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The Tropical Cyclone Coastal Impacts Program (TCCIP) research projects carried out by the James Cook University Centre for Disaster Studies focused on assessing and evaluating community vulnerability to tropical cyclone impact and then devising strategies to minimise and reduce this vulnerability. Part of the research has involved investigating cyclone awareness and risk perception among the far north Queensland region's school children. Results of studies conducted with year 5 and year 9 students have indicated that perception of the risk associated with tropical cyclones within the younger section of the community is flawed and that cyclone awareness education is at best inadequate and at worst non-existent. The need for an age appropriate cyclone awareness educational package was therefore clearly demonstrated and a decision was made to develop an interactive CD ROM cyclone awareness educational package in a game format.
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The game 'Stormwatchers' was produced and distributed to all Queensland primary schools. It was designed to be appropriate for Queenslands Upper Primary level school children but is useful for both older and younger age groups as there are several levels of difficulty embedded within the game. Subsequently it has been modified for Western Australia.The primary aim of this package is to give children the opportunity to create their own cyclone experience by working through one of a series of 'true-to-life' cyclone scenarios with one of the game's characters. Along the way they are instructed in appropriate preparatory behaviours for the cyclone hazard and informed of what to expect of a cyclone experience. Through this easy and fun medium children will acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding to enable them to respond appropriately in a real cyclone situation.
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The game's scenarios include a range of physical and social circumstances. One of the situations depicted is that of a child living with his extended family in a high set house on the beach front, he is confronted with the threat of storm surge so must prepare to evacuate. One of the other children lives in a house in the hills where he must prepare for the effects of high winds. Each scenario includes a cyclone tracking map for students to plot and follow the path of the cyclone, a quiz to test cyclone and general geographical knowledge and a fact book that can be accessed for further information. Players are required to prepare an adequate emergency kit, when this is complete they are rewarded with a special mini-game. Each scenario includes video footage from previous cyclones that demonstrates the 'real' situation.
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Instructions:
- Download the file Stormwatchers.exe to your desktop.
- Double click Stormwatchers.exe, and click on "install". (It will create a folder called "Storm Watchers" on the desktop which contains the game.
- Double click the new Stormwatchers folder to go into it.
- Double click the new Stormwatchers.exe (with the cyclone icon) to run the game.
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To download Stormwatchers.exe, click here (50.3MB)
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