Hurricane! - A simulation-based program for science education

We describe the development, testing and fielding of a PC-based instructional program, Hurricane!. This program educates students about the effects of hurricane winds on different kinds of residential structures. The effects on the residential structures are physics-based. The program has been developed both for schools and science museums. The format is game-based with realistic graphics and sounds and students see different degrees of damage depending on choices that make. For example, a one story masonry house built to current Florida building code standards, is much less vulnerable than a two story wood structure built before 1985. Therefore, students who make the first choice see less damage. Several tests in middle school science classes have demonstrated that the game is highly interesting and effectively teaches concepts central to understanding how to prepare for a hurricane.