The Scenario Smash is based around the investigations following a horrifying traffic accident. Children must take on the role of accident investigators and piece together what happened.

At the start of the lesson, the children divide into teams, receive instructions from the Chief of Police (the teacher) and print out their briefing sheet. This details the incident and a list of actions required.

Logging on to the communication system, the teams receive their first message from the scene. A young man, Simon James, reports seeing a cyclist struck by a car as he left the shop earlier on. He can help by describing what he saw.

Interview statements from the scene now begin to flood in. 71-year-old Mr Scherini reports seeing a red Volvo parked partly on the pavement. Mrs Eileen Stewart, sheltering under an umbrella at the bus stop, also had a clear view. Do their statements provide further details about the circumstances of the accident?

Finally the drivers involved, Steve Hennessey, Paul Cummins, Trisha Schofield and Kevin Armitage, are released by the medical staff and can be interviewed by the police. The teams must carefully analyse their words and make an appraisal of their actions and state of mind in the moments leading up to the crash.

Once all the statements have been received the teams have many pieces of evidence about who was responsible for different aspects of the accident and why. Now they must prepare a report for the Chief of Police detailing what actually happened and who was to blame.

In their presentation the Chief of Police needs to know:
i) where people were and what they saw
ii) where vehicles were and how they were moving
iii) who was responsible and why
iv) dangerous spots
v) suggestions for improving the safety of the area.

Using the scenario as a stimulus, children take part in follow up activities in a number of curriculum areas.

A wide range of literacy activities are available. Here the class compose a letter to the local council persuading them to make safety improvements to the area of the accident.

In a science unit, the children are involved in practical experiments investigating the force of friction.

In an art and design unit, the children investigate the use of materials to make clothing highly visible. They design and create their own safety jackets.

A RoSPA cycle safety module provides a complete set of activities. Here the children work out a cyclist's route to school, investigating possible hazards and deciding the safest way to travel.