that's not our only problem. The *panic* is spreading. Our resource supply chains are failing. The data is pouring in from every sensor, every camera, and every drone... and right now, it's just *noise*.

Our job today is simple, but it is critical. We have to find the *signal* in the noise. It turns out, there are two patterns at the heart of this entire crisis.

The first is the **'Infection Report.'** This is the graph of the virus itself—uncontrolled, explosive growth. The second is the **'Containment Report.'** This is the graph of our efforts... how an antidote works, or how our scarce resources are being depleted. One graph explodes up to infinity, the other... well, it behaves very differently.

Your mission today is **Basic Recon**. You will learn to see these two patterns. You will learn to tell them apart *instantly*. Because in this job, you don't get second chances. Let's get to work."

⚔️ Phase 1: The Warm-Up / Intel Briefing (Approx. 10-15 mins)

The Story: "Issuing Standard Field Equipment." Before we send you out, you need to know how to read your equipment.

The Activity: Hand out the **QERC Reference Sheet**. Quickly summarize the key features:
-"Recruits, this is your new best friend. It shows you the 'fingerprint' of every known exponential and log pattern. Notice the key points: `(0, 1)` and `(1, b)` for exponentials. `(1, 0)` and `(b, 1)` for logs. These are your anchors."
-"You will also be issued a **'Visual Scanner'** (patty paper). Your job is to trace the parent graph from the reference sheet and use it to 'scan' the corrupted data at your station. It's the fastest way to find a match."

🔥 Main Activity: The Core Challenge (Approx. 40-50 mins)

The Story: "Triage: Sorting the Signals." The data is corrupted. We have a stack of "Data Reports" (graphs) at stations around the room, and a set of "Virus IDs" (equations). We need to sort them before the system crashes.

The Activity: This is the **Data Triage Matching Activity**. In teams, recruits move between stations (or work in groups).

They use their patty paper to trace a parent function (e.g., `y=2^x`) from their Reference Sheet.
They "scan" (overlay) their patty paper on the various graphs at the station to find the one that matches the shape and key points.
They record the match.
Once they *think* they have all matches, they confirm their findings using the **Fast Feedback: Graph ID** link. This is their "mission success" check.

You circulate as the "Lead Analyst," checking their work, asking questions ("Why did that one match?" "How did the patty paper help you see the shift?").

📂 Worksheet Previews (The "Data Triage" Packet)

Here is a preview of the amazing, on-theme "Data Triage" packet your recruits will be working on.

QERC Field Assignment 01 - Code Blue

QERC Field Assignment 01 - Code Green (1)

QERC Field Assignment 01 - Code Green (2)

QERC Field Assignment 01 - Code Green (3)

QERC Field Assignment 02 - Code Pink

QERC Field Assignment 03 - Code Yellow

QERC Field Assignment 05 - Code White

Containment Signals (Logs) (1)

Containment Signals (Logs) (2)

Containment Signals (Logs) (3)HERHEHR

💥 Phase 2: All-Hands Debrief (Approx. 5-10 mins)

Where this goes: After the "Main Activity" (Data Triage) and the "Fast Feedback" (digital quiz), but before you give them the "Final Certification" (homework).

The Story: "Recruits, back to the main screen. Listen up. I've analyzed your reports from the 'Fast Feedback' terminal. We have a problem."

The Activity: This is the Classroom Discussion (d=0.82) step. You, as the Lead Analyst, have seen which graph was the "decoy"—the one most students got wrong.

(Project the "decoy" graph—the one they all missed—on the main screen for everyone to see.)

Lead Analyst (You): "Alright, look at this. 70% of you missed 'Containment Report P.' And most of you marked it as Protocol #16, y=log₂(x+3). That's the decoy."

(This is Cognitive Conflict, d=1.28. You are forcing them to confront the error they just made.)

Lead Analyst (You): "Talk to me. Protocol #16 looks right. Someone tell me why it looks right. What's the lure?"

(A student will say, "Because it's a log graph... and it's shifted to the left 3.")

Lead Analyst (You): "Exactly. It's a log graph, shifted left 3. That's what the virus wants you to think. It's a clean signal, but it's the wrong signal."

Lead Analyst (You): "Now, who can give me the one piece of evidence—the 'anchor point'—that proves it cannot be #16? What's the 'fingerprint' that doesn't match?"

(Wait for a student to see it. They might say, "The anchor point at (1,0) should move to (-2, 0), but on this graph, the point is at (-2, 1)!" or "The asymptote is right, but the points are off.")

Lead Analyst (You): "THAT'S IT. The asymptote matches, but the anchor points are corrupted. Analyst Smith, you nailed this on your quiz. Walk the rest of the team through your 'scan.' What's the first thing your eyes went to that proved it was a decoy?"

(Let Analyst Smith be the hero and explain their thinking. This is gold.)

Lead Analyst (You): "Brilliant. You just saved the city from deploying the wrong antidote. We look for all the evidence, not just the first piece. Now you're ready to file your official reports. Let's get to work."

👾 The Final Boss

📝 The Final Certification (At Home Quiz)

The Story: "Filing Your First Field Report." Your shift is over, but you have one last task: file your official report on today's findings. This goes into the permanent QERC archive.

The Activity: Students work individually on the Final Certification Exam. (Note for teachers: This is the homework quiz. It confirms they retained the skill from the in-class matching and feedback. To get access to this amazing resource, please contact darcistone@alpinedistrict.org! Also, please hit "submit" to start the quiz fresh, as it generates a new version on each attempt.)*

🎬 Epic Reward: First Shift Complete!

The Story: "Data sorted. Patterns identified. You've brought order to the chaos. Excellent work, Analyst. Get some rest... the real fight begins tomorrow."

🏆 The Level Clear Screen: Performance Review (CTA)

The Story: "Time to clock out. File your **Cognitive Task Analysis** on your way out of the command center. This is how we know you're ready for Day 2."

The Activity: Students use their Printable End-of-Shift Report to self-assess by *completing the reflection statement*.

🔟 Master Analyst (A "10" Report)

I can instantly tell the difference between exponential and log graphs, including shifts. I can explain *why* the base changes the graph's steepness.

My Reflection: "The fastest way to find the base 'b' on a log graph `y=log_b(x)` is to find the x-value where y equals 1, which is always at the point `( ____ , 1 )`."

🎱 Skilled Analyst (An "8" Report)

I can correctly match all the exponential graphs and all the log graphs to their parent equations, even with shifts. I'm confident in my answers after using the patty paper.

My Reflection: "The part that I still have to double-check is..." (e.g., "...telling `log_2(x)` from `log_3(x)`," or "...remembering the horizontal vs. vertical shifts.")

⭐ Analyst-in-Training (A "6" Report)

I can tell the two *shapes* apart (Infection vs. Containment) easily. I get a little confused on matching the *specific* equations (like `y=2^x` vs `y=2^(x-3)`), but the patty paper really helps.

My Reflection: "The most helpful 'anchor point' for me to look for on the graph is..." (e.g., "...the asymptote," or "...where the graph crosses the axis.")

🌱 Signal is Garbled (A "4" Report)

I'm.

My Reflection: "The most confusing part for me right now is..." (e.g., "...what the 'base' does," or "...why some graphs are upside down.")

About Director Stone (Shauna)

"Director Stone" is the in-class persona of Shauna, the creator of the popular **VRGetaway YouTube channel**.

Shauna brings her passion for immersive storytelling, "dragon-worthy" adventures, and inspirational messages from her virtual worlds directly into the math classroom. This blog, "Math Adventures," is the practical home for those high-efficacy, story-driven lesson plans.

📈 The "Visible Learning" Breakdown

This is the "concrete evidence" of Hattie's research in action.

As teachers, we hear a lot of "edu-buzzwords." We're told to use "high-impact strategies," but what does that *actually* look like in a classroom?

This entire lesson is designed to be a living example. The "secret" is a two-part process that directly builds High Teacher Efficacy (Hattie's #1 influence!) and facilitates Self-Reported Grades (another top-tier strategy).

🧠 1. The Teacher's Work (The "Invisible" Prep)

This is the Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA). It's the work I did *before* the lesson. I asked, "How does an expert *really* solve this?" and broke it down:

Skill 1: See the parent shape.
Skill 2: Isolate exponential shifts.
Skill 3: Isolate log shifts.
Skill 4: Explain *why* the base matters.

This creates Teacher Clarity (d=0.75). The "Data Triage" packet *is* the physical roadmap of my expert thinking.

↓

🎯 2. The Student's Work (The "Visible" Learning)

The student now uses my roadmap (the packet) to build the skill. The "Level Clear Screen" is their Self-Reported Grade (d=1.33). Notice:

They aren't "guessing" their grade. They are assessing themselves *against the explicit skills from my CTA*.
A "6" isn't a "D." It means "I have mastered Skill 1, but I'm still working on 2 and 3."
The "My Reflection" prompt is the most critical part: it's *metacognition*. It forces them to provide *evidence* for their self-assessment.

The Result? Genuine Efficacy.

This loop is the engine of Teacher Efficacy (d=1.57). My efficacy is high not just because I "believe in myself," but because I have *done the prep* (the CTA) to create a clear, scaffolded path for my students. I know this lesson will work because I've already identified the exact steps to success.

By the end, the student can accurately answer Hattie's three questions:

Where am I going? ("To become a Master Analyst who can spot shifts.")
How am I doing? ("I'm an '8.' I can match, but I'm shaky on *why* the base matters.")
Where to next? ("I need to review my reflection on anchor points.")

That is what Visible Learning *looks like*.

A Quick Note on My "CTA" Label

You'll notice I titled the exit ticket the "Performance Review (CTA)." While the *teacher's* design process is the formal Cognitive Task Analysis, this exit ticket is where I *challenge the student to perform their own tiny CTA* on their own thinking. The "My Reflection" prompt isn't just a comment box; it's the core cognitive check-in.