Set in the control room of the Amtrak Crisis Center, this series of cases serves some very practical and limited ends. Depicting a real set of events during a train crash in New York City, these cases get students to write short accounts of the accident as information on it arrives at the center. Students face great time pressure and must repeatedly revise their earlier accounts to include new data. Students learn which details are essential and which are better left aside until more complete information is at hand. This exercise teaches students to write under pressure, to fulfill multiple functions in a single piece of writing, and to address diverse audiences simultaneously.
