Making the News Case Study: E-Mission

e-Mission: Operation Montserrat is based on a real historical event. The volcano on the normally tranquil island of Montserrat has come to life. As flaming pebbles and lava begin their devastation, emergency response teams learn a hurricane is approaching. Using real-time hurricane and seismic data, teams of student specialists assist Mission Control in saving the residents from certain destruction.

Students used their mathematical, geographical and scientific skills to save the people of Montserrat from the twin threats of volcanic eruption and an approaching hurricane.

The learning objectives of the E-Mission include:

• Studying how volcanoes and hurricanes work and predicting danger.
• Analyzing the Mt. Pinatubo eruption event.
• Practising analyzing volcanic and storm-tracking data. Learning how to prepare data for transmission.
• Learning about Montserrat: the island's geography, its human infrastructure, and its history of hurricane and volcanic disturbances.
• Developing contingency plans. Make a list of what you think might happen and what the people should do to prevent a disaster.
• "Prepare for the worst and hope for the best"

Data was fed via the Internet and Mission Control was led by Commander Clare via Video Conference.

The volcano, hurricane, evacuation and data/communications teams worked hard – and a media team made the most of Making the News by reporting on their activities as the day progressed.

Read their stories here.

Feedback

Watch a movie made by some of the media team as they asked for feedback on the day.

Evaluation

Making the News proved itself a useful tool in extending the curriculum activity of the e-mission simulation to add the realism of media interest. The recording of the events by a media team added to a sense of urgency and also meant that many pupils took the event very seriously.

Making the News also provides a record of the day’s events, a way in which the students can share their achievements with people outside of school and also provides publicity of high-achieving, well-focused pupils learning relevant skills in an enjoyable, well-organised, disciplined learning environment.

The use of different types of Media makes the range of responses more interesting and has enabled the students to evaluate and choose their preferred form of media to support their reportage.  The use of video was particularly successful.

Links

www.spacecentre.co.uk/e-mission